October 17, 2019
ISSN# 1545-2646
More than Great Chicken
In the interest of giving both sides of customer service – the good and the not so good equal representation, this week I share a real experience of an organization who really GETS IT! Last week we looked at when outsourcing can impact brand/image of your business in the marketplace. This week let’s look at getting it right starting with the core purpose of the business.
If you have ever visited a Chick-Fil-A fast food restaurant then you might already appreciate the nature of this organization. They not only get the business they are in but more importantly is their customers get what business they are in and it drives their decision making and direction of the company results. I framed them in the fast food restaurant business because from a SIC code definition that is the category they are forced into. They are far more than fast food. If you want to know more then visit one in the near future or go to their website and look around at what makes them tick.
My purpose for drawing attention to them is not to bolster my stock portfolio. I don’t own stock in their business so we are completely upfront about these insights. I do own stock in the way they come to market and invest in their team of people and keeping their customers and the experience they walk away with top of mind. In a segment of the business marketplace that has such giants as McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc. Chick-Fil-A has a formula that is not just working it is expanding.
Customers site such things as the environment – physical and energy is what keeps them coming back. Yes the food is of high quality, but it is the people in the locations that upgrade the customers experience. For example, I was visiting another city for work and stopped into one of their restaurants for a brief bite to eat. It was a diner rush hour with the drive thru line full and many patrons in line for ordering and dining at the location. Within a few seconds I was welcomed, greeted and order being taken by the large staff of order takers. Their interaction was genuine and full of desire to make my order let alone my evening complete. Once my order was taken, I was given a deliver cone where my meal would be delivered directly to my table once ready. Moments later my meal arrived with the smile of my server beaming and expressing non-verbally their desire to serve my meal. They were very proud of the meal, the delivery and how I was doing. Shortly thereafter, another well trained staff asked how everything was tasting and asked about a refill for my beverage.
How else was I to feel about all this attention. I began to look around and I was not unique to this level of customer experience. Everyone form seniors to young families were all getting this energy. The energy was not fictitious. It was real and yes you could cut it with a knife it was that thick. Not over pretentious just down home and real. Doing what I do for a living I knew that this level of service only comes when the leadership invests in hiring right and training right.
This week, ask yourself about your business and what it is doing right when hiring and then training each person to deliver on your organization’s customer experience promise.
It starts with a “Promise” and the intent to be authentic to your “Promise.”
Interested in moving to a “Promise Culture” at your organization? Call JKL Associates at (313) 527-7945 in Michigan or (407) 984-7246 in Florida. Where a “Promise” means something.