Sunday, 4 May 2008
Managing Customer Expectations - Lessons from a festival
| Every year for the past 7 years I have taken my kids into the annual Buddha's Birthday celebrations at South Bank in Brisbane. This was our favourite festival in Brisbane, with great cultural displays, exhibits, fabulous vegetarian food and a strong experience of the Buddhist faith. Every year the kids made wishes, took part in candle offerings and bathed baby Buddha to help them experience and understand different faiths. Each year the festival grew in size - with a greater range of experiences on offer to match the increasing numbers of people through the festival. This year we noticed something different from the moment we walked in - only a fraction of the usual glowing orange lanterns decorated South Bank and the main entry arch was missing. The cultural aspects were down to a few token sections with very limited interaction (and the fireworks moved nights without announcement from a Saturday to a Sunday night). The festival felt flat - not just for us but for other festival goers. Most people who attend go every year and have expectations on what the festival is all about. We still have no idea what happened this year to cause it to shrink by half. This is similar to any business. Customers are happy when their expectations are exceeded, but when there are sudden changes without warning, and a decreased level of service then you lose your regular customers. Some things you can do if you have to cut back on your service, product range or other offering is to communicate these changes clearly and openly to your customers. As long as you explain "why" people will generally accept the changes. It is only when there is silence there is a problem. We will still check out the festival next year, but with much lower enthusiasm on the part of the kids. Until next time Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony Putting your business into words Labels: customer expectations, customer service |
Thursday, 21 February 2008
How NOT to deal with customer complaints
 Not every customer will be happy with your service - at some point everyone makes a mistake. It is how you recover from that mistake that determines whether or not you convert your customer to a fan or a foe. This week I was forwarded one of the worst recent examples of a business dealing with feedback. To set the scene - this person had eaten at Casa Flamenco at Albion in Brisbane (yes names are being used - you will see why in a moment). They had had some problems so had sent an email outlining their concerns and providing feedback. Here is a copy of their email Hi I saw your ad in the city news last week and dined with 8 friends last night. I wanted to pass on some feedback regarding our experience at your restaurant. As someone who has experience in restaurant marketing I applaud your concept of 50% off the total bill – it will certainly get people in the door to try the restaurant. However, if you are going to retain them as regular customers who will not only return to the restaurant but tell all their friends and family to go to your restaurant you need to make the first visit memorable. Here are my suggestions; 1. Staff. We were the only table dining last night so the fact that there was only 1 staff member working should not have been a problem. The waiter was a sweet, friendly guy but he was not properly trained in waiting. He was unable to explain the menu when questioned. He did not regularly check back on the table to take drink orders, he left the menus on the table after we had ordered and didn’t bring out the cutlery before dessert arrived. He was obviously a little nervous which didn’t help the cause either. 2. Food. The food was good, we enjoyed it but it was not enough and it took far too long to arrive. We had ordered the chef’s tapas selection which the waiter said was good. It was good. However, it took over 1 hour to arrive on our table after we had ordered and the dishes that were meant to be served hot were cold by the time they arrived. Also, I would consider paying $36 or so for the size and contents of the platter brought out but if I was paying $55 I would have been very disappointed (in fact I think I would refuse to pay!). I had assumed that the ‘chef’s tapas selection’ would also have included at least a salad and some breads for the price so we didn’t order any. After we had devoured the food in a very short time as we were starving we decided not to ask for breads or salad as we assumed they would take too long to arrive also. We actually assumed that the platters brought out were going to be followed by a second platter based on the quoted price on the menu. Really, for $55 I would be expecting that platter to be supplemented by 1 salad, some bread and perhaps some olives, calamari and prawns also. We also ordered dessert (creme brulees and creme caramels) because we were still hungry after the tapas– the creme caramels were okay but the creme brulees were lumpy and inedible. Again, if we were paying $15 each for them we would have been very disappointed. I was disappointed enough paying $7.50 for them. Also, the coffee was brought out after dessert was served and was not good coffee. 3. Value for Money was awful. We ended up paying around $30 per person for our meal which was okay for what we got. However, should we have been paying full price I would not have been happy at all. There simply was not the variety or amount of food served for the money that the menu quoted. I am afraid that my experience at Casa Flamenco was very disappointing. I am not seeking any recompense here - I think you have a good concept in the restaurant and your website shows you are passionate about what you do. The fact that you are offering diners a 50% discount to try the restaurant out shows that you are keen to attract new customers. I do hope you take my feedback into account and use it constructively to improve your customers’ experiences. You are doing the right things in your marketing to attract customers. However, the key is to retain these new customers and keep them and their friends coming back for more. To do this you will need to improve your service levels and your value for money substantially from what my friends and I experienced last night. Thank you for your time, Lorraine As you can see it is not abusive - the person was just stating their point of view. Now - this is the exact response they were emailed (obviously they attended the Basil Fawlty School of Hospitality) Dear What is the lesson? This email has been forwarded to many hundreds of people in Brisbane. One thoughtless response by a company has created significant negative attention that will impact on their business. Even if the company privately thought the customer was an idiot, all they needed to do was send an email back stating "I am sorry you had a bad experience with us. We appreciate the time you took to give us this feedback. At our next team meeting we will discuss your feedback as a group to ensure we improve on all aspects. Thank you again" and the matter would be settled. If they wanted to go the next step they could send a voucher in way of apology. Take the time to review your complaints procedure and ensure you have processes in place to deal with any complaints easily, smoothly and swiftly to a positive outcome (and be careful where you eat in Albion!). Until next time Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony Labels: customer service, small business ideas |
Monday, 10 December 2007
The things we do for clients
| Client relationship management is a critical part of doing business. My "A" category clients are all super special to me and I go out of my way to do whatever it takes to help them out. This has seen me help out on stands at trade shows, unload trucks or whatever they truly needed to make their lives happier - in addition to my regular business development, copywriting and human resources work. However ... last weekend was interesting. Have a look at this photo - I would love your thoughts on whether I had gone too far to help out a client. Some background context - my clients had a float at a Christmas parade and needed help handing out brochures. I was happy to help out - but this was awaiting for me when I arrived!
Until next time Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony Business development for small to medium businesses through ... wearing bon bon costumes in street parades Labels: christmas marketing, client relationship management, customer service |
Monday, 3 December 2007
Marketing tip - Voice tone is important
| Marketing is not only about words on a page, but how they are delivered. When you or an employee answers the phone - what does the tone of voice convey? Are they bored or do they speak so quickly that it sounds like they are calling the last race at Doomben? The person at the other end of the phone needs to feel valued and connected to you and your business. The tone of voice used is the main key to making this happen. A quick tip is to place a photo of a loved one right next to the phone. When you answer the phone imagine you are speaking to that person. Your tone of voice automatically gains warmth and deepens into connection. This tip also works if you are giving a teleseminar or on the other end of a phone presentation or interview. Place a picture where you can see it, look into the picture's eyes and talk to the picture. Your voice will automatically gain "rise and fall" in tone, will be warmer and more interesting to listen to. Try it out! Until next time Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony www.heartharmony.com.au Business development for small to medium businesses .... through marketing. Labels: answering phone techniques, customer service, marketing tips, phone techniques, phones |
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Marketing Tip - Manage your team changes with clients
| Marketing isn't just about selling a product - you also are selling your team, your skills and your brand. One of the most forgotten marketing areas is planning for team transitions. Losing a key contact in your business through resignation, promotion or even just an extended holiday is often a time when your key clients make a choice to go elsewhere with their business. Without effective planning for this transition you may find your customers follow the person leaving, get confused about who to talk with about their issue or even get frustrated about having to repeat their history to a new person. Some tips to manage the marketing of succession:
Managing a transition doesn't have to mean losing customers - if you deal with it correctly. Until next time Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony Business development ... through human resources and marketing
Labels: customer service, customers, hr planning, marketing tips |
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Marketing Tips - Maximise Christmas
| It is that time of year when people are desperately trying to find suitable presents for people. Put yourself in most present buyers shoes for a moment - they are tired, worried about the cost of buying for everyone on their list, most hate shopping at the best of times and really hate crowded shopping centres, they have very little time and want things to be made easy for them. You can help both them (and the people around them) and your business by understanding these needs and taking action. Gifts: How can your product or service address these needs? How can you make it quick and easy to shop with you? How can you present your products already wrapped ready to give - at a great price? Service: How can you make their day a little bit more pleasant? How can you make their lives a little bit easier and stress free? The extra time you take looking after your customers this time of year will pay dividends for both you and them. Until next time Ingrid Heart Harmony www.heartharmony.com.au Business development through marketing Labels: christmas marketing, customer service, marketing tips |