Are you convinced by a flawless corporate image? Neither are your customers.
Think of all the great ad campaigns you've seen in your lifetime. Now think of all the great people you've known. Family. Friends. Teachers. Classmates. Coworkers. Clients. Within moments, you can bring up vivid memories of dozens, probably hundreds of people you've met over the years. You can see their face. You can hear their voice. You can remember conversations you've shared.
Why then, do so many companies invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in figuring out how to promote themselves with traditional media, and then hire mediocre people to be the face and voice of their company? John Windsor, author of Beyond the Brand, relates an experience that left a last impression on him:
When I asked Chipper how to get there, Chipper started off by saying, "You've got it bro," and then gave me detailed, simple instructions on how to get there. When I told Chipper thanks, he said "Believe it!" It was magical.
Soon after we talked, I realized I was going to be early so I called back looking for a friend to borrow a surfboard and get some exercise before my meeting. I called Chipper back and he paged my friend. Unfortunately, my buddy was in a meeting. When Chipper asked what I needed, I told him I wanted to borrow a surfboard. Chipper said, "No worries, come see me and I'll have a board ready for ya, bro!"
When I arrived, there was Chipper, stoked to see me with a board ready to ride. Who is this mysterious "Chipper" guy? He's the receptionist for Patagonia, an outdoor apparel and gear company. If you saw a tremendously expensive ad for Patagonia products in a glossy outdoor sports magazine, you probably wouldn't remember it for more than a few seconds. John Winsor, however, will probably remember Chipper for the rest of his life, as well as the positive mental associations he brought to the Patagonia brand.
Many years ago, our company did most of its banking through a small supermarket branch of Wells Fargo. James usually went after work, when the branch manager wasn't there. The late-shift tellers were young and notoriously silly. They laughed, exchanged jokes with customers, and had a great time doing their job. James loved going there. He walked in one afternoon and found them more somber than usual. He asked one of them what was up, and she indicated that they had been "caught" by the branch manager, who had arranged a secret shopper to observe their behavior after he left. Now his favorite banking experience was reduced to boring sterility. They went back to calling him "Mr. Archer." Banking was returned to its previous status of being a necessary chore, rather than a pleasant experience.
From a business perspective, that branch manager probably congratulated himself on making his tellers more efficient and professional. He optimized their performance by removing the minutes they spent chatting with each customer. He also lost at least four customers, as we no longer had any particular attachment to Wells Fargo (and the wonderful human brand those tellers had created), and eventually switched to Bank of America.
As social animals, our brains are hardwired to understand and appreciate the people around us. We respond to them on a profound level that can't be approached by mailers, television commercials, or viral ad campaigns. Who is the voice of your business? Are they imperfect? Are they memorable? Are they lovable? Or are they merely professional?
Learn more about the author, Dan Ritzenthaler.
Hi Dan. You are dead on here! In most organizations it is the individual connections that make the business, not the corporate memos. I understand that in large corporations there is a need to control from above, but if that sacrifices the service on the floor, well it needs to be retooled.
When I business looses a sense of its employees, some may call it evolution. Others start their own businesses to recapture what was lost.
Thanks again, Jen - Life Simplified www.yourlifesimplified.com
Thanks for sharing this, Dan. I think that your point of image being one thing, and the actual quality of service you receive from the staff of a company quite another, is valid.
And, yes, I would say that, in your first story, Chipper, the "mere" receptionist, had a far greater impact than the company's glitzy ad campaign. He was authentic, service-focused and friendly. Not a bad way for your brand to be perceived.
In the second case, your young and silly bank tellers, I would just say that the very best staff can joke with one customer and interact in an entirely different way with another, depending on how that customer likes to be treated.
Bob and I have had the experience of a restaurant server who doesn't know us being all formal and serious with us. But the moment he or she sees that we value humor and don't take ourselves too seriously, they open up and change the way they interact with us, meeting us on our own terms.
That to me is the key. Being flexible enough to address that person as "Mr. Archer" if they require that kind of respect, and being more playful with people whose personalities are less serious. And I don't see that as being non-authentic, but merely understanding human nature and the wide spectrum of people in this world.
Nice article. You made me think.
This is a great article!!! I, too, have avoided bank hours that involved dry and stiff management presence... And, Chipper? I met one when my husband I decided to fly to Albuquerque and buy some mountain bikes there. The service was so personal, it was like a dream... they even took our bikes when we were done riding them around that gorgeous landscape, boxed them and delivered them to the airport for us so that they were waiting when we returned home... I'll never forget them... ended up sending them some of California's greatest wine as a thank you. Again, you did a great job with this! Best, Karen
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