Being Proactive - The Next Generation of Customer Service, Part Two

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Being Proactive - The Next Generation of Customer Service, Part Two

Wed, 01/30/2008 - 09:41 — Fred Taylor

(In the first installment, I outlined the need for Proactive Customer Service. Now, we will drill down a bit deeper to review the basics of how our Team works.)

Proactive Customer Service Basics

On a daily basis, the Proactive Team must:

Stay Informed

There's no excuse for not being prepared.

Understand how our business process works. I'm not talking about breaking it down to the chemical elements or physics, but a good understanding of our Company's Mission, principles, and goals; department structures and purposes; and how the Players, Teams, and Departments fit into the mix makes a big difference in the way we work together to resolve any situation.

Be aware of the circumstances that could interrupt our operations and where to turn for information if a disruption occurs.

Be prepared to implement a contingency plan (whatever that may be) if things don't go according to plan.

Take Ownership

Approach every situation like you are the last beacon of hope.

Be empowered to do everything you can to resolve a situation on your own. If others are called on to help implement a gameplan, then it's imperative to make sure they follow through.

Take the opportunity to turn a negative into a positive.

Find Win/Win Solutions

Trust that you'll do the right thing.

Try to make decisions as if you are in the Customer's shoes. Always listen to learn what the Customer wants (sometimes you have to have a thick skin in order to see through disappointment and anger). Be open; let the Customer down gently if you have to be the bearer of bad news; and always tell them what you can do (even if they're not the most flattering options).

Think about the Company's rules and policies as starting points (they're not the end of the road unless they have to be). And, be very flexible (as long as you're not jeopardizing Safety, security, or our Fellow Employees' integrity).

Followup Reporting

Taking ownership of a situation also means you have to report it.

Timely reporting is a key element to jumpstart the awareness of an event. Always keep your Leaders (on your Team and those to whom you report) in the loop (via whatever means necessary: phone calls/messages, e-mails, hand-written notes, and what have you). This is when being a (friendly) pest is a good thing (even with the small stuff).

Keep all Teammembers and Key Contacts in other departments who might encounter the same person/situation clearly informed about the facts so everyone is on the same page. Be positive; lighthearted; logical; and quickly get to the point. Provide followup information if necessary. Proper reporting allows us to complete the Customer Service Loop.

(In Part Three, I'll share with you what I think are the key elements of effective proactive communication.)

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Comments

Fred...you nailed it buddy! Your insight into the way it is/should or "ought-a-be" is head on. Way to represent. I think that our Valued Customers will appreciate this tremendously.

Nice job!

Your friend on the Front Lines in PIT

Flash 34867

John Flash Williams — Thu, 01/31/2008 - 12:45

I would like to thank SWA Customer Service for being pro-active in changing the Rapid Rewards system - much to the disadvantage of loyal customers such as myself who booked SWA exclusively (21 business round trips in '07). Well, guess what!? There's a new policy going into effect here at Bill Larsen central. Effective immediately, NO MORE SWA.

Bill Larsen — Fri, 02/01/2008 - 02:43

Think this is the only blog discussing SWA? Think again!

Bill Larsen — Fri, 02/01/2008 - 02:44

You have to be kidding, this is all copied from a book. SW is NOT a good airline.

Mike charles — Sun, 02/03/2008 - 15:14

Just thought I 'dexpress my disappointment in SWA. I have been a member since 1995 and have flown SWA almost exclusively which is no easy task out of Dallas.
My Rewards tickets are virtually useless and when SWA recently made a mistake on a booking for my wife (5 of us our booked to Orlando and my wife got booked to Houston) but now there are no more reward tickets on the that flight. So the answer I got, "can I book another date for you." Great customer service.

Keith Brewer — Mon, 02/04/2008 - 17:13

Chicago was fogged in today (February 4th, 2008) and Midway was literally shut down for most of the day. With Midway such a significant hub for SW, this clearly would cause a lot of disruptions.

Weather-related disruptions are unavoidable and understandable. But Southwest melted down. You guys didn't do any better than Jet Blue last year or Northwest a few years ago. You sent planes to anywhere, I got sent to Louiville, with a grand total of two gate people there to handle at least 8 or 10 plane loads of people. I gather it wasn't better in other places either. I ended up renting a car, driving almost 300 miles to St Louis, then catching a flight to Omaha. Your airline's complete and utter failure to Stay Informed (you supplied literally no information - that was the most maddening, and your 800 line was shut down most of the day beause call volume was so high), you failed to Take Ownership, and your failure to Find Win/Win Solutions is the biggest disappointment. Usually Southwest is the one airline who has its act together. Not today. You suffered a complete systemic failure.

Southwest's complete failure cost me a full day of work, a $200 car rental, a 5 hour drive, and a second SW ticket. So I guess you guys win, and I lose.

This just isn't the way Southwest is supposed to work. What happened?

Albert Strausser — Tue, 02/05/2008 - 06:21

On February 4, we diverted all of our Chicago-bound flights to designated alternates in a safe and orderly fashion. We provided our Frontline Employees with consistent, timely, and ongoing information about the status of our operation all day long. And, given the difficult task at hand, our Employees responded the way we hoped that they would do. We offered our Customers flexible accommodations, and published this information on our external website: southwest.com, as well as our internal Company website.

From a CustomerÃ

Fred Taylor, Jr. — Wed, 02/06/2008 - 01:36

Okay, I really never thought I would write (or say) a negative word about SWA... my airline of choice for years. And I guess I received something in the mail that I failed to read -- but today I learned about SWA's newest "change for the better" - the requirement to use TWO FREQUENT FLYER TICKETS TO PURCHASE A SINGLE ROUND TRIP FLIGHT!! Booking more than a month in advance, I find that all of the Standard flights are (big surprise) unavailable. When I called and asked just how many seats HAD been available, I was given the company line "Sorry, they don't tell us." Well, I guess the two seats that HAD been available were now gone and since I had already made my trip reservations, I end up using four of my tickets instead of two. I'm sorry, but any way you spin this, its a rip off. SWA has stopped being the peoples airline (Hey, come on Herb, we need you back) and it has, like so many other companies, become the "stick it to our customers any way we can" airline. So sad. Again, I'm sure someone sent me something about this dastardly change (or not), but I will -- I PROMISE -- do whatever I can to avoid flying this airline again. I am so upset, and disheartened, by this shabby treatment of a once loyal customer. And to think I have been standing up to others about SWA all these years. I guess I just didn't realize that once Herb left, the "newbies" couldn't wait to ruin a once great outfit.

Don Marshall — Wed, 02/06/2008 - 04:01

I TOTALLY agree with Mr. Marshall. I have been a rabid fan of SWA for years. I carry their credit card and have recommended them to everyone. NEVER AGAIN! This change in the "rewards" policy that they somehow think is good is the worst thing that ever happened to Southwest. When I joined the program Rapid Rewards was the best frequent flier program available. With these changes and the changes in the culture created when you can effectively bribe your way to an early aircraft boarding, the company has forgotten what made them successful in the first place. Congratulations Southwest, you have made me a JetBlue customer. I will be be applying for their credit card later today.

Richard Marriott — Thu, 02/07/2008 - 16:23

Just wanted to drop a line in response to your recent change to family pre-boarding policy and process. I've read with interest the negative feedback that Southwest has received about this change and find it quite remarkeable that you espouse being proactive with respect to customer service. Making families with young children board with the masses is quite simply the absolute worst PR decision you have made and is a testament to your inability to realize that you have made an error and take action to correct it. I am merely one customer with one vote with which I will exercise by choosing another carrier for future travel. As a challenge, I would like to travel with one of your senior executives and myself and my children to see how they would fare trying to manage boarding, getting seating together, and avoiding injury from other passengers and their carry on luggage. Put yourself in a three year old shoes, and at their height, and try to board a plane with everyone else and their carry on luggage. But not to worry, your PR people have informed me that this change was actually endorsed by families in your recent surveys of the change and families are happy with it. Wilfull blindness is probably not a great strategic direction for a customer focussed organization. I can only say with certainty that you have lost one family of customers with your approach to this, so not to worry, its only 1 right.

R Callaghan — Mon, 02/11/2008 - 18:26

Rapid Rewards Rip Off: About a year ago, I got notified that I had one free round trip. I failed to read the fine print that it expired 1/22/08. When I went to use the free trip (2/19/08) I was told that for $50.00 they would re-instate it. I said OK (not happy). Tried to book OMA - PHX and return on 2/28/08 - 3/4/08. Sorry no RR free seats available on the flight I wanted. If I wanted to fly @ 6:30 in the morning, I'd grow wings. You can't book RR free seats on the web under any circumstances so you have to go to (snotty) customer service by phone. Southwest: You're no better than any other airline, and your boarding procedures suck. There are never any A boarding passes available because of connecting flights. To wit: If you have a connecting flight that starts earlier, you can get your bording pass more than 24 hours in advance. Try to get an A pass at St Louis in the afternoon

Carl Brady — Tue, 02/19/2008 - 02:54

I admit that I am just getting started to learn all the secrets about keeping a good customer service, I am thinking to open a new answering service and I need all the information I can get to do this right. Working with people can be a difficult thing but it's not impossible.

julya — Fri, 08/22/2008 - 04:12

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