Shameika's Customer Service
Over the course of the last few weeks, we've explored leadership lessons prompted by bad behavior (ie: the guy in the parking lot, and the dude in the coffee shop).
Side note: the dude in the coffee shop's video —THE VERY VIDEO HE WAS FILMING “ILLEGALLY” THAT MORNING —appeared in my instagram feed as a sponsored ad. Apparently, I cannot escape him —neither in the real, nor virtual, world.
This week, let's explore some good behavior —specifically, great customer service.
I recently ordered a small household item online.
It arrived promptly and was even higher quality than I had anticipated.
However, it arrived with a small, but very visible, defect.
One of the company's customer service options involved sending a text —not to a bot or an AI-generated auto-responder, but to a real, live person.
Shameika greeted me, via text, on the other line as I told her about the defect.
In a matter of moments, she:
Took down information from me about the order, and the defect
Offered to send a replacement
Shared that I didn't need to send the original back
Offered to send the replacement via 2-day express shipping, so that I'd have it right away.
This customer service experience was filled with surprise and delight.
It was easy (the ability to resolve the issue via text, without waiting on hold for a half hour while listening to bad music),
It was efficient (we had the issue fully resolved within about five minutes),
It was personalized (I was talking to a real human who was both kind and helpful),
And, it exceeded my expectations (I will happily shop with this company again in the future, based on this experience).
This interaction has me reflecting on two things:
As leaders and business owners, how can we instill a bit of surprise and delight into our everyday client interactions?
And, perhaps more importantly —how can we empower our team members to do the same?
Shameika didn't have to put me on hold to get approval from her manager.
I didn't have to fill out countless forms that outlined the defect.
Shameika was empowered to take swift action in the moment, based on the information she had, and what she felt was the right path forward.
We can provide this same opportunity to our team members each day.
What do you think?
Is there anything you do within your organization to create surprise and delight with team members or clients, and to empower team members to do the same?
Or, any fabulous customer service experiences you've had recently?
If so, feel free to leave a comment.
Questions to consider
What is one thing I can do today, or next week, to create a bit of surprise and delight with my team?
What is one thing I can do next week to create a bit of surprise and delight for a client or colleague?
How can I empower others on my team to be able to do the same?
And, is there anything I can do to create a bit of surprise and delight for my family members, friends, or neighbors?
