Serving customer during recession

How do you manage customer complains during bad times. Learn from Delta Airlines!

Lesson 1 : Don't provide any channels for customer to complain. (I wonder how much does Delta save?).

Malaysian Hospitality in Manglish style!

I was excited when I saw Malaysia Airlines jumped into the social media bandwagon. As I read about the latest ASEAN Pass promotion in their Facebook page, I was appalled with the English!

I tried to rationale with myself that the style of writing may be intentional i.e. talk like a Gen Y! As we know, Gen Y speaks with a dose of letters and symbols such as :-), lol, brb, :-b

Then again, is their grammar and spelling that bad too?

Check it out below (I 'copied and pasted' from MAS's Facebook.)

- Ohh, what wonderful spots you'd be able to visit at a go..
- Don't have a too much time off?
- You can play it by ear,
- is subjected to USB 25 per change.

I hope MAS's level of (English) standard and carelessness are not reflected in the way the pilot maneuver the plane I'm in or the standard of service I'll receive from the stewardess.

cc, MAS management,

Try using a grammar and spell check. Boleh, tak?

Here are the pages (1 and 2) if you can't view it from Facebook.

Warm and cold Lombok guesthouses

During my recent trip to Lombok island, I had contrasting experiences in two guesthouses. The encounters with the two owners shed light on how to ensure a customer will return again and not return again.

I would stay in Martas again because of the following reasons :

1. Trusting. Joanna, the wife of Martas didn't insist on a credit card when I made booking through email. She trusted me. I guess she applies the 'I trust you. I give you the benefit of doubt (until you break it)' policy.

2. Going the extra mile. She offered and booked the other guesthouse on my behalf because I wanted to try out other Balinese styled guesthouses. The other guesthouse refused to accept my booking over the telephone.

3. Pay after you have enjoyed our hospitality. She didn't ask for any deposit when we checked in. Her staff still served us breakfast for 3 days. On the last day, we packed up and walked to her adjacent house cum receptionist to make payment.

4. Treats you as a fellow being, not a paying customer. She chats with us like a fellow traveller. You can feel her warmth and generosity.

I wouldn't stay in Balikana again because of the following reasons :

1. Pay first before you can enjoy our rooms. The owner insisted on a deposit if we want to make a booking (while inquiring about it over the counter when we arrived on the first day). She stated many people are queuing behind and willing to take up the room instantaneously.

2. Treats you like a 'business commodity'. On our last day, we bid farewell to the owner, her response was, "Have you given us the room keys?" You can actually feel the coldness (even though we are in the sunny and hot Lombok).

cc. Guesthouse owners out there,

Be warm to your customers (before they turn cold on you forever!) Boleh, tak?

Watch out! The most customer centric company has arrived!

The headline news "Amazon.com buys Zappos" should send shivers to all businesses. Why all businesses you may ask. The reason is Amazon.com's number one business priority is to create a great customer experience in every product that they sell. Shoe is the latest offering (through Zappos). Will Amazon.com sell the same product as your business? (I bet they will when the timing is right). When they do, they will focus all their energy into one thing, that is, customer experience is great!

"Yes, more and more money will go into making a great customer experience, and less will go into shouting about the service. Word of mouth is becoming more powerful. If you offer a great service, people find out" - Jeff Bezos.

Both companies share similar vision :

Amazon focuses on low prices, vast selection and convenience to make their customers happy, while Zappos does it through developing relationships, creating personal emotional connections, and delivering high touch ("WOW") customer service.

Here’s a story of a wow customer experience by Zappos.

To all companies out there, Amazon.com and Zappos may be eating your lunch one day. Alternatively, you can emulate these two companies’ vision ie. make customers happy. Boleh, tak?

Tweet your customer right

Twitter has reached the corporate mainstream.

Internet savvy startups such as AirAsia has been using Twitter to provide quick and short responses to customers. Today, veteran companies such as Singapore Airlines use it too to reach out to the web savvy customers.

There is a particular group of customers that prefers to communicate through Internet than making a call to the call centre (I'm not sure if their reluctance to call is due to their limited phone budget or level of patient in maneuvering the complicated IVR).

Customer centric companies go to the 'hang out' places of its customers whereas arrogant or ignorant companies force customers to wait eternity on the line or at the counter queue.

How to ensure inconSISTENT service

Instructions :

1. Get the person in charge of the cash deposit machine to call the customer.

2. Make sure she cuts in everytime when a customer speaks.

3. Make sure she doesn't understand active listening.

4. Make sure she doesn't say 'Is there anything else?' and 'Have a nice day'.

The above was the experience I had with a HSBC bank staff from Damansara Uptown recently. This particular staff called me the following day because my cash was stucked in the cash deposit machine. The experience with her made me agree (reluctantly) with a friend's comment, "You never ask the back office employees to talk to the customer". Now I know the reason they are in the back office.

My new "rule of thought" :

Staff who is responsible to manage machines should always manage machines. Nothing else.

Staff who is responsible to manage humans should always manage humans. Anything else, sir? Have a splendid weekend!

cc. HSBC management,

Please spare us, the customers the ordeal of interacting with a 'machine staff'. Boleh, tak?

(My interaction with HSBC customer service has always been positive so far!).

A Novel Way To Complain!

United Airlines has gone so far as to praise the singer and wants to use the video "to help change its culture."

I must learn to play the guitar and sing!