Category: Customer Experience

As I unloaded my cart on a recent visit to the grocery store, I heard the cashier tell his fellow employee, “I’m so tired of working this line. I can’t wait to be out of here!” Hearing this, I considered how the store manager would react if he heard this from his employee. To be sure, the manager would consider the comment a poor reflection on his store and on the company brand. Employees who talk about being bored on the job – in front of customers – are adversaries for a brand rather than advocates, a situation every company wants to avoid.

The Wall Street Journal’s Carl Bialik (“The Numbers Guy”) talked with our own Rob Barry, along with other experts, about the customer view of time spent waiting in line.

A business acquaintance recently asked my opinion on the current state of customer service in this tough economy. The reason? She had just returned from some routine business travel and found the customer service, from beginning to end, to be nothing short of effusive. I could not stop her as she sang the praises of the taxi driver, the airline gate agent, the flight attendants, the bell staff, the concierge, the restaurant servers, and on and on. She reported that she felt an obvious, heartfelt appreciation of her patronage from many employees.

A recent experience in Orlando International Airport clearly reminded me why the phrase “no problem” could easily be associated with the phrase “no service.’
I had just placed an order at a quick service restaurant, and was handed my order in a bag, along with a cup to fill at a self-service station. At this point in the transaction, I said, “Thank you.” The efficient employee then said, “No problem.”

In our current economy, customer retention is at the forefront of good business strategy. Well-run companies know that keeping customers coming back, even in this difficult economic climate, will ensure success down the road. With so many businesses focusing on customer service strategy and so many approaches to customer experience measurement out there, I am often asked which measurement method works best.