Blog Archives
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Creating an Organization that is Truly Customer Service Focused
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Tuesday February 26, 2013Customer service has many connotations. Some people associate it with restaurant or retail companies. Others associate it with someone who deals directly with a customer. Still, other people think of someone answering a phone at a call center. Though the perceptions of customer service vary, standout organizations DO make customer service a central strategy to differentiate them from the competition. This is true for companies ranging from WholeFoods to Google — and it is more important in the aviation industry than ever before. Think about these questions: What will differentiate one airline or aircraft management company from another? How will an airport signal ongoing business value to its executive passengers? Should... -
Remembering the Basics
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Tuesday February 19, 2013Service is an area where a business can clearly set itself apart from the competition -- even in aviation … especially in aviation. By providing truly exceptional customer service to customers, organizations are realizing that they can increase their value in the eyes of those customers. There are now metrics and complicated standard operating procedures to measure and ensure the best possible service. But, in the words of Leonardo DaVinci, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” It is a good time to revisit the basics -- what brought us to where we are today. Customer service has been a formal cornerstone of competitiveness for well over 30 years. Though the nuances of how customer service may be delivered across... -
The Connection Between Customer Loyalty and Customer Complaints
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Tuesday February 12, 2013
Companies that receive a steady stream of customer complaints surely risk losing customers if there is no genuine attempt to first listen to the complaint and then take steps toward a resolution. In fact, some studies suggest that over 90 percent of customers who are upset and have a complaint will never buy products or services from the offending company again. The good news, though, is that nearly 75 percent of these customers can be won back if there is a process in place that makes them feel like their concerns are being heard — and that someone is taking steps to resolve their problems. Customers’ complaints may not even be solved in exactly the way they originally envisioned, but if they know that the service provider... -
What It Takes to Be #1 — From Football to Aviation Companies
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Tuesday February 5, 2013Over 110 million viewers tuned in to watch the Super Bowl last February between the Giants and the Patriots. This Sunday the news is reporting that there will be a shortage of chicken wings because of the amount of wings consumed by these football viewers---young and old, male and female as they watch Super Bowl XLVII. Football has become an important part of American culture---just like apple pie and red, white and blue. One of the great icons of football was former Coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vincent T. Lombardi. In fact, the “Super Bowl Trophy” was renamed in 1971 “The Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy” because of his influence on the game. Vince Lombardi had many great words and inspirational themes for his... -
Service Commitment
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Wednesday January 23, 2013People who are committed to service excellence know why their jobs are important. They know their work has meaning. They know that they are providing something to the customer, something that is important and meaningful. If people feel like they are giving something of value, then they will also find value in how they provide it. In a recent workshop on motivation and teamwork held at a Las Vegas hotel, there was a wide variety of hotel employees: chefs, cocktail waitresses, poker dealers, human resources and other professional staff. It was quite a mixture of folks. Prior to the start of the workshops, when asked why he liked his job, one of the chefs replied that he like his job because he “made creations” that satisfy people... -
Profiling the External Customer
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Wednesday January 16, 2013All organizations have one thing in common: they depend on customers to stay in business. There are many ways to make customers want, need, and even depend on particular products and services, but in order to create this relationship it is important to understand the customer. Customers are multidimensional, which means they do not come in standard packages and act the same way. They have different backgrounds, expectations and experiences. Further complicating the issue, a customer may be buying the same service at two different times for two totally different reasons. Consider a restaurant patron who arrives one day with a group of business associates, but visits on another day with a group of friends for a special occasion. The two... -
Globalization and Understanding Diversity
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Wednesday December 12, 2012The term “globalization” has been making its way into our business conversations more often these days. What does globalization mean to us personally in our work environment? How is it impacting our jobs and how we do business? This industry is leading the charge in globalization . In fact, you might say we are a key instrument for it since aviation is all about travel and reaching other destinations. Executives are traveling to distant lands more frequently to conduct business, and business people from other cultures are entering our business realms on a more regular basis. Misunderstandings because of cultural diversity and individual perceptions have long been a source of conflict and miscommunication. Therefore, they also... -
Market Culture
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Wednesday November 7, 2012The topic of last week’s article was Technical Culture. Technical Culture has to do with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) of those who work within an organization, and it also speaks to the efficiency and effectiveness of the work processes that enable people to do their jobs. This week’s topic is the Market Culture. The Market Culture contrasts with the Technical Culture in one main respect: it is outwardly focused on the customer and external constituents rather than inwardly focused on the talents of the people within the organization. The KSA of individuals within the organization are used as a tool to respond to what the customers want or to shape their perceptions. Naturally, then, Market Culture driven... -
Technical Culture
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Tuesday October 30, 2012Technical proficiency within an organization has to do with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) of those who work within that organization. Do they have the requisite KSA to execute, technically, on delivering the product or service that the organization promises to provide to its customers? If so, then the Technical Culture within the organization is likely strong, provided that two other elements exist: training and effective standard operating procedures (SOPs). Training is critical so that everyone, from line services to customer service representatives, can grow their expertise and keep up with current developments in the field. Effective standard operating procedures are developed by expert people and ensure efficiency... -
The Insider's Culture
By ServiceElements, Christine Hill - Wednesday October 24, 2012The Insider’s culture pays attention to internal customers and the relationships between and among them. But what exactly does this mean? An organization that pays attention to the relationships between and among internal customers is basically interested in making sure that the people who work within that company (the employees) have productive, positive relationships. The description of a regional airport somewhere in Texas perhaps best demonstrates the Insider’s culture. (The name of the airport will be changed so as not to put the organization on the spot, even though the example is complimentary). Employees at Don’t Mess with Texas Airport (DMTA) regularly receive training in areas related to conflict, communication...
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