Exemplary Public Relations for Starbucks

In the January 15, 2008 issue of Bottom Line Personal, there is an article about a man who wrote a book entitled, “How Starbucks Saved My Life.” 

The book is about a man who was a former six-figure advertising executive, and by age 63 was divorced, unemployed, nearly broke, and diagnosed with a brain tumor. 

Because he was in desperate need of health insurance and a regular paycheck, he took a job serving coffee at Starbucks for $10.50 an hour.  He ended up loving the job.

Today he is healthy, has sold his life story to Hollywood ( and it appears that Tom Hanks will probably play him in the film) and yet still plans to work at Starbucks because he enjoys the job. 

This type of public relations for a company simply can not be bought at any price!

This type of public relations is simply priceless and it couldn’t come at a better time for Starbuck’s, who has raised its prices twice in the past year and is facing major competition from McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts. 

It also showcases a company that has created an exemplary working environment.  Simply, great work environments attract great employees, who offer better customer service, which makes for better sales.

Now this my friends is the best of all worlds.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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Put a Client’s Fears to Rest Before Beginning Work on the Project

Be sure to identify the fears that prospective clients have about working with you. It takes some effort, but they will be reluctant to use your services until you have:

1. Identified their fears
2. Discussed their fears with them
3. Laid their fears to rest

For example, one of the greatest fears that a client can have is do you have the ability to produce the desired results on a timely basis?

Always provide the client with a schedule that identifies with precision, when the various elements of your work will be completed. The schedule may change once work is underway, yet it serves as a reassurance to your client that you have concern for their most important priority — timely completion of the project.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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Help the Client See You as a Source of Value and Not a Threat

(My apologies to all – the post I sent out last night had some spelling errors that have now been corrected. This happens when I write it on the road and forget to spell check and reread it. Thanks to Susan Gaffney-Evans for pointing this out. D.) 

BNA — It’s sometimes hard to do yet I highly recommend you not accept a client who doesn’t value your services or with whom you have a personality conflict. Frankly, and I know this from experience, these clients will create more problems in the long run no matter how hard you try to be of service to them.

When working with the client’s staff, you will probably be perceived as a threat. You can reduce the degree of the threat feeling by ensuring that the client properly introduces you and explains your role. You can further reduce the threat by communicating the fact that you want to work with the staff to ease the tension and motivate them by showing how their role will benefit them as well as the company.

Your continued success will greatly depend on your ability to bury your own ego and let the key players in the client’s organization get recognition for your accomplishments. Those who are important for future business referrals will know that you are responsible for these achievements.

Don’t allow your relationship with a client to deteriorate into one which is adversarial. Your role is to serve the client first and only. Keep your lines of communication open and honest. If they do deteriorate, stop providing services until the communications are patched up.

Always be viewed by your clients as giving the most you can give. Always give them extra value – or what we call lagniappe. You will benefit by having others understand that you will always give more than is expected.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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Understanding Personality Styles: The Secret To Your Success In Getting Along with Challenging Co-workers, Managers and Employees

By H.J.D. Stimpson – Special Correspondent

Behold the salesman stereotype-the smooth-talking glad-hander wearing a flashy tie, white belt, and sporty shoes with a routine of jokes to entertain all of his prospects.

Expressive people like to talk and laugh but it’s important to relate to people on their own terms, which is the very basis of understanding public relations. Therefore, to be truly successful in business you must learn to size up your customers. Some of them may just want numbers-just the data, without a lot of fluff. With analytical clients, you have to learn to sit on your hands and keep your mouth shut.

If you apply these principles you will be more successful in all your relationships.

You can’t treat all people alike.  You must evaluate them as individuals and in terms of their personality types. Then deal with the situation according to their needs, not yours.

This approach works for hostage negotiators, sales people, and just folks like you and me, according to Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong, a public relations counselor and consultant from Eddyville, Ky.

Armstrong and his wife, Kay operate ARMSTRONG and Associates (http://www.armstrongandassociates.org/) a consulting and counseling firm located on Lake Barkley in western Kentucky.

“The key is being versatile and resilient, so that you can adapt your style to someone else’s style to achieve a mutual outcome,” Armstrong says.

“People like to interact with people who are like them and who understand how to develop rapport and sustain it. Most of the time for example in sales, you’re not selling your product, because there’s little difference between products. You’re selling your relationship with the client. If I’m a salesperson and I can get you to like me and trust me, then you’re probably going to buy from me. If I am a hostage negotiator and can develop rapport with you I may be able to resolve the situation amicably,” Armstrong says.

Like converts testifying to the congregation, his clients frequently refer to Armstrong’s lectures and workshops to back up this personality-style approach to predicting, preventing or resolving conflicts, or even selling Bibles!

“It’s worked for me for 35 years,” Armstrong chuckles. Armstrong is a trained behavioral psychologist with degrees from Murray State University and AIH and has applied his training in the government and corporate world for more than 35-years.

“Sometimes in the most difficult of situations,” he adds.

Forever the puzzle – but what fun you can have analyzing the situation

Using a “social style” four quadrant matrix with a horizontal and a vertical axis, Armstrong has his clients place themselves in quadrants as “drivers,” “expressives,” “amiables,” or “analyticals.”

Social Styles Quadrants

The horizontal line denotes degrees of responsiveness; the vertical line degrees of assertiveness. At the top of the matrix in terms of non-responsiveness are the controlling drivers and the task-oriented analyticals.

Below the horizontal line are those more responsive to people-the assertive expressives and the nonassertive amiables.

Armstrong says social styles are easy to spot.

Amiables and expressives wear warm colors and furnish their offices with personal items-family photos or kids’ artwork. Their work areas are often littered with papers. If there’s room, they may shove their desks against a wall and sit next to visitors.

Analyticals and drivers dress conservatively and use their furniture as barriers or space dividers. Art prints or sales charts decorate their walls.

“Drivers may not have anything on their desks except a calendar or clock, because they’re very time-oriented,” Armstrong says.

“Color preferences in cars, as well as dress, are cues to personality,” he continues.

“Drivers and analyticals like neutrals, black, and ivory, while amiables and expressives are more into pigment. Amiables like softer colors, while expressives prefer bold ones.”

In class and his many workshops, Armstrong has his participants do self-evaluations to identify their personal styles. Then they practice various situations.

“Students do videotaped presentations, and we view them in class so that we can learn from each other,” he says.

“The funniest videos are those with two drivers: It’s like watching a Ping-Pong match.” 

Personality styles emerge at birth or shortly after

Armstrong says that personality types emerge soon after birth.

“One of my ‘daughters’ is an analytical driver with a strong amiable backup, so I have to deal with her differently from the way I deal with the other ‘daughter’, who is a mixture of both amiable and expressive,” he says.

Emphasizing that most people are mixtures of several styles, Armstrong says that sales representatives can draw on different elements of their own personalities in dealing with others.

 ”To be successful in sales, presentations, surviving mergers of companies or everyday conflict resolution, you can’t stick completely to your own personal style all of the time and be successful. It just doesn’t work that way. Resiliency is critical to being successful in the business world,” he says.

“You must be resilient, adaptable and flexible. You must be able to ‘flex’ yourself to fit the situation.”

One of my colleagues, who graduated a few years ago with a business degree, says he was able to use what he learned very quickly.

The young man had been going to school full-time and working for the local cooperative as a marketing intern, Armstrong says.

He deals with some farmers, but mainly with their farm managers or their wives. He tell us that he found that identifying social styles is a great tool not just in selling, but also in developing and keeping good client relationships, which in turn prevents conflicts.

Cowboy boots and business suits and western shirts – don’t forget the bolo tie

Walk in Darryl Armstrong’s office, and it’s pretty easy to peg his social style as amiable and a driver with hints of being expressive. His smile is wide, his handshake firm. He wears jeans and dress T-shirts or other casual clothes often. Books and papers cover his desk and floor, and children’s drawings, awards and certificates, news clips and doodling adorn his walls. Yet, there is his “To Do List” right there in front of him keeping him focused on the tasks at hand. 

Armstrong notes that, in most interactive situations, social-style “signals” can work both ways.

For example, customers also often “read” salespeople, making it important for those trying to make sales to fit into customer environments. The way salespeople dress is the most obvious and immediate way to achieve this “fit.”

“When I worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority, we had a senior manager from west Texas who wore cowboy boots and Western shirts,” Armstrong says.

“Everybody else wore business suits. However, he was always out in the field checking how things were going on the lines and he would have been totally out of place wearing suits. He would throw a sport jacket over his western shirt and jeans when he wanted to be more ‘formal.’”

What if you sell John Deere tractors but have an afternoon appointment at the bank to get a loan?

“Adapt, be flexible and resilient,” Armstrong says.

“Maybe you can wear khaki pants and a knit shirt at a farm, but put a jacket in the car to wear to the bank. Or, if you’re wearing a suit while at the bank, remove the jacket and tie, then roll up your sleeves at the farm.”

Once you learn to do it – it’s like riding a bike

Armstrong says that evaluating social styles becomes automatic in almost every situation-business or social.

“It’s almost like riding a bicycle,” he says. “Once you learn the basic skills, you do it without thinking.”

It’s always important, he adds, to remain open to social-style cues as situations evolve.

Never, he cautions, assume that you know someone’s social style beforehand.

“The other day, I had an appointment with the vice president for network operations at a major corporation,” he says. “I assumed I was going to be talking with an analytical. He wasn’t.”

“Every detail of your person, every nuance of your speech-all of those signals combine to create an important impression in a client’s mind,” Armstrong stresses.

“Those are the cues that can make or break a deal or help you prevent or resolve a conflict, get along better with your colleagues, make a sale, survive a merger, or resolve a hostage situation. It is all about understanding how psychology, consultative analysis and public relations fit together to make us successful in life and work,” Armstrong says.

You can learn more about the use of personality styles or arrange a consultation or workshop by contacting Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong toll-free at 1.888.340.2006 or at his website at http://www.armstrongandassociates.org/

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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Branding … can be enhanced by a song, the right lyrics, and a clever slogan…

 When Carole Bailey asks a favor, I simply can’t resist.

Carole is the widow of my friend and “brother” Doug Bailey and the sister of my dear friend Dr. Marilyn King. Marilyn and I go back to college days at Murray State University, however, I digress. Carole has a friend in Nashville that is a songwriter and that does jingles for companies all across the United States. So, when she started reading my business blog she immediately thought of me to suggest her friend to our clients.

So, I went to his web site and I am pleased at what I see and hear. 

Carole’s friend is Buzz Jackson and the company is Brand Identity Group (BIG) (http://www.brandidentitygroup.net/index.php) and they are not using the term “brand” lightly — they understand the concept of branding and you can see that quickly on their own web site, of course “branding” is a topic you frequently read about here on this blog.

We know that branding requires creativity, and if you decide to use music in your branding campaign you need original cutting-edge music. Combine the music with a well-written and clever slogan and your company, your product or your service can stand out from the noise and clutter of other competitors.

There is no lack of creativity at BIG. You will recognize the “Nashville” sound in many of the commercials they have done and they also understand that a web site is an excellent tool to get their messages out and brand their own business.

I suggest you visit the site and click on “Music Samples” on the left side and listen to more than a dozen examples of their commercials – my favorite – well, I would have to say ATLANTIC EYE LASER- Lasik Vision Correction.

By the way, Buzz’s partner, Greg Barnhill, wrote the new theme song for the Today Show and has written and recorded songs for many top recording artists.  

BIG is a service worth considering and if Carole Bailey says it’s so, it’s so.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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Tea Thyme and Toast – Customer Service, Quality Food and Good Guerrilla-Marketing Lead to Success for Pam Reed

Pam Reed, owner, baker and cook at Tea Thyme and Toast Eatery in Eddyville, Ky has developed a cadre of “raving customers” the past few years by offering good food and personalized service. Not bad for an “eatery” housed in an old one-room schoolhouse that still has George Washington’s framed photo above the door.

Now, we all know that location means everything in business, however, Reed demonstrates clearly that you when you offer consistently good food combined with friendly service that you can even make a restaurant successful in a small village of 2300 people in a county with only 8200 people. Of course, during the tourist season the county at times can be ten-fold in population but it is just seasonal and Reed is open year-round.

The almost three-year old establishment serves sophisticated food in a casual-style and right here in River City. It is only open four days a week and has only six tables. Service is available from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for lunch.

So, how does Pam Reed run such a successful business?

We would contend that it is all about a quality product and more than exceptional service. Visit here for the first time, or again and again, and you will always find Pam, and her helper and local artist Mark Holsclaw, eager to serve. They treat each customer with respect and are friendly, as is the nature of being in the South.

Customers will rave about this restaurant because there is consistency in quality on all fronts. If Pam or Mark are having a bad day you don’t see it, sense it, or know it as a customer. Think “Cheers” where everybody knows your name and you will get a sense of feel of how welcomed you will feel.

From the local county judge and medical internist to the little ladies I met there last week from Indiana, Tea Thyme and Toast combines the best of all worlds for all customers.

Reed is just as good a guerilla marketer as she is a baker and cook. Recently she received front-page coverage in the Evansville Courier and Press Spectrum section. The return on her investment of time has been a hundred fold. She even had to cancel a scheduled appearance at the Taste of the Pennyrile, an annual hospice fundraiser because of the demand on her time by customers that had read the article.

As you know, we advocate g-marketing for small businesses and securing media coverage is one very important tactic. Also, I can attest to the “word-of-mouth” tactic and how well it has worked.

Frankly, I would have never gone to the eatery had it not been for my wife insisting that it was one of her favorite places. After all, I just couldn’t see myself eating “finger foods.” And finger foods are not the course of the day!

My favorite is the Tomato Basil soup with a curry chicken sandwich, and maybe one of the cherry cookies or blackberry scones. Hearty appetites will not be disappointed.

And as part of the g-marketing plan the eatery will have “date nights” — special dinners monthly. Needless to say, they are already booked up for the foreseeable future.

If you get to Eddyville, Ky ask just about anybody and they can tell you where the one-room school is and there you will find Tea Thyme and Toast!

We offer our congratulations on your marketing effort Pam and a great big thank you for providing an excellent model of customer service and quality products.

If you are interested in reading the news clippings on Tea Thyme and Toast click here and look under Customer Service Excellence at our web site.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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Part 2: Customer Service Excellence – Why companies should “exceed the need”

 ”Service that exceeds the need is the competitive edge for any organization in today’s highly competitive environment.  The journey to ensuring exemplary customer service can only begin when an organization is committed to excellence,” says Dawn S. Ford, an associate with ARMSTRONG and Associates and the President of Consumer Awareness Management.

But just what is customer service excellence? 

Customer service excellence is a “state of the organization’s attitude towards its customers.”

It occurs when employees feel valued, and management believes that their customers are being treated as well as possible by those employees. Customers experience service excellence when they begin to believe the service they are receiving is extraordinary — a level of service beyond the ordinary and expected. 

“Creating outstanding customer service is about more than training,” Ms Ford notes. “It requires a total commitment of management to change the culture within the organization.”

Too often I have found this is where we find the major flaw in an organization’s planning and behavior.

For example, a few years ago we worked with a utility to “improve its customer service” through a training program that the company insisted would “fix the problem.”

Although we explained to the company that training created without benefit of a customer service audit, thorough research on the organizational issues, an understanding of stakeholder perceptions and interviews with key managers is less than desirable and would not and did not usually work based on our experience they were insistent that “training was all they needed.”

Several of their employees, especially the supervisors seem to really enjoy the training, however, the core philosophy of the organization and its management did not change and therefore overall customer service has not changed measurably in the company.

Develop a philosophy of customer service

You first must have a customer service philosophy in place and well communicated before training can ever be considered.

Customer service is not a process in exemplary companies – rather it is a way of life that is practiced at all levels of the organization and demonstrates that every customer contact is a top priority by every employee. 

Therefore, a customer service philosophy must be clearly articulated to all employees by management. This philosophy must be carefully thought through and be realistic.

Here are some examples of customer service philosophies:

• Malone Landscaping Service — Build win/win relationships with all customers through delivery of 100% of what’s promised, on time, of Malone’s quality standards, and with a positive attitude.
• Av Fuel Services — Our philosophy is simple and has remained the same for the past 25 years. We are committed to offering our customers quality products along with the most complete array of programs and services in the industry. Most importantly, we know that our partner in this business, the customer, is best served when we listen to your needs very carefully.
• Santa Clara University — Think of the customer first, making prompt service to the customer a priority over other work.
• Chase Payments — Our service philosophy not only shapes our customer relationships, but it also guides our product and service development. Using our state-of-the-art technology, our electronic payment solutions can help your business grow. We want to work closely with you to ensure we do the best job we can to streamline your operations. Chase Paymentech is a resource on which you can rely. So whether you need to improve your back-office efficiency or maximize your customer base, we can help. And because we know quality people are at the heart of any successful partnership, we’ve assembled a great customer service team that’s dedicated to helping you achieve your business objectives.
• Thompson Realty — Our customer service philosophy is pretty simple — Provide superior customer service in all aspects of what we do.

A customer service philosophy should be carefully thought through, be realistic, be reviewed and have input from all departments affected and most of all have executive and senior management support.

Ensure top management is committed

Remember the utility company I mentioned?

The problem here was simple — the senior management just wanted an easy way to implement customer service without having to make the commitment to it from his level on down. Also, this manager chose not to understand that to develop, implement and evaluate effective customer service training programs a great deal of front-end planning is essential and yes that means some budget outlay.

Simply stated, this manager wanted an “easy and cheap fix” without her having to make a commitment to making behavioral change in her organization or even going through the process of discovering the real issues necessary to fix the customer service problems.

In organizations with exemplary customer service senior management takes an active role in a well defined and thoughtfully executed program based usually on a customer service audit process. 

National programs in the hotel, food service and consumer industries where there are “champions” of customer service include executives such as Bill Marriott, Marriott Hotels; Frank Perdue, Perdue Chicken and Victor Kiam, Norelco. 

Executive and senior management in these companies understand that employees must witness the commitment of management to customer service before they are willing to change their own attitudes and behaviors.

If senior management is not willing to take the time to work with their consultants to do effective front-end planning and discovery that can lead to an effectively designed and implemented customer service training program then I can assure you employees are quickly going to realize that they are not “willing to walk their talk.” This is  a recipe for a disaster.

Develop service excellence standards

Service excellence standards are written specific standards that establish a code of conduct by which all employees live.  They are provided to every employee and employees are expected to abide by them when servicing customers.

Service standards can be and should be written for any area of service where the customer and the employee have interactions.

Here is an example of specific standards at Sacred Heart University:

Professional courtesy standards
·          Provide a memorable positive experience
·          Show respect for all internal & external constituents
·          Be empathetic listeners
·          Be friendly and polite in every situation
·          Treat each individual as a person, never a number
·          Respond to each inquiry in a timely manner
·          Be an advocate for the customer
·          Exhibit a professional sense of pride for the University Community

Practice positive internal customer relations

Service excellence standards can be observed and measured.

However, before employees can practice outstanding customer relations’ behaviors with the public they have to see model behaviors practiced internally.  The quality of customer service frequently parallels the quality of employee relations. 

For example, all workers courteous to other workers at the end of shifts?

Do they clean up their work space before the next shift comes aboard?

When exceptional standards are practiced internally consistently they become reflective throughout the organization.

Customer friendly policies are critical to success

It must be easy for the customer to do business with you. The easier it is, the more likely you will develop “raving” customers that will come back often and refer your service or product to others.

Often procedures are established for the convenience of the organization but they do not result in customer friendly policies.  Customer oriented organizations examine every contact they have with the customer from signage to invoices to ensure they make doing business with the organization as easy as possible.

This area is always a good place to apply  continuous improvement processes to ensure that on a regular basis you are examining your policies and procedures and you are refining and improving them to the benefit of the customer.

Reward and recognize

It is just this simple: employees are motivated to improve their customer service behaviors when their efforts are recognized.

We are always looking for employee recognition programs and ideas. And, according to Steve Strauss, a small business consultant who often writes answers for the USA Today column Ask an Expert  recent surveys and research shows clearly that Money motivates almost everyone, employer and employee alike.

Indeed, according to Michael LeBoeuf, author of The Greatest Management Principle in the World, the No. 1 work-related reward is money.

Your challenge is to use the money motivator in ways that get the desired result. For instance, the time-honored tradition of giving bonuses for a job well done is in fact time-honored for a reason: It works.

Similarly, the chance to get a raise if certain goals are met works well too. A promotion combined with a raise is one of the best motivators of all.

Taken one step further, top businesses find that offering employees the chance to get an ownership share in the business is a very strong motivator; having a stake in the business turns an employee into an owner and an entrepreneur.

Does this mean you will have to give up some ownership shares? Yes.

Does it also mean that it may transform your workplace in amazing ways you can’t even imagine? Yes again.

However, people work for a variety of reasons; money is just one of them. Therefore, motivating without money is possible if you tap into these other reasons.

Studies consistently show that, almost more than anything else, workers greatly appreciate being recognized for a job well done, and knowing they can get that recognition motivates them to work harder and better.

Giving them credit could be as simple as a letter home to the family saying how valuable the employee is or publishing compliments from customers in your newsletter.

Employees are also motivated by getting to work how and when they want. Consider flex time, telecommuting, or job-sharing as options to offer employees who reach certain desired performance benchmarks. Not only will they love you for that, but it will make your workplace a more family-friendly spot, which also can help with recruitment. Great policies cost you very little, but can create much.

Of course, everyone likes freebies. Gift certificates, dinners out, tickets to the game, or a free massage might be the right motivator. Maybe every employee could get a paid day off on their birthday.

Creating a great place to work, a place where people feel like they belong and are valued can be even more motivating than dangling some sort of carrot in front of them. And so, along those lines, one last way to motivate people is simply to listen. One small business offers gift certificates to employees whose suggestions are implemented. Another enters all employees who participated in the employee suggestion program into a yearly drawing for prizes and money.

Be creative. Take suggestions. Motivating and rewarding staff is easier when they like where they work. Even a few small changes can reap remarkable results.

Coming next: Part 3: How do I measure success?

P.S. Don’t forget to send me your examples of poor and exceptional customer service that exceeded the need. Send them to me at drdarryl@aol.com

Thanks.

Until next time.Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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Creating Service Excellence – Examples of Companies Seeking to “Exceed the Need” of their Customers

Last year I had the distinct pleasure of presenting our Customer Service Excellence program for the Carroll County Iowa Chamber of Commerce.

More than 100 people attended this workshop that was organized by Sue Schrad, and my friend and colleague Jim Gossett, Executive Director of the chamber.

Thank goodness for such opportunities as the Carroll County engagement. Such events truly inspire and excite me about the desire that many companies have to improve their customer service and be seen as excellent in the field.

I am always encouraged when I visit a community and folks come out to learn more about how to improve their customer service and apply new ideas and thinking to their business.

Since I am always on the look out for examples of exceptional customer service, I wanted to share some with you from the past several months. And I would like for you to send me examples of exceptionally good and exceptionally poor customer service so that I may share them on this blog. Please send them to me at drdarryl@aol.com. If you prefer I will not disclose the source.

American Home Shield Warranty Service

Headquartered in a cornfield at the edge of Carroll, Iowa is one of the world’s largest home warranty service centers — American Home Shield. More than 1.2 million homeowners trust this company to provide the exceptional service when it comes to repairing furnaces, air conditioners, appliances and related home systems.

The concept is simple. You pay a monthly fee and for that you get a contract that covers various systems that may need repair over the life of your home.

AHS says simply, “Our goal is to help relieve the hassle of repairing air conditioner, furnace, plumbing and appliance problems.”

Now, let me point out that I am not advocating or marketing AHS through this column.

In fact, I initially had some problems getting service from emails that I sent them and questioned their service philosophy early on.

Yet, when I visited Iowa last fall and met some of the customer service representatives, articulated my issues and problems, I was very pleased to see that customer service excellence is a concept they truly strive to achieve and they appreciate the feedback — an essential component for organizations seeking to implement a superior customer service philosophy. My issues and problems were resolved quickly, efficiently and effectively.

Since then, twice I have engaged with them  and although once they miss stepped and sent me an erroneous statement, they were quick to correct it when notified. The correction was prompt, sincere and very much appreciated.

Excelling in customer service does not mean that a company will always meet the need of the customer, especially if the customer’s expectations are outside the realm of agreed upon service.

For example, a plumbing problem in one of my bathrooms resulted in mold growth. AHS was prompt to point out that mold cleanup and decontamination was not part of my contract. They articulated the terms of my contract in a professional and straightforward, easy to understand and acceptable manner. They took responsibility for their contractual obligation and made suggestions as to how the mold problem could be handled.

However, excelling in customer service can and does mean that the company is willing to seek to resolve, explain and articulate the issue with the customer even when the outcome may not be one the customer seeks.

In other words, a company can deliver news a customer doesn’t want to hear in a manner and style that is not offensive to the customer and leaves the customer thinking well of the company. AHS excels at this.

As many companies today, AHS has a well-defined customer service philosophy that is articulated to all their employees, a condition that is essential if a company is to achieve exceptional customer service. I will share a copy of it in a future blog.

For a huge company with hundreds of employees in their customer service center, AHS is truly striving to set an example as a company that seeks to “exceed the need.”

Eddyville, Ky U.S. Post Office

Kenneth Ray is not your usual postmaster.

You have to trust me on this one. I have met and dealt with many over the years, I worked for the former Postmaster General, and I have never frankly had a high opinion of the postal service, or its customer service, even though PG Marvin Runyon sought to change that perception when he was at the helm in the 1990s and succeeded to a small degree.

However, Kenneth Ray, the Postmaster at the little Eddyville, Kentucky post office and his commitment to service is an exception to the rule of what I have always thought of the postal service.

In fact, he seems to break all the rules that are commonly associated with post offices I have visited over the years. This guy is a nice guy to be around, pleasant and knows his stuff!

For example, when was the last time you entered a post office to be greeted with a smile, called by name, and actually had a postal employee take the time to explain postal services to you that could save you money?

When was the last time a postal employee asked about your friends or family?

When was the last time you left a post office thinking to yourself this was exceptional customer service?

Now, before all you postal employees out there that might read this and get all miffed or go postal, I know, I know you are just like teachers — you are unsung heroes, not all of you are insensitive, rude, or uninterested in your customers. However, too damn many of you are all the above and many of you are unapologetic about it — a commonality among many government employees by the way not just postal employees. (And by the way I was a Federal government employee for almost 20-years and I dealt with way too many fellow employees who had “retired” in place.)

Kenneth Ray is not a typical government employee. He breaks that mold and I am pleased to report he provides the same level of exceptional service to all customers that come through the door.

It is amazing what a smile, an inquiring question, the sharing of insightful information, and simply a pleasant attitude from the leader of an organization can do for the entire organization.

As my wife has pointed out, it now seems that everyone that works at the Eddyville Post Office seems to enjoy their work and now enjoy working there. That is a welcome change.

Other post office all across this country should use the Eddyville facility as an example and role model of what “exceeding the need” for the postal customer is all about.

Keep up the good work Kenneth and keeping on smiling.

Akridge Ace Hardware

When you step into the Akridge Ace Hardware about mid-afternoon many days you are assaulted by the smell of freshly popped corn. Free to any customer. Just help yourself.

You are always greeted with a smile and a hello by the staff. Paul Akridge would have it no other way.

Now, let me confess I am not a handy man. My wife refuses to let me do plumbing any more because of a plumbing fiasco that I created almost 25 years ago. So, when I go into a hardware store I have to talk about “thingamajigs” and “whatchamacallits.”

I have no idea what size screw I need, what tool will best meet my needs, or how many board feet my project might require. That’s why I have a good and dependable handyman like my friend Patrick O’Neal around.

At Akridge Hardware, again in Eddyville, Kentucky, it is all about helping the customer fulfill their need, irrespective, of their level of expertise in the understanding of such stuff.

Women customers report the same level of respect and assistance as men.

Simply, Paul Akridge comes from a long line of family members that place service of the customer first. A well-run customer-focused store such as this has nothing to worry about when Princeton gets its new Super Wal-Mart. There will always be loyal customers for Akridge Hardware because they have provided loyal customer service for many years.

Go to the Eddyville Post Office, or the Akridge Hardware, and everyone knows your name. Sound like the old television show Cheers doesn’t it? Can we learn something from these models?

Lourdes Hospital

Hospitals nationwide are always challenged when it comes to “exceeding the need” in dealing with their clients. After all, when we are sick, need surgery or trauma care we are not usually the easiest person in the world to satisfy.

Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Ky sets an example of how a hospital seeks out opportunities to excel in meeting their customers’ needs.

Recently when my wife had to have some minor surgery, Lourdes ever seeking ways to make it easier on the patient, provided pre-registration for her. Simply, she went in early and filled out all her paperwork and when we arrived the day of the surgery we were set and ready to go.

We were met on the day of the out-patient surgery by an efficient staff that explained everything in careful non-medical language that would occur, and they worked every step of the way to ensure that we were informed on a regular basis throughout the surgery.

If they told you they would call within an hour, they did. If they said the doctor would be available to explain the situation, the doctor was available.

The hospital has all the amenities for the patient and the family. Want a Starbucks coffee and scone – you got it? Healthy food? Next door to the coffee shop is Subway. Need a nice gift or flowers for the patient – you guessed it – it’s right next door to the Subway shop. How about reading materials? A Chapel? They even have a Resource Center where you can check your e-mail.

They have an excellent cafeteria with very reasonable prices that serve three meals daily. The facility is clean, well lighted, secure and just down right above average for an institutional facility.

Hospital staff and doctors and their photos and credentials are prominently displayed on posters throughout the facility.

Yet, it is all the staff that makes the experience exceptional.

Nurses, receptionists, doctors, orderlies, janitors, and volunteers all have been thoroughly trained to provide an exceptional experience for the patient and their family. Got a question, they will get you the answer quickly and with a smile and show their appreciation for your being there to use their services.

In today’s health care environment where competition is great and criticism is spread around like manure on an Iowa farm field, Lourdes Hospital has distinguished itself in customer service excellence.

Stay tuned coming next: Why companies should “exceed the need”

P.S. Don’t forget to send me your examples of poor and exceptional customer service that exceeded the need. Send them to me at drdarryl@aol.com

Thanks.

Until next time.Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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A Mutli-part Series: Part 2 – An Assessment of Larry G. Hincker, University of Virginia’s Chief Spokesperson’s Performance

I suspect that when Larry G. Hincker joined Virginia Tech in 1989 he never conceived of the possibility that he would one day be the spokesperson for the deadliest campus shooting in the history of the United States.

Yet, as many professionals have had to do over the years, Hincker stepped to the plate in April 2007 and carried a heavy burden.

More than 400 media worldwide descended on that campus and students, faculty, staff, alumni and families had to be dealt with as efficiently and effectively as possible under the most trying of circumstances.

Hincker, associate vice president of the Office of University Relations, did a number of things well and some things could have been done better.

This column looks at both sides of the assessment and makes some observations.

You must know your audiences

We assess Hincker did a better than average job at understanding all his audiences.

Seemingly, Hincker assessed his target audiences as the students, the faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and his neighbors the people in the region. Although at times apparently working through shock and not really knowing what all he had to do, he did for the most part still understand the need to get accurate information to these audiences and worked toward informing them as best he could.

The program at Va. Tech functioned better than average probably because of the different mediums available to them to communicate to the targeted audiences. The university used e-mail, surface mail, their publications and their web site most effectively.

The web site http://www.vt.edu/ provided a 24/7 immediate way for anyone to connect to the university during the crisis.

Planning provided foundation

The Va. Tech pre-planning for a crisis saved lots of time and allowed for an effective implementation. The plan appeared to have been resilient and Hincker notes that the       ” the simpler the plan the better” speaking to reporter Dr. Frances Ward-Johnson APR in PRSA The Strategist  (Summer 2007).

However, Hincker is quick to note that a plan is essential. It is obvious that no organization could possibly be prepared to handle the extensive media attention that Va. Tech had during this time without a plan.

The old adage “expect the unexpected always” served the university well.

Va. Tech’s plan provided the framework for decision making, for example, although they had planned for a media center in the event of a crisis the center was not sufficient in size to handle the 400 plus journalists and their equipment.

However, the plan forced them to consider alternatives and make decisions to handle the situation expeditiously.

Media sensationalism

You and your senior management must be prepared for the media sensationalism that will always occur.

Although Virginia Tech had its share of sensational media coverage, which is to be expected in any situation such as this, overall the media seemed to work well with the university and assisted in some cases I believe in getting their messages out quickly.  

When the media is willing to assist your senior management in setting up and doing press conferences then you have a major advantage.

Our observations

As a crisis communications’ consultant, here are some observations we have:

• Hincker did a commendable job under very difficult circumstances and although he may have deviated from some of the standard approaches to crisis communications at times overall we would give him a solid “B” for his performance.
• Daily organization of information and keeping up-to-date during such a crisis is a major challenge for the spokesperson under any circumstances. The relationships the spokesperson has with the crisis managers is critical and those relationships must be established prior to the crisis.
• Hincker brought in experts when available and needed. He knew the extent of his expertise and did not speculate or pontificate to any degree we can assess.
• He understood that journalists, students, families, faculty and staff were as shocked as he and all the others at Va. Tech were at the carnage and situation. His empathy with these folks, and especially the journalists’ job and their coverage, helped establish needed rapport.
• Hincker understood the need to establish boundaries for the media. His posting of signs to “please respect their grieving process and to not go beyond these doors” was the right thing to do. For the most part the media respected it.
• Va. Tech’s use of their web site and the tie Hincker had with that staff to keep information updated was well executed because they used a “light site” based on previous experiences with crisis’s on campus.
• Va. Tech was behind the curve on getting their text messaging system in place. Although they had a new system that would have effectively used text messaging it was not yet on line when this crisis occurred.
• Hincker knew intuitively when to end the crisis and the ensuing press conferences and did so appropriately. The media agreed with his assessment.
• Hincker understood the need to accommodate the media. He provided them places to sleep in the media center and food and coffee.
• The university understood the importance of accepting pro bono assistance from the services of a local public relations firm.
• Finally, Hincker is very clear that he will not allow his university to be defined by this singular horrific event. He is now turning his attention to repositioning the image of the university back to the important aspects of Virginia Tech.

Larry Hincker’s professionalism and performance was exceptional under the most horrific and trying of circumstances. We commend him and are honored to have him as a member of our profession.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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A Multi-Part Series: Part 1 – An Analysis of the Virginia Tech Crisis — Observations and Recommendations

The deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history occurred this past April.

Students, faculty and staff at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University watched in horror and disbelief on April 16^th as Seung Hui Cho murdered 32 students and faculty members and wounded 25 others before killing himself. The tragedy occurred five days short of the anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School, previously the largest massacre on a campus.

The media and public response was extensive. What made the Virginia Tech’s Public Relations Director’s job even more challenging was that the majority of the students were killed and wounded two hours after Hui Cho had killed two other people on campus.

When a crisis such as the one at Virginia Tech occurs, at the time of the crisis and during it is not the time to be thinking about a crisis plan. During such events a well-thought-out, resilient and flexible plan is critical to survive. Communications must be quick and through multiple channels, and as we will see the channels of communications vary form organization to organization.

I have been asked by numerous colleagues to provide my insights on what went right and what went wrong at Virginia Tech that day because of my background in crisis management.

However, until now I have held back my opinion because I felt that school officials and the task force set up to review the incident deserved time to do a thorough analysis of the entire situation without doing so as many pundits have. Therefore, I chose to not comment during the crisis or immediate following it, although many of my colleagues opted to comment and I respect their decision.

Now, that the task force has completed its work and the media piranhas have moved on to other fodder, I am providing these insights to my colleagues and clients. Hopefully, you will read some thoughts here that may challenge you to review and revamp your own crisis plan.

“Feeding the Bears”

Virginia Tech attempted to be transparent and open by having a number of press briefings as the event unfolded.

In fact within hours after the shootings a press briefing attended to by President Charles Steger was held. He addressed, quite capably in most cases, what information he could in a straightforward yet still quite vulnerable manner.

It must be remembered that the President, and everyone on the campus, was dealing with their own personal reaction to this tragedy and that always complicates how well a crisis can be handled.

The university’s communication team, led by Larry G. Hincker, the chief spokesperson attempted to maintain transparency hoping to leave little room for speculation and rumor.

Yet, when you rely on a QA format (never good when you don’t have confirmed information, or new information) for your press briefings, as opposed to simply making a confirming statement about facts, or providing time lines and informational handouts, you expose yourself to criticism from the media, the public and other stakeholders.

Remember you have to “Feed the Bears” as consistently, or at least as often, as you can during a crisis and if they know the feeding schedule and you adhere to it life will be easier for everyone.

Inform the key stakeholders 

Always inform your primary audiences as quickly as possible

The university sought to unite the community and their students by as promptly as possible informing students, their families and the greater community of memorial services to honor the victims and by providing counseling services for the survivors.

However, this was on the back-end of the event.

On the front-end of the crisis students, faculty, staff and the community were not informed adequately and quickly in my estimation of the possible threat. This lack of urgency, driven by the fact that law enforcement speculated that the initial two shootings were the result of a domestic dispute between the shooter and those involved, led to the loss of valuable notification time to other potential victims.

There was an hour between the first shooting and the start of classes where text messaging and e-mail could have been used as one means of informing the audiences. 

It is critical during the crisis management planning process to assess carefully, prioritize and then determine appropriate channels that will allow you to communicate to your primary audiences as quickly as possible during times of a crisis.

My friend and associate Larry Smith, President of the Institute of Crisis Management, Louisville, Ky notes (The Public Relations Strategist, Summer 2007) rightfully so that the first thing to collapse during a crisis are the telephone and computer servers because of the demands placed on them. As usual he is absolutely correct.

Yet, evolving technology and the different communications patterns of the Gen X, Y and Z folks demands that all institutions, especially colleges and universities, assess how best to utilize the systems that these students use to get information.

Text messaging is one of the primary ways that these students communicate these days and technology is now available that can reach all those who wish to be reached by texting, if, and this is a big IF planning and data basing is done in advance.

Potential users of this technology would obviously need to secure telephone numbers in advance and keep it updated — granted this is a daunting task yet one that must be part of the future planning processes.

If you question that texting is becoming the preferred mode of communications, just look at the recent revelations in the killing and wounding of the students in New Jersey. All four students were just minutes prior to their attack, text messaging one another even though they were in close enough proximity and could have talked with one another.

Always maintain control

“In the first few hours of a crisis you have no questions you can answer,” Smith says.

Although well intended, when the president of Virginia Tech opened his first press conference the best he could have done was to read a prepared statement and then notify the media when he would return.

When he opened the floor to questions to the media, he simply had no answers to share. This made him and his staff look as if they were not in control of the situation.  When given openings such as this the media will expect information that you can’t yet deliver.

Never open the floor to questions until you have verifiable information you can share.

Expect the unexpected

When the crisis hits you can be assured that the media will be there. Often times quicker than you could expect and coming from distances and in numbers you never planned to accommodate.

More than 400 outlets worldwide had to be dealt with at Virginia Tech. More importantly, traumatized students, faculty, staff and families all wanted answers quickly.

Plan length is not an indicator of anything

Too many organizations have lengthy, convoluted and hard to follow written crisis plans that they never bother to practice, or even tabletop drill. Get rid of them and start all over!

The length of a plan is irrelevant, what is important is that the plan is workable, do the people that need it have it, and have they been properly trained and consistently drilled and practiced on the plan?

Plans, frankly for the most part are meaningless, because in a real-life, real-world crisis you must be resilient, flexible and have the ability to roll-with-the-flow and most plans are not designed this way.

Planning, practicing and rehearsing plans, however, when done well and with thought forces the people that have to deal with a crisis to consider all their options and how best to organize to handle the crisis when it does occur.

A good plan is simply a road map that gets you started on the right path forward.

I will share additional insights in the next posting.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

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