Babystep 6: Excellent Customer Service
There are three questions you should ask yourself when creating customer service systems:
What is the goal?
What is the style?
What authority do your employees have to carry out?
There’s no right or wrong model, as long as it fits your clientele. Dutch Bros caters to a younger demographic so they’re casual, extremely informal, and friendly. Starbucks has chosen to have a more professional customer service style. The flight attendants for Alaskan Airlines might sit down next to you and have a conversation.
So first step, make sure you’ve nailed down your target customer. Once you know who you’re catering to, make your customer service fit your customers.
Second step is to write down what these customers expect and to meet all of these expectations — plus throw in something so unexpected that they can’t help but talk about it. The best customer service has an element of surprise that becomes a talking point.
When you go to Double Tree they give you a fresh baked cookie. It is special because it is unexpected. Chick-fil-A has hosts that walk around and refill your drink. It’s effective because it’s a level of service that’s unexpected in a fast food restaurant. What makes Dutch Bro’s service style so effective is that it’s so personal that it makes you slightly uncomfortable — but in a good way.
Zappos Founder, Tony Hsieh decided early on that the online shoe retailer needed to be set apart by going the extra miles for all of their customers. The longest customer service phone call recorded at Zappos is over 10 hours long, and it had little to do with buying shoes.
With such unexpected customer service, it’s important to have a measurement system that reflects what your goals are. If Zappos measured good customer service by how many calls were picked up, they couldn’t have a customer service model that was about taking all the time in the world with their customers. People will perform on whatever you measure them on.
Once you’ve decided your customer service goals, you have to be clear with your employees about what authority they have to meet those goals. Can they give away a free drink? A gift card? A dessert?
Pro tip: If a customer complains, try not to ask them if they want something. Instead ask them if there’s something you can do to solve their problem. When you ask them if they want a free drink, for example, they’re likely to feel embarrassed. If you decide to give them something for free, give it to them without asking them if they want it.
How you handle mistakes is a huge opportunity for you to gain customer loyalty. Mistakes will happen but customers want to know how you handle them.
Think LATTE
Listen: Customers just want to be heard. Even if you already know the problem, hear them out thoroughly and with empathy.
Acknowledge: Repeat back to them what the problem is to show you understand and acknowledge that you understand why it’s frustrating.
Take Action: Be generous with this. Make the solution 3x what the problem was.
Thank Them: They’re probably feeling negative right now after addressing a problem. Assuage them by thanking them for bringing it to your attention.
Explain what you did: Let them know what you’ve done to fix the problem so it’s clear.
Lastly, it’s so important to have a great feedback loop. You’re partnering with your customers to improve your business.
If you’re training your managers to walk around the cafe and ask for feedback, avoid asking how the food was. If it wasn’t horrible, you’ll probably always just get a, “good.” Train your managers to have conversations that elicit honest feedback.
If you go the survey route, make sure it’s truly accessible and be sure your customers know that you actually value their feedback.
You can purchase SCI’s, “From Your Coffee Shop Dream, To Your Dream Coffee Shop” book here.
With SCI’s book, you’ll walk out these steps through the fictional, but all too relatable, story of Claire Wallace as she journeys toward her dream coffee shop.