During some recent travel, I had three bad experiences and one delightful one with the different faces of several brands.
A Raleigh Uber driver whose car trunk was filled with so many personal things, that I could barely fit my luggage in his trunk. It was an Uber Select, so I paid extra and was disappointed. The man was kind but didn’t know he qualified for Uber Select, and it resulted in a less than stellar experience. Someone forgot to train him that his car should be empty so customers can put luggage in the trunk.
When I checked my bags at American Airlines in Phoneix, although I have been a platinum member for years, the snarky attendant made us repack two bags, so they equaled 50 pounds. One was 49 pounds, and one was 51. He couldn’t just let it go. Apparently, following the rules to a “T” was more important than a reasonable accommodation.
An attendant at the Phoenix airport while helping us with luggage, was so upset at a colleague that he spent most of the time on the phone with his supervisor complaining about a work colleague. It was unprofessional and unnecessary to do this while helping us. He should have waited. My wife and I felt like we were an intrusion – when he was supposed to be helping us.
Compare these three experiences with the Thrifty rental bus driver who was so charming and delightful that she made a bus filled with tired travelers feel specials. She helped everyone with their bags. She made us all smile, and she provided a compassionate and caring face to attach to the Thrifty brand. Something I frankly didn’t expect.
What does your training emphasize with employees? Are you focused on procedure or people? How do you teach employees to show up at work as compassionate human beings trying to accommodate customers?
The face of your brand won’t be the slick ads you creates; they will be the close encounters of the human kind.
Customer service starts with the customer and a gracious employee working hard to provide service. Smiling, human engagement is the secret sauce to putting the right face on your brand.
Who will be the face of your brand today?
How do you train your staff to handle customers? I can help you put a better face on their efforts. Text me at 919720 0995.
Photo credit: Chris Makarsky https://www.flickr.com/photos/cmak/with/6615291135/
