Service

Follow the APPLE five steps of service

Step one: Approach customers with a personalized warm welcome
Within 10 seconds of entering a store (regardless of how busy it is), greet each customer with a friendly warm welcome. The key here is to make eye contact and be fully committed to offering a customized, unique, and meaningful experience.

Step two: Probe politely to understand all of the customer’s needs
Never push for a sale. Instead, ask open-ended questions that start with 'How' and 'What.' These questions encourage customers to open up more about their needs leading to a more meaningful and insightful conversation. Apple employees preempt these questions by asking permission. This can sound like: "I’d like to take you on a tour of the iPad, but before I do, may I ask what you’ll be using the iPad for?"

Step three: Present a solution for the customer to take home that day
Customers leave happy when they are provided with a solution, even if its not the one they originally expected. So, if customers are not ready to make a purchase, Apple employees offer to sign them up for a free in-store class to become more familiar with the product. Also, if customers can't get an appointment at the Genius Bar, employees look for openings at nearby locations.

Step four: Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns
Actively listen and repeat back the customer's needs and concerns, so they know they are heard. Then tailor the conversation around resolving those issues. If a customer cares about high-quality photos, don't spend time talking about video games. Apple employees also always reinforce that they do not work on commission and that their only goal is to help a customer grow.

Step five: End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return
Always make customers feel good about the experience. Escort the customer to the door, thank them, and invite them to return again with a "We'll see you next time." Also, if a purchase was made, congratulate them, summarize the benefits one last time, and reinforce the good decision they made.

Follow the 3 Fs of empathy

Apple store employees deal with frustrated, worried, and angry customers all the time. While they are trained to "not apologize for the business [or] the technology," there is a heavy emphasis on being empathetic to the customer's problem. To do this, Apple trains their Geniuses to follow the 3 Fs:

• Feel: First acknowledge the customer's feelings
• Felt: Let the customer know they are not alone and that either you or someone else has been in the same position.
• Found: Finally, provide an opportunity for the customer to move beyond their initial objection or negative feeling.

See Apple Genius training examples.

Reset internal clocks to make wait times less painful

Waiting can be excruciating. Apple solves this problem by altering customers' perceptions of how long they are waiting. The concept behind this is simple: Every time you check-in with, smile at, or say 'hello' to waiting customers, their internal clocks are reset making an 8-minute wait feel like two.

At Apple Stores, the first reset happens within 10-seconds of you walking into the store. An employee greets you, takes your name, and assigns you an associate.

Every few minutes after that, a greeter or manager will check in with you by name with an update on the associate's availability. By the time the associate arrives, you don't even realize how long you have been waiting while also feel acknowledged and looked after.

Get to yes by avoiding negative language

While Apple employees are instructed to never push for a sale, they have been trained to avoid words that could turn people away from making a purchase. Apple's Genius Training Student Workbook, gives a full list of examples that include:

• Do not use 'bomb,' 'crash,' or 'hang.' Avoid 'freeze.' Instead, use 'unexpectedly quits,' 'does not respond,' or 'stops responding.'
• Do not use 'bug' or 'problem.' Instead, say 'condition,' 'issues,' or 'situation.'
• Avoid 'supported.' Replace it with 'compatible' or 'works with.'
• Steer clear of 'incompatible' and 'not compatible.' Try 'does not work with.'
• No Apple products are 'hot'—at most they're 'warm.'
• Do not use 'eliminate a problem.' Instead, say 'reduce it.'

Understand how customers are feeling by their body language

Make no mistake, Apple employees are paying attention to every customer's body language. Apple's Genius Training Student Workbook goes into great detail about how to identify a customer's mood based on their gestures. Some examples include:

• Cooperation: Sitting on edge of chair, hand-on-face gestures, unbuttoned coat, head tilted
• Expectancy: Hand-rubbing, crossed fingers
• Evaluation: Hand-to-cheek gestures, head tilted, stroking chin, gestures with glasses, pacing
• Acceptance: Hand-to-chest, touching, moving in closer
• Confidence: Steepling hands, hands joined at back
• Frustration: Short breaths, 'Tsk!', tightly clenched hands, wringing hands, fist-like gestures, pointing index finger, palm to back of neck, kicking ground or imaginary object
• Boredom: Drumming on table, head in hand, blank stare
• Suspicion and secretiveness: Sideways glance, feet or body pointing towards the door, rubbing nose, rubbing eye
• Nervousness: Clearing throat

Don't time conversations with customers

The Apple experience is about connecting with people—and that takes time. Managers never ask employees to 'wrap it up' when they are talking with a customer. This gives employees the freedom to have in-depth conversations with customers. If they spend twenty minutes talking about football and no sale is made, that is perfectly fine, as long as every customer leaves feeling happy and appreciated.

Deliver second mile service

Mile 1: Chick-fil-A's Core 4 ingredients

• Make eye contact to show you care and that you are paying attention.
• Smile and strive to see the customer smile in return. A smile shows that you actually like being at work.
• Speak enthusiastically. Make it sound like you are smiling when you talk. Turn 'okay' into "of course," and "do you need help" into 'hey, anything I can help you with?"
• Stay connected. Start building relationships by making small talk—ask a question or give a compliment.

Mile 2: Three required ingredients mixed with three necessary behaviors

• Deliver meals to the table.
• Perform table touch-ins every 10-15 minutes. Make small talk, thank guests for coming in, or just remind them that you will take away their tray when they're done.
• Carry large orders to a customer's car. Don't ask, just do it and say "I will be assisting you to your car."
• Be genuine. Act as if the customer in front of you is the only customer you have that day. Actively listen and follow your warmhearted impulses by offering to pick up the tab for anyone seeming down.
• Be proactive and anticipate needs. Bring extra napkins and condiments during table touch-ins, hold open doors, take away garbage, and have highchairs at the ready.
• Be personal. Always use the guest's name at every touchpoint, from the warm welcome to the fond farewell. Servers look at the name on the receipt so that they can use the customer's name when delivering the meal.

Turn unhappy customers into raving fans

Chick-fil-A employees turn bad experiences into a positive ones by making sure that customers are HEARD:

• Hear. Listen intently and focus on what is being said. Don't interrupt—even if what the customer says doesn't reflect what actually happened.
• Empathize. Recognize what just happened and seek to understand the customer's perspective. Make the situation not about you, but the customer.
• Apologize sincerely. Customers don't care about your organizational challenges. Don't make excuses but accept responsibility. Most times that's all that is needed.
• Resolve immediately. Take ownership of resolving the issue, even if you did not cause it. Don't pass it off for someone else to fix.
• Delight. First, thank customers for bringing problems to your attention. Let's face it, if they didn't speak up, you would never have known there was an issue. Then, go the second mile and do something nice and unexpected for them. Some Chick-fil-A owners, after receiving a negative comment on a survey, personally call customers to apologize and invite them back for a second chance, and a free meal.

Wait on the customer for as long as it takes

Patagonia's philosophy on service is simple:
Picture an old fashioned hardware store owner who knows his tools and how to use them. He will wait on you until you find the right tool for the job educating you and helping you all along the way without rushing you.

Stay true to your promise

Patagonia's guarantee on their clothing never expires. Besides repairing and replacing products and refunding customers at any time, they have even remade retired products for customers as well.

Once a customer returned a pair of pants hoping that she could get them repaired. Unfortunately, the pants were beyond repair and were mistakenly discarded without her approval. Since Patagonia keeps an archive of nearly every fabric and trim they have ever used, the customer soon had her old pants back, but now they were brand new.

Always use the guest's name

As they say, no sound on earth is as sweet to a person's ears as their own name. Even if you are not sure how to pronounce it, The Ritz-Carlton considers mispronouncing a name as a giant step up from saying sir or ma'am.

Keep your radar on and antenna up

Staff at The Ritz-Carlton avoid asking guests directly about their preferences. This can create experiences that feel forced and, worse yet, can set expectations for something that might not actually happen. Instead, The Ritz-Carlton places great emphasis on employees observing guests to learn their likes and dislikes.

Through training exercises, staff go through different scenarios on ways to identify and anticipate guests needs like:

• Noticing if any personal toiletries were thrown away and then replacing them
• Looking to see if nuts were picked out of an after dinner dessert then surprising them later with nut-free cookies in their room
• Listening for signs to determine if guests are feeling under the weather and then surprising them with a cup of soup or tea

Treat problems as opportunities

The Ritz-Carlton uses the LEARN model to treat any bad experience as an opportunity to create a great one.

• Listen and Empathize. Never crack jokes or laugh, no matter how ridiculous the complaint sounds.
• Apologize. It doesn't matter whether you caused the problem or not, take ownership of it. Use the words 'I'm sorry' and 'forgive me'—never use 'We're sorry' or 'forgive them.' Also, don't try to deflect the issue by explaining policies and guidelines, or explaining how a particular system works. The guest doesn't care.
• Resolve the problem quickly and to the guest's choosing. Don't just assume that a guest wants monetary compensation. Let the resolution be determined by the guest. Most times they just want to know they have been heard.
• Notify your team and follow-up with the guest. Write the guest a note or give the guest a follow-up phone call to see if everything is okay and if anything else can be done. Let other staff know of the problem too, so they can be aware and learn from it.

Call guests before they arrive

The Ritz-Carlton makes an effort to speak with all guests before their stay. This pre-visit chat is used to casually inquire and listen to what guests have planned. If a guest mentions that she really likes Maine lobster and it is on the menu at the time, the server now knows to highlight it upon arrival in the dining room.

For business people that come in weekly, a call is not always necessary, but the staff still check in with the guests to make sure all the amenities are correct and if they would prefer something else.

Greet guests using the 10/5 Way

Ritz-Carlton employees are trained to make eye contact and smile at guests if they are 10 feet away. If that guest walks within five feet, the employee than needs to say 'hello.' The 10/5 way was created to help break the ice and remove any insecurities a guest may have about interrupting an employee.

Know what's on the menu

Just in case a guest asks, every Ritz-Carlton employee is expected to be ready, willing, and able to recommend something from any menu in the hotel that's worth trying.

Don't use scripts or techniques

Southwest has learned that there are no catch-all scripts or techniques that can effectively deal with a wide variety of customers—what one customer expects may annoy another. Also, by defaulting to a script or technique, interactions become "nothing more than a sophisticated method of manipulating people to act in ways that accomplish organizational objectives."

Instead, Southwest's philosophy is to allow staff the freedom to create highly individualized experiences with a high dose of personal attention. Former CEO Colleen Barrett would tell staff that “I am never going to call you and ask you why you did too much for someone, but I will likely call you and ask you why you didn’t do enough.”

Turn unhappy customers into loyal fans

To Starbucks, negative experiences are considered opportunities to strengthen their relationship with unhappy customers and learn from them on how to make the Starbucks Experience better. In what is referred to as the 'LATTE Method', partners are trained to:

• Listen to the customer. Recognize the signs that a customer is upset, whether it is tapping their foot or crossing their arms, and then engage with them to see what's wrong.
• Acknowledge the problem/situation.
• Take action and solve the problem. Either they can solve the problem or look for an alternative solution. Saying no is never an option.
• Thank the customer. Make sure unhappy customers know they are valued by thanking them for their business and then listening to and recognizing their problems.
• Explain what you did. Never hide behind store policies but take the time to explain why the problem has occurred.

Create your own language

"I'll have a venti upside down half-caf breve cap" might sound like gibberish to some, but to Starbucks regulars, it's all part of the lingo.

Instead of a small, medium, and large, Starbucks has their infamous tall, grande, venti, and trenta (the last two being trademarked sizes). They also have their own grammar, when ordering: Size comes first, then syrup and milk preference, and finally your primary drink.

By creating their own language, Starbucks draws customers deeper into their brand while also creating a sense of community and shared values. To help new customers along, there is a 'Make It Your Drink' language guide and baristas are trained to repeat your order back in Starbucks lingo making a “small cappuccino with an extra shot and foam” into a “double-tall cap, extra dry”.

Maximize the number of quality interactions with customers

While it may be more efficient to restock shelves overnight and open self-checkout lines, Trader Joe's does neither in order to create more one-on-one interactions with customers. In fact, the brand keeps more employees on the floor per square foot than any other retail chain. This allows employees to drop what they are doing, no matter how busy they are, to satisfy any customer request.

Staff are also trained to make eye contact with passing customers to invite questions and then to lead (never point) customers to the product they are looking for. And while idle chit-chat amongst crew members is discouraged, staff are highly encouraged to spend as much time as necessary with any customer. This creates opportunities for the customer to bond with the employee, as well as the brand. 

Take the fear out of trying new things

While Trader Joe's does have standard sampling stations, they also let customers (upon request) open up packages, bags, and boxes of food just to try it before they buy it. Customers can also return anything, opened or not, for a full refund, no questions asked—you don't even need a receipt.

Prioritize random acts of kindness

Every Umpqua store has a designated account funded each quarter for associates to spend money delivering "extraordinary customer experiences that inspire buzz and word-of-mouth." These random acts of kindness have included offering customers a coupon for a free local dinner, sending them flowers or cookies, or depositing a cash bonus into their accounts.

Associates are given gift catalogs to use, names of florists and bakeries, and examples of what others have done to wow customers. They also do not need to ask permission or fill out any form to spend the money.

However, the money wasn't being spent when former CEO Ray Davis first implemented this program. It wasn't until Ray continuously checked in with managers that mindsets began to change. These check-ins ensured that managers made these acts of kindness a priority. Ray Davis writes, "We wanted [the money] used as directed. If not, we'd take [that store] out of the program and, if necessary, find new managers who would follow directions."

Make serving the customer a full-time job

"If you make [serving the customer] a part-time job, you're going to get part-time results." This idea led former Umpqua Bank CEO Ray Davis to create the Universal Associate role.

This role focused on removing all administrative work from frontline staff to allow them to devote 100% of their time to the customer. All Universal Associates were cross-trained to handle any customer request like making deposits, opening an account, filling out a mortgage application, applying for a loan, and more. This empowered them to be able to answer any question the member asked.

Since all staff participated in an incentive program and some stations in an Umpqua store were more lucrative than others, Universal Associates rotated weekly from the teller station to the Serious About Service Center.

As for the administrative work, there was a fear that additional staff would need to be added to handle those tasks. However, that never happened. Dividing the team into frontline and back office staff actually made each role more effective and efficient.

Write out your quality service standards

To set the baseline standard for customer service, Umpqua Bank documented precisely what was expected of associates when working with customers. A few of these unnegotiable standards include:

• We will smile and acknowledge our customers immediately as they walk through the door.
• We will stand to greet our customers.
• We will consistently wear our name badges.
• We will call our customers by name at least twice.
• We will Deliver Plus One—always looking for opportunities to do a little extra.
• We will hand out our business cards to offer additional help or to personalize our service.
• We will thank our customers sincerely for doing business with us.

Take turns being a greeter for the day

Umpqua Bank had trouble getting staff to look up from their work and acknowledge customers when they entered a store. After failing to change this behavior with memos and pep talks, former CEO Ray Davis implemented a greeter for the day program.

All in-store staff, from tellers to loan assistants, had to take turns standing by the front door wearing a corsage or boutonniere and greeting customers as they walked in. This gave staff the needed experience welcoming customers, making eye contact with them, and learning their names.

At first, the employees hated the idea, but Umpqua Bank kept it up. It took several months, but eventually, welcoming customers became a natural part of everyone's job, and the program was sunset.

Give your customers a direct line to your CEO

Almost every Umpqua Bank store has a special phone connecting customers directly to the CEO. Former CEO Ray Davis made it a point to answer every call himself, and if he weren't at his desk, he would respond to any message within the same day. On average, he would receive several phone calls per week.

As he sees it, "I know that all CEOs are very busy people. I'm busy, too. But I always have a minute or two in my workday to pick up the phone and say hello to one of my customers."

Have a plan in place for when things go wrong

While an Umpqua Bank store manager was waiting for facilities to come out to fix a broken drive-thru lane, CEO Ray Davis challenged the manager on why he wasn't turning this pain point for customers into the best customer experience they had ever received.

For moments like these, Ray has managers be proactive by working with their staff to brainstorm a list of things they can do to wow customers if something goes wrong and then hold them accountable to take action. This list includes:

• Handing out free soft drinks
• Depositing an extra $10 into a customer's account
• Washing their windshields
• Sending customers flowers or cookies

Even when Umpqua receives complaints through social media, they contact customers directly to apologize and encourage them to call Umpqua to address the problem. They then connect with the customer's local store to send out a personal hand-written note or a gift.

Answer the phone within 20 seconds

Zappos sets a goal of answering 80% of incoming calls within 20 seconds. And although they are quick to answer, the rest of the call is set to the customer's pace with some calls lasting hours.

To keep up a quick response time, all employees are expected to take customer calls during peak times of the year, including the CEO. Luckily for Zapponians, they all have already been trained on how to do this during their onboarding process.

Don't transfer calls

Even though customers may have loved their Zappos Customer Loyalty Team representative when they called last week, Zappos has set guidelines to avoid transferring calls to representatives asked for by name. This not only increases efficiency but with all prior transactions stored in their Customer Relationship Management system, Zappos is confident that any employee can make a personal connection with a caller.

Don't use scripts, don't upsell, and don't measure call times

Scripts don't let the personality of your team shine through. Upselling just annoys customers. And limited call times just don't give you an opportunity to make personal emotional connections with customers.

That is why the Zappos Customer Loyalty Team members are told never to do any of those things. They are expected, however, to spend at least 80% of their time with customers, whether this equates to 100 calls a day or just 1—doesn't matter. Even when a Zappos team member told his manager that he just had a 10 hour and 43 minute call with a customer, the manager only asked 'Was the customer WOWed?'

Send your customers to your competitors

If a customer calls for a specific shoe and it is not available at Zappos, then it is the rep's job to help the customer find it. Team members are trained to research at least three competitor websites to help the customer. If the shoe is found in stock on another site, they send the customer there. Yes, Zappos might lose the sale but to Co-founder Tony Hsieh: "We're not trying to maximize each and every transaction. Instead, we're trying to build a lifelong relationship with each customer, one phone call at a time."

Under promise and over deliver (quickly)

Even though the Zappos website might say they offer free ground shipping with a four to five day delivery time, over 70% of deliveries actually are upgraded for free to next-day air. Zappos considers the cost as a marketing expense, believing that the best marketing comes from word of mouth. Zappos has even used a $100,000 credit from UPS to upgrade their upcoming deliveries to next-day delivery.

Follow-up with handwritten notes to your customers

Mail can be so much more than bills and junk. At Zappos, call center staff send handwritten notes to customers based on personal connections they made over the phone.

Whether they bonded over a graduation, wedding, or connected over a funny moment, Zapponians can choose from a selection of employee designed greeting cards they have at their desk, write a note, and mail it out. In total, Zappos sends out about 13,000 of these PEC (personal emotional connection) cards per year.