Say hello, or burn your brand

Your entire company's customer service skills become part of your brand - if they don't align, you might as well burn your brand!

Written Feb 11, 2011, read 1891 times since then.

How much time and money did you spend carefully crafting your brand? What do you do to live up to it? If you and your staff don’t match your brand, you might as well burn it!

Like it or not, customer service is a very important part of your brand. Even if you share an office with another business, you should all work together to make customers feel welcome. First impressions are crucial to your survival. What good is a fancy website, a fabulous brochure, masterful networking or a well-decorated office if no one wants to come back?

I recently experienced such an example. I was involved in a motor vehicle accident and was referred to a massage therapist as part of my treatment. The card and brochure described a professional, experienced medical massage practitioner who had a positive attitude. On the phone, she was bright and inviting, so we set an appointment for the evaluation.

Her directions were easy to follow, and parking great. So far, so good. As I walked into the clinic, I found warm, interesting decorations and a casual setting that instantly relaxed me. Soft music played in the background and a trickling fountain added to the overall ambiance.

The woman behind the desk was on the phone, though she wasn’t speaking at the time. She completely ignored me. Even though I found this rude, I figured she’d get to me eventually. As I walked toward the waiting area, I noticed a clipboard on the counter that had a sticky note with my name on it. On it were papers and the instructions to fill out both sides. Phone Lady was obviously on hold and could have at least smiled or nodded, but continued to ignore me.

The decorations had not changed, but the environment was no longer warm.

I dutifully sat down and began filling out my paperwork. By now Phone Lady had finished whatever she was doing on the phone and had turned toward her computer. She typed away, still not acknowledging me.

By this point, I felt unwelcome, but still completed the paperwork and tried to hand the clipboard to Phone Lady. She would not take it. She just pointed to the counter, as if I were bothering her! I decided then and there that I would leave and even gathered my coat and purse, but the therapist made her entrance at that moment.

She, at least, said hello. She led me to the therapy room and we had a decent session – but I just couldn’t shake the overall feeling that I did not like it there.

To this day, every time I come to the office, even if I first greet Phone Lady, she is not in any way friendly. I still feel unwelcome. Her attitude creates a frigid cloud over the entire office. I still don’t know if she’s a receptionist or another therapist, but I do know that because of her, and because I must always wait for my apointment (which cuts into my actual appointment time - because she always quits 5-10 mintues early), I will finish out my prescribed treatment and never return. I will not refer them to others.

How was your brand created?

Bad service becomes part of your brand. Think of a particular restaurant that is famous for its baseball-inspired breakfasts. Now, think of your impression of the service there. Would you take a business client there? A date? See what I mean? Cheap eats does not equal quality service. Keep this in mind.

If you offer quality goods but aren’t getting repeat business, you need a customer service overhaul! Take a good, honest look around your business and ask yourself if it is the type of environment to which YOU would feel compelled to return. Chances are, it's not just the furniture that might need fixing.

Here are some simple things to consider when beginning your overhaul:

Greet Customers

No matter how busy you are, no matter what you are doing, no matter how important you feel you might be to the organization – when a customer comes in, acknowledge them. If you are tied up on the phone, make eye contact. Smile. Wave. Do SOMETHING to let them know that you know they exist. If you must make them wait, at least make them comfortable.

Be Nice

If you see customers or even potential customers as an inconvenience, quit whatever it is that you do and go apply at the DMV. People choose to do business with you, and will certainly choose to do business elsewhere if you are not nice to them. It’s up to the client to be difficult – your job is to help them, not outdo them.

Partner Up

Make friendly greetings and basic customer service a priority of everyone in the office – from the CEO to the custodian. Each and every one of your jobs depends on those customers, so treat them as such. If you share an office with another business or practitioner, get together and discuss the importance of helping one another with your respective customers. It does not matter who they came to see, it’s who they see first that makes or breaks the connection.

Never Blame or Explain

Telling your client everything that has gone wrong that day only makes them uncomfortable. Blaming someone else for any issues only makes you look unprofessional. If you must apologize, do – but do so in a way that puts the client at ease and lets them know that it will not happen again. If you want to keep a customer, keep your problems to yourself.

Be Present

That client, at that time, is the most important person in the world and should feel that way. Don’t make a person feel like you put them on hold when they are sitting right in front of you! They took time out of their day to be there, everything else can wait while you take care of them. If you are too busy to be with them for their appointment or consultation, then refer a colleague who isn’t.

Branding is important – but clients are more important. Don’t waste your time making things pretty if your attitude does not align with your brand.

Learn more about the author, Mélanie Hope.

Posted by James Moniz, Kent, Washington | Feb 14, 2011

Nicely done, Mélanie! Gets to the point.
Posted by Vondale Gibbs, Maple Heights, Ohio | Feb 14, 2011

Good article! I have been in that situation many times. After being treated that way on your initial visit, no matter how nice that person is afterward, it takes a while to warm up to the enviroment.
Posted by Karen Mathieson, Portland, Oregon | Feb 15, 2011

Thank you for sharing your observations and conclusions, Mélanie, and I hope that you will be feeling better soon. Car accidents shake up more than just our bodies, that's for sure.

One question that arose for me as I read your article was whether the clinic massage staff is aware of how the person serving as a receptionist is affecting their business. My experience has been that people who do massage are often sole practitioners who band together to share expenses--one of which would be staffing the front desk.

If that's the case, then perhaps the advertising, physical environment and actual provision of service is aligned with their collective vision and values, but there's a disconnect because nobody's supervising the front-line person. They're all off giving massages!

While I understand completely your intention never to darken that particular clinic door again, perhaps you could give a copy of your article to the masseuse you've been seeing after you've finished treatment. Who knows? That wake-up call might lead some folks there to become Bizniks and start learning how to help their workplace provide better customer service.

Sending warmest wishes for your recovery,

~Karen
Posted by Mélanie Hope, Las Vegas, Nevada | Feb 15, 2011

Karen,

That is absolutely my plan! Not while she's laying hands on me, mind you, but I think it would only help if she knew.
Posted by Karen Mathieson, Portland, Oregon | Feb 15, 2011

Clearly, great minds think alike, Mélanie, and thanks for the chuckle you provided by your hint at the multiple connotations of "laying hands on me." Best of luck to you!

~Karen
Posted by Kimberly Gauthier, Marysville, Washington | Feb 17, 2011

Great write up, Melanie. I'm happy that you plan to discuss the vibes of the front desk employee; that's so important.

With social media on the rise and many people connecting more online than in person, people forget how important a first impression is.

If I go to an accountant's office and it's messy - I won't go back. If a doctor's office is dirty - I'll run away. And if I don't feel welcomed in a business, I won't waste their time.

What a lot of people still aren't connecting is that I won't just leave these businesses and find someone new. I'll pull out my phone or boot up my laptop and share my experience on Facebook and Twitter. I may even blog about it and tie it back into photography (I've actually done this).

Businesses aren't just losing one customer, but two or more. I had a bad experience with Direct TV, I wrote a blog, which posted to FB and Twitter. Two people tweeted me back thanking me for the blog post. They were in the process of chosing between Direct TV and Comcast and chose Comcast. Wow!

I got a thank you from Comcast and some free PPV. I got my money back from Direct TV.

Social media is making the average person influential and powerful.
Posted by Mélanie Hope, Las Vegas, Nevada | Feb 17, 2011

This is so true, Kimberly - and something we discuss both in my book and my workshops. A bad experience goes a long, long way in this wired age!

It is nice to hear that the larger companies are listening.
Posted by Michael Schuett, Renton, Washington | Feb 17, 2011

Good article Melanie. I know a number of places/people that ought to read this. Regarding your therapist I'm wondering why you did return more than a second time and not seek out another therapist (there is no shortage of massage therapists). And I certainly would have said something to the therapist about Phone lady. If phone lady is not helpful and inviting to those coming through the door of course the therapist is being hurt by that and needs to be made aware. Maybe she isn't. But then again, I can be a lot more forward than others.

Michael Schuett http://www.totalbroadcasting.com
Posted by Andy Hanselman, Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom | Feb 17, 2011

Hi Melanie!

Greetings from the UK! I thought it was just us who had these sort of people! I call them 'Sales Prevention Officers'!

Can't help thinking that more businesses need to identify if they have them, and crucially, what's causing them! Sometimes it's the systems, the processes, the culture - often it's about 'attitude' - are people allowed to 'get away with this stuff'.

Thanks for your ideas and suggestions - there's some great stuff there!

I encourage people to 'stand in their own queues' and see what it's like to be a customer of their business - what they see, hear and experience is often quite scary!

www.andyhanselman.com
Posted by Mark J. Fischer, Lutherville Timonium, Maryland | Feb 17, 2011

Melanie

Your breakdown of your experience was excellent but I am very curious who at the Therapist's office you shared your observation? I preach Guest Experience Management (GEM) which is created at every touch point. Was the cold "Phone Lady" ever turned around?
Posted by Mélanie Hope, Las Vegas, Nevada | Feb 19, 2011

Andy - thank you for your comment and the reminder of just how small our world can be - and that good customer relations is universal.

Mark - in answer to your question: My impression was that the "Phone Lady" was another therapist - thus my call to 'partner up' in the article. As I was under a doctor's referral for a certain period, I didn't want to rock the boat until I actually had the power to leave.

When I (gently and respectfully) relayed my experience with my therapist, her response was that, since the other woman was not technically related to the therapist I came to see (they just shared the office space), she should not be responsible for her actions towards other clients. Sigh...