Tag Archives: Customer Care

Dude!!! You Gotta Be Kidding?!?!

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That’s how I started my email to Dillanos founder and CEO, David J. Morris. You see, a few weeks ago I noticed that David had started following me on Facebook. When I saw that he was a coffee roaster, I sent a quick message asking if they made a great coffee for French press.

I didn’t hear back (punk) and went on the road for a week or 73. When I got back to my office, two cases containing the contents below were sitting there!

SAWEET!!! Thus the opening line of my email to David…and my retraction of calling him a punk. I was blown away! Included in the box was a DVD of the CNBC show The Coffee Addiction that featured Dillanos.

The show discussed how Dillanos helps insure that coffee growers get a fair price on their amazing beans instead of losing out to a middle man. It’s called the One Harvest Project. I looked them up on YouTube and found a ton of videos on them, but one in particular that shows a little of their company culture.

I’m completely impressed with this company. Their coffee’s great. (Passed a bunch around the company and it’s getting rave reviews.) Their customer service rocks, obviously! You can tell with the One Harvest Project that they care about people more than the bottom line. And if all that is not enough, they just became one of the Top Places To Work in theTacomaWashingtonarea!

How do you become one of the Top Places To Work? Simple, you treat your people so well, that they ANONYMOUSLY tell a third party what they think of the company and its leadership. In other words, the team gets to say whatever its wants in the survey. The leadership doesn’t find out about it.

Another YouTube video showed a Dillanos weekly staff meeting. Aaaaaaand it rocked! They are crazy about their team. All this from a company that will over 24 million in sales this year. Which is okay if you’re into that whole successful business thing. Which I am!

With all of this, I’m not surprised that I received such an amazing gift. And you’re not surprised that I’m writing about it. If you’re a coffee drinker, do yourself a favor and click on the One Harvest Project and buy a bag. It just might pull you away from your regular coffee company.

Dillanos slogan – “The art of roasting is developing flavor. The science is repeating it.” Their mission statement, which has guided them for 20 years, 1) Help People 2) Make Friends 3) Have Fun!

Question: How does a company like this inspire you in your business? Besides the buzz. 

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Outstanding Customer Service From A Restaurant! – Part Two

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IOutstanding Customer Service From A Restaurant! I discussed the incredible service we received at Caffe Positano on Semoran Boulevard in Apopka Florida in the Orlando area.

Because we were treated like kings on Sunday, we returned Thursday with a larger group. We had our same amazing server, and this time we got to meet the owner, Pasquale. He was an amazing man from the actual city of Positano, Italy. And while we had the same incredible food and service, this night we got to know them a little more.

As the truckloads of food started coming, I commented to our server Jesse that it must be an incredible place to work. That’s when he dropped the first of a couple of bombs on us. He told us that he was the new guy and that he’s only been there eight years. What?! Not only that, but some of the staff has been with them for 24 years. GET OUT!!! In a restaurant?! How can this be?!

The folks that have been with them for 24 years actually followed them from New York, when they moved to Florida 17 years ago. It gets better. I said that Pasquale must be phenomenal to work for. That’s when bomb numero due dropped. Jesse was in a really bad car accident years ago. Due to the lawsuit, he couldn’t buy the house that he was wanting to get into because he couldn’t get a loan with everything up in the air. (Insert my take on loans.)

Somehow Pasquale found out, called him into his office, and wrote him an $8,000.00 check, so he could get in. AND he furnished the place, no questions asked. Do you think that creates a loyal team member? The third bomb really wasn’t a bomb, it just made sense. Jesse then told us that he has three degrees and could care less about working in any of those fields. Why would he?

Instead, he works three nights a week at an incredible job, makes amazing money due to the immense amount of repeat customers, and has leadership that takes care of him like this. We experienced the customer service coming from how amazing the working environment was.

Guess who came back Friday night. Yep, you guessed it, with an even bigger group! This time we brought 13 of our folks. Problem was, we had to be taken out with a dump truck. AGAIN the food was amazing, but Pasquale pulled out all the stops this time. Here is a list of the foods he brought us:

  • Hot rolls and out of this world dipping oil
  • Salads
  • Our main dishes – mine was penne with shrimp in a lobster bisque sauce AHHHHH!!!!!

We had already planned on the best cannolis on the planet, but Pasquale brought out a tray of amazingness before with:

  • Homemade strawberry danish
  • Incredible chocolate mousse
  • Some crazy good things with chocolate on them
  • and cannoli cream to go on all of them

If that wasn’t enough, he then brought out:

  • Coffee
  • Cannolis
  • Chocolate souffle

Whew! Surely we’re done. Nope! Jesse walks by with an antipasto plate and asks if we would like to try they’re handmade stretched mozzarella. Now you would think there’s no way we would even want to try that. Wrong. It was the best mozzarella I’ve ever had!!! How can this be?! I told Jesse that he had to cut us off. Apparently that didn’t make it to Pasquale, who showed up with another tray of:

  • Italian cheesecake
  • Tiramisu
  • Orange ricotta sponge cake

This is where the dump trucks just rolled right up to our tables and took us back to the hotel. Folks, is there any question as to why we went there three nights in one week? Is there any question as to why the staff has been there so long? And is there any question as to why they have the repeat clientele that they do? With customer service like this, you get the results that they do.

Question: If you’re ever in the Orlando area, will you be eating at Caffe Pasitano? 

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Outstanding Customer Service From A Restaurant!

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Customer service is one of my biggest topics here because it effects everyone! Good or bad, I believe we can ALL learn from how we are treated as we go through our lives interacting with each other.

Last week was one of my favorite weeks of customer service ever. I headed out Sunday to Orlando Florida with the Momentum team. We set up for our event and then went back to our hotel where we received what I call…happy advice.

We asked if there was a good place to eat, which is always a tricky question on the road, and the front desk dude recommended Caffe Positano on Semoran Boulevard in Apopka. Now, going to an Italian restaurant is difficult for me because I’m Sicilian. Which instantly makes me picky.

Let me say…THANK YOU FRONT DESK DUDE!! We walked in the door and were greeted by Louie, who was incredibly nice and courteous. He sat our group of seven down in the dinning room and made sure we knew that if we needed anything to let him know. Through out the evening Louie would come by to make sure we were having a great time. Great guy!

Jesse was our waiter, and homeboy new his stuff. He rattled off a list of specials that had everyone at the table salivating in seconds. I was in the mood for Carbonara, but there wasn’t any on the menu. I asked if they had it, and Jesse said, sure, we can make that for you. Add star numero uno to my rating!

Then Jesse brought out this garlic/parmesean/balsamic/kitchen sink dipping oil, and fresh hot rolls. He told us that we would take our dinners home once we started in on this stuff. Suuuuure we would Jesse. Three rolls each later, all seven of us guys were worried. When the dinners hit the table, there was a collective laugh, as well as many of us say, you gotta be kidding!

You see, each dinner could feed a small third world country. My Carbonara looked like a mountain of pasta the size of my head. A few of the boys got the ribeye’s, and they were the biggest I’ve EVER seen. I kid you not, they had to put them on big plates because the steaks were already the size of a dinner plate.

And taste? Dio in Cielo!!! While we were all beyond stuffed, poor Dave Nelson was in a meat comma at the end of the table. And it didn’t stop there. Louie came back around to check on us. I told that everything was so amazing, that we would probably come back Thursday. He then told us that if we would, he would buy us dessert tonight.

Seriously?!?! We don’t have room for air right now. That’s when he brought out the house made cannolis and a chocolate souffle with ice cream. Apparently, we had room. Best cannoli I have ever tasted! The whole process made us feel like we were actually dinning in Italy. Amazing staff, incredible food, best customer service of any restaurant I’ve been to.

And this was just the FIRST night! Tomorrow I will share with you why the newest team member has been there for eight years. Yes, EIGHT YEARS!! He’s the rookie!! It all has to do with the leadership.

Question: Do you think this type of service creates a loyal customer base, and have you ever been treated this way?

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Wrong Answer From A Hotel Clerk

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I want to do a survey. Of those of you who travel, when you stay at a hotel in a strange city, what is the number one question you ask the hotel desk clerk?

You don’t even have to answer, because I know what it is. Because you ask it in every new city you travel to. The question? “Where’s a good place to eat?” That’s it! By far, it is the most asked question.

So if you are a hotel desk clerk, what should your answer never be? “Hmmmmm… That’s a great question. I don’t really know what’s around here.” Seriously? What, were you beamed in from another state to start your first shift two minutes before I asked that question?

This is a frustrating moment not because you don’t have an answer, although that’s pretty bad. It’s frustrating because I’m the 11 millionth person to ask that question. And hotels are in the service industry. You should answer this question before I ever ask it—as soon as you hand me my room key.  “Mr. LoCurto, would you like a list of the local restaurants? I can also offer you my personal opinion as to which is the best in each category. I see that you are staying a couple of nights and wondered if you need something to do. May I also tell you where the best movie theater/park/hip-hop club/Chuck E. Cheese is?” (Okay, maybe just stick to the movie theater.)

As a leader and entrepreneur, this is the kind of response that makes me think, “What the heck does my team do that is just like this?” In what areas does my team not super serve my customer? Heck, what is my teams’ number one question, and can everyone on the team answer it—not just with an answer, but with the best answer?

As a leader, you’re probably not the person on the front lines. Therefore, you have to get information from those folks who might not provide your customers the same level of service you would. And if you’re not big on customer service yourself, please find someone who is!

If you want to take your company’s customer service up a notch , do these three simple things:

  • Survey your team members. Start by asking your team to list the five most common questions they’re asked. How do they answer those questions? Then ask what are the unanswered questions? Get your team involved in finding out what’s wrong with the customer experience.
  • Survey your customers. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers how they’re being treated What do they love about your service? And what absolutely drives them crazy?
  • Be your customer. I believe every leader/owner/salesperson/customer service rep should personally go through every aspect of their company’s customer service process. That’s the only way to get a true feel for the client experience.

If you will always focus on doing a better job of taking care of your customer, you can spend less time worrying about how to get them back!

Question: How would you keep you team from responding like this?

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Things I Heard On My Southwest Flight

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Here are some great comments that I just had to share. They’re from one really cool flight attendant on a recent Southwest flight.

“If you’re itching to have one of those middle seats, grab one in the first 10 rows. Otherwise, there are plenty of aisle seats in the back where you can stretch out. It isn’t a full flight.”

“Please be sure to get all of your carry-on baggage, personal baggage and emotional baggage stowed away for this flight.”

As he came by with the snacks, someone asked if they could have more than one, since it’s such a long flight. He responded with, “Suuuuure, and I won’t charge you $3 like the other carriers.”

“We have brand new snacks, Cheese Nips and Golden Oreos. We also have peanuts, which we’ve had for 40 years. Well, the concept of handing out peanuts is 40-years old, the peanuts are fresh.”

I asked for an orange juice. Before he handed me the can, he gripped it a few times with a look of exertion on his face. As he gave it to me, he said, “Just wanted to make sure it was freshly squeezed.”

The flight attendant had a smile on his face the entire trip. Every time he came by, he asked, “Need anything else?” He was an all-around nice guy. I sure miss that in business.

It’s amazing how each day we can choose to have a good day or a bad one, or to be nice or be rude.  I’m not shallow enough to think certain circumstances won’t make your day less pleasant. But what about the everyday situations, when people choose not to be happy?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Chris, customers are rude to those in the service industry. It really makes it hard to be nice sometimes.” Oh quit cryin’! I would lay down money that it’s really difficult for any of this flight attendant’s passengers to be rude to him when they see how nice he is and how much he smiles.

It’s just a thought. I know he made my day and made me want to tell you guys about him.

Question: Have you ever met someone whose great attitude made you stop and appreciate it?

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Stop Talking!

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I happened to stop at a sandwich shop the other day. It’s a great chain with really good sandwiches. As I walked in, I quickly realized that I was the only customer there. But it was after lunch, so I bet it was hoppin’ a bit earlier.

There were three young folks working: two guys making sandwiches and one girl at the register. The guys seemed like they were having a good day. The girl just looked at me funny. I gave my order for three sandwiches, and the guys jumped right on it. (No, they weren’t all for me…just two of them. OK, just one.) Once I paid, I noticed that a couple of firemen and a young girl were in line behind me ready to order.

As they placed their orders, one of the guys had to run to the back to get something, so the girl took his place. It was then that she began to complain! She grumbled about something the company wasn’t doing, and it was loud enough for the customers to hear.

You should know that this is one of my pet peeves! I can’t stand when team members complain with customers around. Push aside the fact that it’s a severe gossip issue, no customer wants to hear it. And every time it happens, all I can think about is what’s wrong with their leadership.

There are many reasons for gossip, like lack of character, integrity, etc. Gossip is a cancer and needs to be IMMEDIATELY cut out! But there’s one main reason that I have found that team members gossip—the feeling that leadership won’t listen to what’s going on.

At EntreLeadership, I get the opportunity to talk with both leaders and team members. When the discussion of gossip comes up, I dig really deep to find the root cause of it. Almost every time, the team members feel like they are trying to correct problems and nobody will give them the time of day. When this happens, they feel the need to tell someone else in order to be validated. They need to know that someone else understands the problem and the necessity to fix it.

This situation can be resolved pretty easily in most cases—TALK TO YOUR TEAM! You have to get in there and find out what’s going on. There is no leadership error that I hate more than a leader who won’t actually talk to their INDIVIDUAL team members and get a pulse. I capitalized “individual” because I know too many leaders who get a pulse from team members about OTHER team members. It is ridiculous and is another post some time.

“Well, I don’t want to talk to them because they’re just always so cynical!” Seriously? That’s your answer? Great job leader! You know, I once heard Jim Collins say that a cynic is nothing more than a passionate person who is tired of being let down. Why don’t you try getting out of yourself and discover the inner champion of your team member? Who knows? You might be impressed. Worst case, you find out they do suck, and you get rid of them. Most likely, I believe, it won’t be the issue. You’ll find that you’re the problem. OUCH!

The title Stop Talking! is for the team member who’s complaining, especially with the public within earshot. If that’s you, force a time with your leader to get them to listen. If they suck, and they can’t give you the time, go someplace where you can be a champion! Don’t stay and become a cynic!

Question: What do you think causes team members to talk like this?

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Oh, so now you’re nice

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I’ve noticed a trend at restaurants lately, where some of the servers are going out of their way to be nice…when they hand me the check. It’s funny because it seems like the person who gave me the bill is not the same individual who served me throughout the meal.

I’m not saying they were bad servers or  are mean or anything. They were actually all good. However, when the checks were dropped, I received comments like, “Have a fantastic evening, sir.” These remarks were normally said with an over-the-top tone that was nowhere near the one used to ask me, “You know what you want” So the question is: Has someone started teaching servers that the last impression is the one that gets  them a tip?

If so, someone fire that guy. Each time it has happened to me lately, I adjusted the server in my mind to a bad salesperson. Why? Simply put, if they could be that unbelievably nice at the end of my meal, why weren’t they that way the whole time? In fact, if that was the case, I would have given an extra tip! I can’t help it. I love happy, can-do-anything kinds of servers. It’s probably because I was a waiter once, and I understand how easy it is not to be nice. Consistency should be the goal. Let me think you’re always nice, not just when you want a tip from me.

A classic example of “doing it right” is Chick-fil-A. Every time you enter a store, you are treated consistently well from beginning to end. The staff is courteous and respectful. When you say, “thank you,” they always follow it up with my pleasure.” That’s the kind of customer service that makes you want to tip big!

Interestingly enough, the wait-until-the-end phenomenon isn’t just for servers. In fact, you’ve probably noticed it in several different places. How about the rude receptionist who suddenly realizes you might actually say something about them to the person you’re meeting with? All of a sudden, they are as sweet and as interested in you as they can be.

To me, the issue is people not going the extra mile to make all customers feel amazing through the whole process of the transaction. There may be a ton of good reasons that they aren’t “feeling it” that day, but none of them matter in the eyes of the customer. All they know is the experience with that person. And that can be the difference on whether the customer returns or not.

As leaders, it’s our job to make our team successful. Part of that is ensuring they have all the tools necessary to do their job, including instruction on serving customers each and every time they interact with them. Be excellent in the ordinary. The goal is not to shine when the moment is right. It’s to shine the whole time. Then, every moment is right.

Question: Have you noticed the same actions happening? If so, where?

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Why Your Time Is So Important

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Without customers, your business doesn’t exist. How about that for an opening sentence? You can make the greatest product in the world. If nobody buys it, though, you’re going to have a lot to give family and friends at Christmas.

Therefore, you need to take care of your customers. Make sure you always go above and beyond to show them their patronage is greatly appreciated. In Do You Really Care? I discussed how the smallest touch can tell your client how much you are focused on them instead of the bottom line.

But what happens when your product is in high demand? If you’re Apple, for example, then it’s easy. You continue to create a great product that causes demand through scarcity and urgency. It keeps the customer always coming back for more and willing to wait on the next latest, greatest thing you produce.

However, there are some high-demand businesses that have forgotten part of what customer service is all about. Take the medical field, for instance. I completely understand that if I’m sick, I need a doctor. If I’ve done a bad job taking care of my weight, I probably will want to see someone about my blood pressure.

What I find annoying is the treatment of their customers by so many working in the medical field. Somehow, it has become standard to set appointments with patients, and then leave them sitting in a waiting room for potentially hours. How is that OK?

When did it become acceptable to treat someone that way? Did they forget the people in the waiting room are actually paying for the visits? Well, you don’t understand, doctors are very busy, and it takes a lot of time with each patient. Great, then schedule accordingly. If you’ve been practicing for any length of time, you have a clue how long the issue at hand should take.

What’s my point? Imagine what would happen to your business if you did the same thing to your customers. Now think of something you do that is not up to the highest standard, simply because it has become acceptable. It used to be OK to have a drive-through line a mile long. Now, businesses like Chick-fil-A are realizing it’s not good enough, so they have team members out in the parking lot taking orders to speed things up.

Why? Because they understand that without the customer, they don’t have a business. And when a patron sees a line that will take most of their lunch hour, they’ll go somewhere else. It’s that simple.

Question: What are some of the fixes you see that businesses can make?

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That Changed The Way I Brag About You!

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Recently, Ken Munday, Teresa Duke, and I were in California to speak to pastors about one of our upcoming events. (Side note: One of the coolest things about the trip was being able to speak in the church where President Ronald Reagan attended.)

While the pastor luncheons went really well, one meal didn’t. It’s when we ate at a fast food restaurant. I know. I know. What am I doing eating this type of food? Well, there are a couple in California I try to visit if I have a chance. I just can’t resist. One is a popular burger joint that always has the greatest customer service – until this visit.

We were in Bel Air and plugged this restaurant into our GPS to find the nearest one. I didn’t expect to locate one in that part of town, but there it was. At 2:30 p.m., the drive-through was slammed, so I went inside. I found the same great customer service I’ve always expected. I placed my order, and the cashier read it back to me in exactly the same way.

After a few minutes, they called my number and out the door I went. I was in a hurry since I had left my colleagues in the car in what might have been a potential tow-away zone. Shhhh. Because of my haste, I didn’t stop to check everything in the bag. I ran out the door, got in the car and left. Ken immediately noticed my burger was missing. My fries and drink were there, but sadly, no burger.

I quickly turned around and jumped in the drive-through line that was slightly shorter than before. In great customer service fashion, they had a team member outside going car to car taking orders to speed up the process. Again, great job! When he walked up to our car, I explained what had happened and asked if they could bring one out to me.

Here’s where I was surprised. He then asked for my receipt. Again, something I should have checked when I paid. Was my burger on it? Nope. But since I heard the cashier read the receipt off to me, I didn’t think about it. He radioed in, and they said that I would need to buy another burger – and go through the whole line to get it.

Now, I have absolutely no problem with their actions. I should have checked their work to make sure they did it right. The issue for me is I wouldn’t have handled it that way, nor would my team. We would have quickly assessed the situation and brought a free burger out to the car for the customer’s trouble. It’s not about losing the sale of a burger, it’s about keeping that customer coming back.

Culture is more than a bottom line. In fact, I believe culture creates a bottom line—or at least a bigger one. But without the customer, there is none. Will I stop going to that burger joint? No. But I guarantee I would be more excited to go in the future if they would have taken care of me this time.

Questions: If a customer of yours orders a gross of your widgets and they came up a few short, how would you respond? Would you charge them for the extra or would you just make it right? Have you given your team the authority to make it right or would they have to “radio” it in?

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Wake Up Leader!

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Most of my blog posts on Leadership and Entrepreneurship come from two types of personal views: running a business and being a customer. Each time I teach EntreLeadership Master Series here in Nashville, I always stress the importance of walking through your own business as a customer.

I feel until you do, you don’t really understand what’s truly working and what’s not. You might be doing an amazing job selling your widget. But at the same time, you’re missing out on opportunities you didn’t know existed. The other day, we were eating in a burger joint in downtown Franklin, Tennessee, when one of the restaurant’s team members stopped by our table. She was really nice and wanted to see if there was anything we needed.

While she was there, she also informed us when they feature live music and recommended we come down and hear it sometime. We thought that was cool and asked her a few questions about how they are doing as a business. I was actually surprised the burger place wasn’t really busy. The team member said they had a great summer when traffic was high, but now people just weren’t coming their way.

She also told us her ideas on bringing customers to the restaurant. Now, this is a 17-year-old high school girl who is giving us great ideas on how to get sales into the store. Seventeen! And the concepts were really good. I asked if she had shared her thoughts with the owner. She had, but they weren’t up for it. You could see her frustration that they weren’t going after business. Instead, they were just sitting around waiting for things to happen.

OK, talking to us, the customers, about bad processes at the store technically goes against one of my pet peeves. In Stop Talking! I share how you shouldn’t discuss negative things about your business with customers. Sooooo, shame on her, and shame on us for asking. Now that’s out of the way, here’s the other pet peeve I have—LEADERS NOT LISTENING TO THEIR TEAM MEMBERS AND TAPPING INTO THEIR TALENT!

This girl not only wanted the company to succeed, but also had ideas of how to do it. Believe me, they would work.  (One was handing out coupons to people walking around downtown.) And all of them involved her doing the work. The crazy thing is she will be leaving for college soon, so she doesn’t have to care. But she does.

So why in the world is this owner not only not listening, but also not acting? I don’t know. But I can tell you from the tons of coaching sessions and thousands of conversations, I see this type of leadership all the time.

Don’t let your ego, pride, knowledge or whatever get in the way and stop your business from growing.  Be intentional and consistent about racking your team’s brainpower on what they think will help the business. After all, you hired them. If you didn’t think they were good enough for ideas, why are they there?

Question: Can you relate to this story from either the team member’s or leader’s point of view? It’s OK to be transparent.

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