Could the XCS approach be seen as manipulative? A marketing ploy?

I thought long and hard about it and conferred with a few friends.

Manipulation could be cited anytime we try to influence others to act a certain way. However, our motivation and alignment to the person’s wishes makes all the difference.

In XCS, our motivation is to gain loyalty by exceeding the customer’s expectations. By definition, our methodology is aligned with the customer’s expectations and wishes.

The XCS methodology is different from manipulation in that we look to exceed or perhaps, “over align” ourselves with the customer’s expectations. A successful effort results in an emotional reaction, also of the customer’s choosing, which in turn results in loyalty and repeat purchase, once again, of the customer’s choosing and delight.

One could say it simply: Through XCS we are working to create a positive emotional state in the customer that results in a response, chosen and enjoyed, by the customer.

My conclusion is that XCS is a welcomed influence, not a manipulation.

What a relief !

Sometimes you have to ask the questions you’re most afraid of.

Still committed to XCS !

Friends,

Today a colleague sent me this video which I think is not only inspiring but revolutionary in its simplicity and effectiveness to present the essence of XCS.

Please view it, it will make a difference.

Johnny’s video

Thank you.

Rudy Vidal
Committed to XCS !

One of my life guides is a guy called Wayne Dyer. He is one of those people that tries to keep a holistic view of the human experience and its relationships.

In one of his talks he brought up the idea of being Right vs. Kind and the thought that the inflexibility of rightousness often strains relationships with those dear to us. I think this may also apply to customers.

It is not unusual for the customers to be wrong, unreasonable or otherwise simply off their rocker. This makes us (the company, the agent), RIGHT, and it feels so good, doesn’t it?

I have found in speaking with agents, that they have a tough time letting the customer off-the-hook when they are wrong, and inspite of this, doing their best to assist. Sometimes we simply get stuck on “customer is wrong”.

A clarification that usually helps me is:

Customer Service is not meant to be fair. There is no right or wrong. The goal is to help the customer with their issue to the greatest extent that we can. If we find ourselves being Right, let our rightful position empower us to express Kindness. Our mission is to serve, provide understanding and a gesture of a caring attitude.

Of course, as a philosophical point of view, this is easy to understand. But in a practical world, how Kind can we be? What is allowed by policy and our bottom line?

Answering this question and providing the appropriate guidelines is the responsibility of management. It is up to us to train our organizations to take action in different situations. It is also our responsibility to empower our front lines to look for the best way they can serve the customers and take action on behalf of both, the company and the customer.

Customer Service cultures can, at times, reach an adversarial point of “Us vs. Them”. This should be avoided at all costs. To the extent the culture begins to defend itself from customers, things are only going to get worse. (The first symptoms are usually found in defensive policies that affect all customers, in an effort to defend against a small group – see a previous post)

When agents have a difficult time letting go of “Being Right” for the benefit of the customer relationship, it usually means management is more interested in being right than in serving their customers.

Between Right and Kind, we should always choose Kind. It doesn’t mean we need to stop being right. It means the customer should always feel the effort and gesture of a caring attitude.

Today I was part of conversation where it came to my attention that a feedback mechanism at a certain company was being ignored. When digging a little deeper into the matter, the reason for the lack of attention was “there are too many complaints being submitted and many of them are user problems”. This is the kind of thing that gives me a sense of job security.

The reality is that 93% of companies gather customer feedback. However, only about 33% actually use the information to make changes to product or process in order to improve the customer experience. The reason for this negligence is more often than not, unfavorably perceived ROI and perceived degree of difficulty. It’s too hard; it’s probably not worth it.

Although these perceptions may be true in any one case, feedback is no less important and should not be ignored. Customer feedback is the embodiment of the customer, who otherwise may not be directly represented.

In my mind, the voice of the customer is the ultimate driver of all experience initiatives. Until we hear the voice of the customer we will never know if we are moving in the right direction. No one in the company should be trusted to foretell, or indirectly assess the customer’s point of view.

Here are some thoughts on Customer Feedback.

1. Too much is better than not enough – (be careful not to overwhelm customers with surveys).
2. Never allow the culture to ignore it. It’s better to suspend it if you are not willing to act on it. Ignoring customer feedback causes the culture to devalue the customer and will make any improvement harder still.
3. Get feedback as close to the time of interaction as possible.
4. Provide the feedback directly to the person interfacing with the customer or providing the service – employees accept criticism and praise better from customers than they do from their supervisors.
5. Analyse and act – it helps the culture, the customer and your business.
6. The ultimate form of customer feedback is to bring dissatisfied customers to your office. Pay them as consultants for a day so they can provide their point of view to your team. Make sure you have some Q&A time. You won’t be sorry!

Here is a link to a recent podcast in which I had the pleasure to participate with BTQ magazine.

A customer is the personification of all possibilities in your business. Hug one.

I was adjusting the FAQ portion of the blog and I came across one of the simple reasons we are doing this work. I thought I would post it, since it usually brings about considerable thought and good discussion.

The question is: Why is it that most business leadership is usually inconsistent and less than impressive in its commitment to customer satisfaction programs?

I won’t beat around the bush to give you my opinion and hope you will give us yours.

I believe reason for the inconsistency in customer centricity comes from the fact that most business leadership find customer centric programs to be short term expenses for unquantifiable, long-term results.

If we are able to show them that the short-term expense provides quantifiable short term results, I believe they will commit to changing their business and in turn changing the world.

The XCS methodology does just that.

Today I was discussing the underlying tenets of customer satisfaction with a couple of colleagues. We came out of the discussion with . . “the difference in XCS comes from treating customers like people as opposed to objectifying them as “customers, accounts, etc”. It sounds overly simplistic, but it’s true.

The discussion lead to a methodology by the Arbinger Institute that rang a chord with me. The methodology, as explained by my colleague, provides a better ability to control our “way of being” as opposed to controlling our actions.

It occurred to me that often our actions fall short of customer’s expectations because we are are simply acting (following the expected customer satisfaction practices) possibly lacking inner honesty. We are missing the proper “way of being”.

There are 2 ways to see people, he explains:

1. as Objects and
2. as Human beings.

You might think that one naturally treats people as human beings, but many times we don’t.

As we were in the discussion, our waiter came to the table to fill up our water glasses. I noticed that one of us acknowledged the waiter with eye contact and thanked him for the service. Then I thought – it wouldn’t be uncommon for me to simply move the glass as to make it accessible to the waiter, and accept the service without acknowledgement. This is an example of objectifying the waiter.

When we objectify people, he further explains, we can see them as:

• Vehicles (sources of wanted activity)
• Barriers (those people that stand in the way of what we want to happen),
• or Indifferently

The very nature of objectifying people makes us the center of focus – HOW DO THEY AFFECT ME?

This makes XCS impossible. I cannot think of the customer’s point of view, assess their expectations and exceed that expectation with a “service mindset” if I am focusing on how he or she affects me.

XCS is about treating people like human beings. Seeing their humanity before we judge how they may or may not affect us.

This is not so easy, but if we can do it, we will gain the respect and loyalty of our customers.

Customers are people too.

People want to do business with People, not companies.

Are XCS and sustainable increases in sales mutually exclusive?
I have had this discussion too many times to count. But, it doesn’t get any easier.
I believe XCS and increased sales are very compatible. Sales is a long term enterprise, even if your boss is whipping you for quota this month.

Konusuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic said it best, (not verbatim )”we as industrialists have a responsibility to add value to society and to improve the quality of life of our fellow man. As such, profit is the just reward provided us by society for successfully fulfilling this responsibilty, daily”.
His philosphy held we should not worry about profit, we should just worry about adding value to society.
If we did, everything else will fall into place. Mr. Matsushita was not suggesting that we run our businesses ignoring the bottom line. But if our intentions and our efforts are focused on, and successful at adding value, the rest will probably take care of itself. To some taking this line of thinking seriously may require taking a great leap of faith. To others it may seem easily applied.For too long we have held Sales to be a “cut throat”, “at all costs” discipline.
I remember growing up my father thoroughly disliked sales people.

He thought they all wanted to get their hands in you pockets. He was not pleased when I became head of sales many years later. Is this the real essence of sales? The stereotypical used car salesman?
I think preditory behavior is almost always a short-cut to an ends, but almost never the best way to skin the cat.
An XCS-based sales person, builds relationships, honestly caring for his prospective customer’s best interest, finding a way to add value through the product or the relationship that well justifies the cost.
Sure, if you didn’t care about your customer you could probably sell more in the short term, but will you ever realize the lifetime value of that customer? NO.

My broker, always did what he thought was right for me and as a result more than once took lesser commissions. When he left Ameriprise for Merril guess what I did?

XCS and sales go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Don’t you think?

I recently read a posting that solidified some forming thoughts. here.

We are all working quite hard to bring to the forefront a higher level of awareness to the issue of customer satisfaction. It is a good and necessary effort in our quest to improve P/Ls and quality of life in general. However, at what point do we begin to off load our responsibility on businesses in the name of good customer service?

Returning a plasma TV becuase we didn’t realize we couldn’t afford it until our spouse tried to pay the bills. Having a mattress replaced after sleeping on it a couple of weeks because we realized we needed a softer one. Expecting the florists to deliver an extra 7 dozen arrangements on time, because we ordered the wrong number, originally. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t ask, and that we shouldn’t be happy when such requests are granted, but, more often than not situations such as these is becoming the measure of customer satisfaction, anything less is simply not enough.

Like all power, the power we have as consumers can have a corrupting effect on our ethics. A good Customer/Vendor Relationship has to be built on a foundation of mutual respect. I think.

I’d like to thank all my friends, gurus and supporters for not giving up on this blog idea. Thanks to all of you the blog is back with renewed energy and commitment to adding value to our customers, because its good for business and its the right thing to do.

The mission of the blog is to create discussion and awareness on the topic of Customer Satisfaction as a vehicle to creating loyalty and a WIN WIN relationships between customers and companies, citizens and governments, people and people.

We are choosing to ignore what we inherently feel to be true; that at the end of the day we are all customers to one another, that we are inextricably tied to eachother, depending one on the other for our general, social and economic well being.

It is possible, in fact, expected by our customers, that we do the right thing socially, environmentally and fiscally. Anything less is no longer accepted.

It is unnatural to think that the company and its customers are separate and distinct. Everyone depends and is attached to everyone else.

I am confident, business and government can remember that we are all here to build, to create value for the common good.