Touching Your Clients Brilliantly

I spent the last week under the influence of nature.

After 3 days in the US at a Planning Meeting for the coming Worldwide ERC Relocation Conference, my plans to travel to Europe were struck down by that Volcano in Iceland. After changing my flights 3 times, I simply gave up and came back to Japan!

Well, everything is an opportunity, and this gave me an opportunity to think about somthing....
Our groups lofty goal is to become the most reputable relocation company in Japan to Japanese and Foreigners. I have mentioned this before, but I use "Singapore Airlines" repuation in the Airline Industry as an example of who we want to be in our "Relocation" Industry. When I fly back home to NZ, I always use Singapore Airlines as they are just so great to travel with. I would rather fly 20 hours with Singapore Airlines than 11 hours with poor service.

For this reason, I am always comparing other airlines to Singapore. On my recent trip I flew with ANA, US Airways and United. United were particularly unmemorable. Not bad, but nothing jumped out as being fantastic. US Airways were similarly ordinary. I didn't get to fly with them to Europe, but as a domestic airline they were average. ANA, however, I thought were great. Good service that probably gets close to Singapore, nice friendly staff, and they seem to get it; the little things like coming back to pick up your empty coffee cup that they left with you when they took away your dinner tray (simple, but US carriers don't do it unless the cup falls out in the aisle). The meals were tasty for economy class and the aircraft was new with the TV built in. This is ANA that is not funded by Japanese tax payers, but a company that has worked out how to provide a top quality service in their industry in a competitive fashion (unlike JAL who has to rely on 3 government cash infusions and then still can't get it right).

However, what did catch me is somthing else. I spent alot of time on the phone in the US; calling US Airlines and ANA to change my flights. Their customer service over the phone, both companies, was fantastic. They listened to your needs, gave you the options and executed things really well; no being hung up on and it was generally a good experience. Then there was the time I spent at the check in counter. My US Airlines experience is mentioned in my previous blog entry, basically the front line staff were great, but the experience I had from the front lines's superiors was less than memorable. ANA check in staff were friendly and I had a good experience there.

What did this teach me? Well, taking the flight is just one part of the service. The experience you have on the phone and at the check in counter happens before you get on the flight. ie. Your impressions of the airline are set before you even experience flying with them.

For us in the service industry, this is really important. Every point of our service that touches our clients, even before we meet them to assist with their relocation sets the scene for how our clients will judge our service. One bad piece of communication, one poor phone call and we have already set the parameters for how our clients will judge our service.

To be the most reputable company in relocation in Japan for foreigners and Japanese, we need to be brilliant at every touch point with our clients! Impressions are everything!

My impression of US Airways is forever marked by a bad experience at the check in counter. However, my experience with ANA at the check in counter, on the phone and on the flight was all great. At every touch point, they were brilliant. Impressions count!!