Easy Come Easy Go

[Ric Willmot]

Sorry, we can't sell to you right now, we're in the middle of designing our new advertising campaign.

I telephoned to speak with a person who had attended a seminar I gave in Cairns. This person worked for Quicksilver, the high speed catamaran that travels out to the islands. The individual who answered my call promptly informed me, "No, she quit two weeks ago."

"May I speak with someone about booking a day-trip for my in-laws who will be in Cairns at a conference?"
"Transferring you."
New voice: "You want Meredith's phone number?"
"Well, no ... I understand she has left your organisation. I want to book a day-cruise for my in-laws who will be in Cairns at a conference."
"Call back on the number you originally dialed and speak with reservations."
The telephone was then promptly disconnected before I could utter another word.

Without regurgitating all the obvious customer service implications, which all of you are smart enough to recognise; here is one subtlety ...
On two occasions with different people, I used the words: "be in Cairns at a conference."

What type of conference, Mr. Willmot?
Is this a state or national conference?
How many people are attending?
Are their spouses involved in any formalised social outings whilst the conference is in action?

It just so happens that my father-in-law was an Executive Director for Toll North, one of Australia's largest logistics companies and there were more than 600 delegates plus their spouses attending. Cairns is a small place in comparison; do you think the spouses may have enjoyed an arranged boat cruise out to the gorgeous Great Barrier Reef while their partners are slogging away in the conference hall?

It matters not, how clever your marketing is, it only takes minutes to extirpate future money from would-be customers. Unless your team understand and desire to be a part of your organisation's success, any marketing campaign to attract new customers is purblind and for the most part fallowed.

The deafening noise of hoofbeats may not necessarily be Zebras.

Rgds,
Ric

[Burgo]

Me thinks they may be in need of your services.
How about I talk to 'Shorty"

[LeelaCosgrove]

Ahhh - but you see - the issue here is NOT with the company (or it is, but in a more round a bout way) - the fact is, the employees don't CARE who you are, who your father in law is, or if you book - ever. They have absolutely no investment in whether people book or not ... TRUST me - if you were calling a commission sales team, it would have been entirely different.

Of course, this is a culture issue which means the company is at fault (no way around it- we get to take claim of the victories, but must also take responsibility for the problems) ...

But Patrick is right - I'm sure the people in charge would like to know about your experience - especially if you put it across in a non-confrontational way. It's very easy for businesses to dismiss a lot of the complaints they get because people yell and scream and are generally unreasonable ...

Some constructive feedback would probably be welcomed ... and if it isn't ... well, the business won't be under the same management for much longer ...

[Warren Cottis]

How topical. In my ezine this week I wrote...

What is the Ultimate Question?

It is...

How likely is it that someone would recommend your company to a friend or colleague?

Asking the ultimate question allows companies to track promoters and detractors, producing a clear measure of an organization’s performance through its customers’ eyes.

In Fred Reichheld's most recent book, The Ultimate Question, he offers the missing link of the metrics that hold employees accountable to generate loyal customers.

He says that the key is elevating customer metrics to the same level of rigor and importance as financial metrics like revenue growth or return on equity. The best way to accomplish that?

By using one simple question - How likely is it that someone would recommend your company to a friend or colleague?

Every company’s customers can be divided into three categories.

"Promoters" are loyal enthusiasts who keep buying from a company and urge their friends to do the same. "Passives" are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who can be easily wooed by the competition. And "Detractors" are unhappy customers trapped in a bad relationship.

Customers can be categorized based on their answer to the ultimate question.

In this year of financial turmoil The Ultimate Question should be asked very regularly.