Comments on: “No” is not a service http://www.drewschiller.com/blog/no-is-not-a-service/ Marking, Business and Web Design. Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:25:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Drew Schiller http://www.drewschiller.com/blog/no-is-not-a-service/#comment-35 Drew Schiller Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:20:22 +0000 http://www.drewschiller.com/?p=251#comment-35 @Dustman I appreciate your opinion, but I respectfully disagree in this instance. I didn't post my entire response, but I made it clear that I didn't have prior affiliation with the company. The recommendation was provided as an option to consider, not as a solid solution, and the caller I referred to appreciated my help because he was being stonewalled everywhere else. Hopefully I helped him get closer to his solution—it's possible he hadn't considered licensing software before. You actually do make a great point about how the brands you associate with effect your brand, and I completely agree with you. I call this "complementary branding," and I <a href="http://www.drewschiller.com/blog/smart-brands-make-others-look-smart/" rel="nofollow">wrote a post a few weeks ago</a> on that subject. Thank you for your comment! @Dustman I appreciate your opinion, but I respectfully disagree in this instance. I didn’t post my entire response, but I made it clear that I didn’t have prior affiliation with the company. The recommendation was provided as an option to consider, not as a solid solution, and the caller I referred to appreciated my help because he was being stonewalled everywhere else. Hopefully I helped him get closer to his solution—it’s possible he hadn’t considered licensing software before.

You actually do make a great point about how the brands you associate with effect your brand, and I completely agree with you. I call this “complementary branding,” and I wrote a post a few weeks ago on that subject. Thank you for your comment!

]]> By: Dustman http://www.drewschiller.com/blog/no-is-not-a-service/#comment-34 Dustman Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:58:44 +0000 http://www.drewschiller.com/?p=251#comment-34 Drew, the Zappos and Blockbuster examples are excellent, but your own is not. You found the company to whom you referred you caller on the internet, and had no prior knowledge of that company's performance. That's a very dangerous move; it leaves your brand image and CS added-value in the hands of an unknown third party. In the other two examples, particularly the Zappos encounter, there was prior knowledge that the customer would be able to get the product and service level that they wanted. If referral to another business has the ability to increase brand strength, it also has the power to demolish it. Drew, the Zappos and Blockbuster examples are excellent, but your own is not. You found the company to whom you referred you caller on the internet, and had no prior knowledge of that company’s performance. That’s a very dangerous move; it leaves your brand image and CS added-value in the hands of an unknown third party. In the other two examples, particularly the Zappos encounter, there was prior knowledge that the customer would be able to get the product and service level that they wanted.

If referral to another business has the ability to increase brand strength, it also has the power to demolish it.

]]> By: Drew Schiller http://www.drewschiller.com/blog/no-is-not-a-service/#comment-32 Drew Schiller Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:36:12 +0000 http://www.drewschiller.com/?p=251#comment-32 @Keith Excellent point, employee training is absolutely at the heart of this discussion. When empowered, customer service agents have the ability to make your day and make you feel like an important individual. When they are trained to follow lame company policies, everyone suffers: the customer, the employee and the company's brand. @Keith Excellent point, employee training is absolutely at the heart of this discussion. When empowered, customer service agents have the ability to make your day and make you feel like an important individual. When they are trained to follow lame company policies, everyone suffers: the customer, the employee and the company’s brand.

]]> By: Keith Sharkey http://www.drewschiller.com/blog/no-is-not-a-service/#comment-31 Keith Sharkey Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:14:01 +0000 http://www.drewschiller.com/?p=251#comment-31 Interesting debate, if we look at the Blockbuster example Seth suggests that he should be redirected to somewhere where he can make the purchase which is fair enough but it doesn't tackle the fundamental problem the failure to train and empower Customer service agents to make decisions. We all agree that any CSA should be trained to deal with 90-95% of engagements without referral elsewhere. The other 5-10% should be covered either by a couple of principles and a no blame culture or the ability to refer the question elsewhere. Seth says he was ok with them not selling the product but this will not be the only time someone asked to buy a DVD, surely there is a replacement price or a cost for the amount of time it is not available to rent when awaiting replacement. The Zappo example is great they didn't have the product but banked on excellent service meaning the individual remained a prospective customer. Blockbuster had the product but allowed the person to walk away, no doubt to the embarrassment of agent and the frustration of the customer. Not good enough in my book. Interesting debate, if we look at the Blockbuster example Seth suggests that he should be redirected to somewhere where he can make the purchase which is fair enough but it doesn’t tackle the fundamental problem the failure to train and empower Customer service agents to make decisions. We all agree that any CSA should be trained to deal with 90-95% of engagements without referral elsewhere. The other 5-10% should be covered either by a couple of principles and a no blame culture or the ability to refer the question elsewhere. Seth says he was ok with them not selling the product but this will not be the only time someone asked to buy a DVD, surely there is a replacement price or a cost for the amount of time it is not available to rent when awaiting replacement. The Zappo example is great they didn’t have the product but banked on excellent service meaning the individual remained a prospective customer. Blockbuster had the product but allowed the person to walk away, no doubt to the embarrassment of agent and the frustration of the customer. Not good enough in my book.

]]> By: Drew Schiller http://www.drewschiller.com/blog/no-is-not-a-service/#comment-27 Drew Schiller Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:39:17 +0000 http://www.drewschiller.com/?p=251#comment-27 @Josh That is <em>exactly</em> what I'm talking about. Great example! Everything I've heard about Zappos customer service leads me to believe that this is the rule and not the exception. If you're interested, you should check out the <a href="http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs/ceo-and-coo-blog" rel="nofollow">Zappos CEO and CFO blog</a>. They occasionally blog about their approach to customer service and how they train their staff, and it is amazing stuff. In fact, they even <a href="http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs/ceo-and-coo-blog/2009/01/03/your-culture-is-your-brand" rel="nofollow">offer their employees $2,000 cash to resign</a> after their first week of training, because they only want people who are truly committed to the Zappos culture! @Josh That is exactly what I’m talking about. Great example! Everything I’ve heard about Zappos customer service leads me to believe that this is the rule and not the exception.

If you’re interested, you should check out the Zappos CEO and CFO blog. They occasionally blog about their approach to customer service and how they train their staff, and it is amazing stuff. In fact, they even offer their employees $2,000 cash to resign after their first week of training, because they only want people who are truly committed to the Zappos culture!

]]> By: Josh http://www.drewschiller.com/blog/no-is-not-a-service/#comment-26 Josh Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:18:07 +0000 http://www.drewschiller.com/?p=251#comment-26 A while back, I called in to Zappos.com asking if they had a particular model of shoe in a particular color. Zappos didn't have what I was looking for, but the rep quickly searched other online shoe stores (a.k.a. competitors) and found what I was after. She volunteered the website address and phone number of the competitor and even told me the price, ready to send me their way! I thought to myself that this is the kind of behavior that might get you reprimanded (or fired) at some other businesses. The next time I'm looking for some shoes, you know where I'll be looking. A while back, I called in to Zappos.com asking if they had a particular model of shoe in a particular color. Zappos didn’t have what I was looking for, but the rep quickly searched other online shoe stores (a.k.a. competitors) and found what I was after. She volunteered the website address and phone number of the competitor and even told me the price, ready to send me their way!

I thought to myself that this is the kind of behavior that might get you reprimanded (or fired) at some other businesses. The next time I’m looking for some shoes, you know where I’ll be looking.

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