You’ve just checked-in and find that the maid shorted your room two towels and a bar of soap. Calling the front desk, in a calm and respectful manner, you report the shortage to the Front Desk and within 5 minutes a tall, lanky young man with coat and tie delivers two still slightly warm towels and a fresh bar of soap. “That’s service”, you think to yourself. The next morning, after a peaceful, quiet rest, you go to check-out and discover that the maids were equally as negligent for another guest. Only this guest didn’t call the front desk that night, but is giving the quiet, now growingly embarrassed, young lady at the check-out counter an earful, demanding to speak to the manager, pointing at the 100% satisfaction guarantee placard behind the desk, unsatisfied with anything less than a 100% refund—all over two towels and a bar of soap. Then, sheepishly, the clerk refunds the agitated guest.
Some hotel chains, such as Intercontinental, Hilton, Marriott, to name a few, offer full refunds to complaining guests without question. Moreover, other hotel chains have some form of satisfaction guarantee. Hotels are not alone in dealing with insatiable consumer demands; the whole service industry is called to appease the cantankerous complainer from time to time. There are a growing number of unsatisfied and demanding people in American culture. Part of this growth results from satisfaction guarantees. Ultimately, these guarantees have transformed the term satisfaction from meaning “something with which one may be happy or content” to “something that fulfills my every desire (or demand).” Thus customer service is robbed of compassion and sympathy, being replaced by flattery and appeasement.
By catering to the demanding nature of humanity, what is being accomplished? Though service guarantees may serve to protect consumers from negligent, passionless service, giving in to the demands of every complaint feeds the side of human nature that cannot be satisfied with anything less than the full service of self. This selfishness is bad enough in itself, but over time it negatively affects the entire service industry. As guests have their egos stroked and fed, they are less satisfied with normal service. Thus, the service provider is forced into an arms race of customer satisfaction. As the level of services increase, ultimately, the price to the consumer must commensurately increase as the cost of providing these services increase. As prices increase, consumers are more agitated (the greater the expense, the greater service expected in return). As consumers grow more agitated, more service is required and thus the cycle spirals on.
How can service providers halt this proliferation? I am not calling for the end of service guarantees altogether. On one level, they serve to give accountability to the service industry that protects the consumer from the exploitative side of human business practice. I am asking businesses to become personal again. Traditional business transactions are considered impersonal, professional agreements through two or more a-passionate parties. Customer service should not be handled this way. As such, the consumer does not see the service provider as human, but an agent of personal gratification. The service agent, though trained to be polite and understanding, does not view the guest with altruistic compassion. The refund is just a business transaction. When it comes to customer service, consumer requests are to be taken personally.
In a Christian worldview, people (including consumers and service providers) are viewed as equally created in the image of God. Thus, every person has intrinsic worth. A complaining consumer is equally a person as the service agent. Management is not an abstract category but a group of persons. Otherwise, customer service agents could be replaced by bobble-head dolls holding a sign that reads “Sorry!” Contrary to popular practice, the customer service enterprise is characterized by interpersonal interaction. Following this understanding, consumers no longer see service agents as products to be manipulated any more than service agents and managers see consumers as commodities to be exploited. Furthermore, service agents can altruistically serve the needs and complaints of customers without fear of humiliation by irate guests. Utopian, idyllic visions aside, the positive personal interaction between consumers and service agents may lead the service industry into new territory and may serve to stall the downslide of customer service into the fulfillment of increasingly selfish desires. Customer service agents will learn to empathize with offended customers and consumers will be less hard to please.
1 comment:
"an arms race of customer satisfaction"??
Are local churches in an arms race of Biblical teaching, discipleship, and evangelism? If they were, would you complain because students, disciples, and the lost would then come to expect more of churches?
Customer satisfaction shouldn't be compared to nuclear weapons or any other sort of armament. Weapons are intended for destruction. Customer satisfaction and any service provided are intended to please. Customer service is not destructive and is not, in itself, a bad thing. Quite the opposite, in fact.
"How can service providers halt this proliferation?"
One way they could do it is by joining together to form a cartel. They could then coordinate and agree upon methods for charging high prices and keeping costs low, thereby increasing profitability by eliminating the competition that ensures quality for the consumer.
Don't forget that you also are a consumer of goods and services, and as such, you benefit from the commitment of a business to provide quality customer service or to produce quality goods. The more intense the competition for your patronage, the more you receive for your hard-earned dollar.
At my favorite grocery store, the cashier empties my cart for me, is always polite, and asks if I found everything I was looking for. It's clear this store has a greater commitment to customer service than their competition. They charge a little more for some of their items, and I don't mind. At some grocery stores, I'm made to feel like I'm on an assembly line when I'm checking out. I'm on their turf and I'm just another set of items to drag across the scanner. The cashier may not utter even one word to me.
Some time ago, I avoided fast-food restaurants altogether because service had become downright outrageous. Not only was a lack of courtesy to be expected, but even rudeness was commonplace. I had several people almost drop my food because they turned their heads away from me as they handed my purchase through the window. In their pride, they sought to deny their obligation to serve customers. Later, I began to see a trend in the other direction, especially at Chic-Fila. Even today, their service remains such a stand out, I'm certain no explanation is necessary.
Should McDonalds, Burger King, etc. engage Chic-Fila in some sort of detente in order to "halt the proliferation" of quality customer service?
I get my hair cut at a shop with six barbers. No appointment is necessary. I could choose the first available or wait for the barber of my choice. I go on either Tuesday or Saturday in order to choose 85-year-old Tommy because he not only does as good a job of cutting my hair as any of the others (though not noticeably better), but also because he does more. He uses a straight razor to trim closely around me ears and along my neck. He uses some kind of foam and witch hazel. I don't even understand it all, but I leave looking neat, feeling fresh, and smelling good -- all for the same price, though I tip him more than I have the others.
Would the other barbers be justified to be jealous of Tommy's dedicated customers or angry that he provides a greater service than they do? Of course not.
On the other hand, should I expect the same service from them and complain when I don't receive it? Of course not.
There's no question that customers can be ridiculously unreasonable. But a professional commitment to customer service is hardly a commitment at all if it is not committed to overcoming such unreasonableness. But such a commitment cannot always mean the (potential) customer leaves happy. Motel 6 does not compete with the Ritz. I would be foolish for a customer to expect Ritz-level service from a Motel 6. I think it would be equally foolish for a business to have a commitment to customer happiness at any cost, rather than a cheerful, resolute commitment to a particular level of service.
Having experience with customer service, I have become convinced that God has not blessed me with the patience, humility, etc. (not that I should abandon these fruits of the Spirit!) necessary for such a professional pursuit. I hope that he has blessed me with other gifts that do (or can) equip me for other career endeavors.
~~~~~
Henry Ford:
"A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large."
"There is one rule for the industrialist and that is: Make the best quality of goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible."
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