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NSA Leaks: The Big Data Two Step for Businesses This post originally appeared on LinkedIn as part of their influencer program on June 10, 2013.  To see the original post click here. I expect we will be seeing a lot of dancing over the next few...

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Coming to an Agency Near You! This post originally appeared on LinkedIn as part of their influencer program on September 23, 2013.  To see the original post click here. I am often pondering what is next in the world in which we...

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Customer Service Week: Here's Your Call Center This post originally appeared on LinkedIn as part of their influencer program on October 7, 2013.  To see the original post click here. As we begin Customer Service Week I want to thank all those...

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Defining the Customer Experience Role This post originally appeared on LinkedIn as part of their influencer program on October 2, 2013.  To see the original post click here. Customer experience is a term growing in popularity within businesses...

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Apple's #Fail When Dealing with @MarthaStewart This post originally appeared on LinkedIn as part of their influencer program on September 30, 2013.  To see the original post click here. It feels like it was the Tweet heard around the world: "I...

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Having Someone in An Exit Row on a Plane is Not an FAA Requirement

Posted on : 07-04-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : In the News, Personal

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I am not an expert when it comes to travel, or flying a plane. I am a Customer asking questions. I had an interesting conversation with another passenger on a United flight from Philadelphia to Denver. We were discussing fees and the airline industry. She flies a few times a month between Philadelphia and Burbank, CA. I too fly multiple times a month. It was an interesting conversation. We were both sitting in aisle 17, just behind the 2 middle exit row seats on a 757.

If you sit in an exit row, there are typical questions that are asked if you want to sit there. Here are the questions, with the answers provided by individuals sitting in the 2 rows on our flight:

  1. Are you willing to assist on an evacuation?
  2. Are you under 15 years of age?
  3. Are you an adult traveling with a child under 15 years of age or another passenger who requires your care? NOTE: The passenger will not qualify, if these passenger types are seated anywhere on the aircraft.
  4. Do you lack mobility, strength and dexterity in both arms, both hands and/or both legs to: quickly reach the exit, remove any obstructions, manipulate the exit door and slide mechanisms or lift out a window exit door, exit the aircraft, or assist others in exiting?
  5. Do you lack visual capacity or require corrective aids beyond eyeglasses/contact lenses?
  6. Do you require assistance beyond a hearing aid to hear and understand verbal instructions?
  7. Are you limited in your ability to read and understand printed/graphic instructions related to exist, an aircraft evacuation or the ability to understand crew members commands?
  8. Do you have a condition that might prevent you or injure you while performing evacuation functions?

Oh wait, I was not able to provide the responses, because no one was sitting in either emergency exit row. The flight was not empty. In fact it looked fairly full to me, except these 2 aisles. There was 1 man in the exit row, but prior to take off, around the time these questions would normally be asked, 2 things happened. First they came on the loud speaker offering for someone to purchase the extra leg room within these seats. Nobody jumped at that opportunity. Then a crew member came over to the only man in the exit row and asked if he was a former United employee. He responded yes, he was retired. The crew member insisted that he move up to first class. To his credit, he was reluctant, but then he moved on. At this point now nobody was in the exit rows.

We were stunned that no one would be in the exit row. We were expecting they would ask some people to move, but no request came. This led to the conversation about safety and the various fees assessed by airlines. We first started to talk about the ever popular baggage fee. Have you noticed there are usually very few bags checked on a plane anymore? The fee encourages you to bring it on board. Of course this makes the boarding process longer, especially on very full flights. My favorite is when they have to “courtesy” check the bags due to the overheads being full. They always make sure you know it is a courtesy. The passenger I was with also wondered if the increased bags on the plan cause accidents as items shift while in flight. I did not know the answer, because I can only think of one time I saw an accident like that, and I am not sure baggage fees existed at the time. We discussed this, boarding process trouble, and even differences in weight distribution. Of course we both admitted not being experts in any way, just talking about Customer perceptions.

Now back to the exit row seats. We wondered what the FAA rules regarding emergency exit seating were. The woman asked a crew member in the back of the plane. The crew member told her that the FAA does not have a requirement for exit row seating. When the woman asked what would happen in an emergency, and the crew member explained that it would be the flight crew’s responsibility. This really had me thinking!

When the plane landed, I had a layover for a few hours, so I sat down and started to read more on the topic. I searched the FAA website as well as Google to find out more on the rules for emergency exit row seating. I was not able to find any rules that stated someone had to be seated there. The only rule I was able to find was the door must be able to be opened within 10 seconds, and the slide must deploy within 10 more seconds. I did not have a chance to test but I think it could be hard for a crew member to unbuckle, get there from one end of the plane to the exit row, and have it fully opened within 10 seconds. The other trouble with not having people in the aisle is other passengers may not know who is responsible, causing hesitation in the event of an emergency.  They would then have to unbuckle and work their way to the emergency row.  Also it is possible that someone not able to meet the requirements of the emergency row would be the closest to perform the task.  That makes me feel safe!

The airline industry has struggled in recent years due to changes in travel, low cost airlines, increased fuel costs and so many other factors. We all like to blast companies when they add new fees. At the same time, no one wants to see companies go into bankruptcy or worse, go out of business. It means loss of jobs and less selection. The trouble for many older airlines is they have high labor costs, and inefficient processes. Southwest, an airline that prides itself on not having as many fees has added things like early check-in, or business class (I forget the name, but they get to be one of the first 15 people to board – ideal since they do not have assigned seating). Maybe we can all help find ways with ideas to improve?

I do think this changes the game for the FAA. The emergency exit row seating policies were designed in 1990. At the time there was rarely, if ever, a shortage of people that wanted the exit row. No one could have ever thought of fees for sitting there. With fees, comes the basic rules of supply and demand; as the price goes up, demand goes down. What happens when there is no demand?

I did ask United if they were interested in commenting for this piece, but as of this point I have not seen a response. I will post an update if I hear from the FAA or United.

For Background, here is a NY Times piece by Joe Sharkey “Throwing Exit-Row Seats Into the ‘For Sale Bin

Other stories on airline fees from the Consumerist:

Ryanair Going Ahead With Pay-To-Potty Plan

Spirit Airlines Now Charging Up To $45 For Carry On Bags

An Apology Can Overcome the Most Difficult Mistakes

Posted on : 30-03-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Business, Customer Service

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Last week while I was in Chicago I received a call from my wife regarding an explanation of benefits (EOB) insurance form she received in the mail.  This is not something normally discussed over the phone when a spouse is away, but this was a unique experience.  The form was not addressed to me as the subscriber, nor was it addressed to her.  The subscriber was listed as Gianna R. Eliason, our daughter who passed away in 2004.  This was upsetting, especially since we had no clue how they could have had her name.  In fact, Gia never even saw a dentist!  This policy was effective in 2007, three years after Gia’s passing.  Neither of us recalled ever having the insurance company with any prior employer.  Here is the EOB (with the name of the insurance company removed, our address and other identifiable information removed):

Needless to say this prompted an immediate phone call to the company by my wife.  When she called the agent could not see the paper EOB and had to search for the error that was clearly visible on the EOB in both the mailing address and the header.  The representative stressed repeatedly that the claim was paid.  Unfortunately, this was not the point!  The agent was eventually able to see the EOB and the error.  Sadly all she could assure my wife was that the glitch would be reported.  Because the representative did not know how the error occurred, she could not guarantee that it would be corrected.  I found this unsettling and opted to send an email later that evening.  I asked for them to let me know how this type of error could even happen.  The next day I received multiple voicemail messages.  The first acknowledging this horrid mistake and a promise to get into the details of it.  The second was asking me to call back to discuss the findings.  I was offered a cell phone and asked to call, even in the evening.  I thought that was above and beyond.  I called back when my flight landed around 7:00 PM.  The nice gentleman promptly answered, knew the details of the case off the top of his head, and was very willing to share the cause of the mistake.  He let me know that through 2 prior employers I had coverage with them as they managed the dental portion of my medical plan.  The claim queued up for underwriting review, it was processed and approved but the agent somehow selected the incorrect field from a 2002 plan for the 2010 EOB that would be sent to us.  He was very professional and apologetic through the short conversation.

The next day I received an email from the president of the company apologizing for the error and promising to look into the cause.  The following day I received a very detailed letter shipped overnight via Fedex outlining the cause.   I did not scan the letter due to all the personal information, but it was one of the most sincere letters I have ever read.  It starts off with the following:

“I want to personally express my sincere apology to you and your entire family for the tremendously insensitive error that occurred on the Explanation of Benefitss (EOB) document that your wife, Carolyn, received.  As a husband and a father myself, I cannot begin to comprehend the feelings evoked by our unacceptable mistake.”

The letter then goes into detail of the cause as well as the steps being taken to avoid this in the future.  Steps included training for the staff as well as safeguards within their systems.  There was also the attached personal note:

I am not writing this post to blast the company involved, in fact I would like to congratulate them.  I think we would have all loved to see the mistake not happen in the first place, but it did.  Mistakes do happen.  The reason I want to congratulate them is too many people are afraid to simply apologize.  I have spoken to service people who were either taught, or believed that any apology would open the door to legal liability.  For some reason, and maybe it is due to the litigious society we are in, companies and people are afraid to apologize for a mistake.  To me it means more than anything else that could be offered.  The apology here was truly heartfelt and I am very appreciative of the handling by this company.

This is why it is so important to be genuine with a Customer.

Inspiring New Thoughts

Posted on : 29-03-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : In the News, Inspirational, Personal, Social Media

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I have not been posting as much as I like. This usually happens when I am in deep thought regarding some things, and I do not feel it is best to share publicly. I have always found this to be tough because I try to be as transparent as I can be, but it is necessary. I always feel bad when that happens, because I do not want to let people down. I also feel that I am missing out on really good advice that I can receive from my friends in social media. Ultimately I always strive to do what is best for myself, my friends and most importantly my family.

So recently I was at my first SxSW (for those not used to the abbreviation, it is South By Southwest, an Interactive, Film and Music event in Austin, TX). It was an experience. I was excited at the opportunity to see some friends I have developed over the past few years, but I did not realize how overwhelming the events would be. I saw so many people, but it is funny, at the same time I feel I saw no one at all. Everyone was rushing from one event to another. There was not much time to slow down. When I finally returned home, I think I needed sleep for a week (I am still not sure I have my energy back). I did return to work the day after coming home, so that may explain the lack of energy. Anyway it was still a lot of fun and I loved seeing some old friends and many new friends.

While I was in Austin, I spoke on 2 different panels and at an event for Dachis Group. One of the panels was for the book launch for Brian Solis’ new book Engage. It was fun to be a part of that. The other was a panel for support in a 140 character world with Jeremiah Owyang, Caroline McCarthy, Lois Townsend and Toby Richards. It is always a pleasure to speak with so many knowledgeable people. My favorite moment at SxSW was not in a panel, or other presentation. It was not at a party, or at a dinner (all though many were fun, especially going to Salt Lick), it was the unlikely private time with just a few people. On my final night in Austin I was heading to a dinner I was invited to. When I arrived I ran into Brian Solis (Follow these links to connect with him on Twitter and his Blog) outside the restaurant. We started chatting, ran into a few others, and shared some champagne (for those that know Brian, that is not shocking). We then realized the dinner we were supposed to be attending was happening without us, so we stopped by. We did not stay too long due to other commitments Brian had. We then strolled through the streets of Austin on our way to his other event. After that appearance we connected again, this time strolling through the now rainy streets looking for a nice quiet place for dinner. Brian was his usual inspiring self. We were chatting about life paths, and selections we all make along the way. Brian was filled with stories from his own life, as well as people like Chris Brogan. At the time I thought my plans were set, but I walked away rethinking my thoughts and the inspiration in my heart. This is really what social media is about, connecting with people who can change our lives. We do it each day but it is moments like that where it is so truly defined. Thanks Brian.

So in my absence I have had so many different things I wanted to chat about. First and foremost was how I have been rethinking CRM (for those that do not know, this is Customer Relationship Management). This is a way of using technology to understand your Customer and bring the Customer into every aspect of the business. This led to my post today on The Social Customer website. If you have the chance, check it out. The post is the beginning of a conversation on redefining the tools necessary and the culture required for Customer Service, now and in the future.  It is time for us to stop looking at past concepts and build new ones based on the reality of today.

During my absence from posts there was an interesting social media case study developing regarding Nestlé and GreenPeace.  I am not going to rehash all the details, but if you want, read about it on Jeremiah Owyang’s Web Strategist blog.  It was also in today’s Wall Street Journal in an article titled “Nestlé Takes a Beating on Social-Media Sites.”  As I read the article this morning, I was caught by the end where Jermiah did not support removing it, while Ian Schafer did support it.  I can see both sides, although I think removing it might cause Nestle to even prolong it more (I am taking my ball and going home).  But it also caused me to rethink how companies should utilize Facebook.  So many are rushing to create fan pages, often because others told them they had to, or success they have seen for other companies.  Experts will tell you, as Jeremiah points out in his blog post, you must have an action plan to deal with brand attacks that may occur.  It is the reason to think these things through thoroughly.  But as I have read through the Nestlé experience, I wonder if there was a better way in the first place.  I know those not connected to social media may not realize, but there have been other events in the past for this company that also played out in social media.  My favorite story regarding Facebook fan pages is how the Coca Cola fan page started.  It was not started by the company, but instead by fans.  I am not convinced it is the best interest for companies to say how much they are loved by creating their own fan page.  It seems so much more genuine when it is created by fans.  I then think about the Nestlé experience, and wonder how would it have changed if the fans were the ones that started the page?  Would Greenpeace have still attacked the page?

Everyday we are filled with ideas that change our direction, or inspire us to do more.  I hope to always be inspired each day and continually challenge the status quo.

So Why is @ComcastCares Also @TimetobeFrank?

Posted on : 20-03-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Personal

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For those that have known me over the past few years, they were surprised when I added a second Twitter name, @TimetobeFrank.  I have been asked by a number of people the reason for the change, and I felt I would explain it here.  I have always spoken about the need to personalize business in a space like Twitter.  That is one of the many reasons my team at Comcast has their own Twitter user names.  It is also why you see my picture and blog information on my @ComcastCares Twitter account.  I have also said many times that if I had another account, I would still be representing my employer, so there was no reason to make the change.  So what happened?  A number of things, but most prevalent was discussions with people that wanted to hear my thoughts, but because they were not Comcast Customers, they were not interested in following @ComcastCares.  This is an easy way to accommodate that.  There have also been times where I was not in a position to assist Customers (such as being out) but I wanted to tweet something interesting.  I can now do that.

This in no way changes my view that social media is a relationship driven medium that is about personal connections.  This change is really a means to further that.  There will be many times I will tweet the same personal thoughts through both Twitter accounts.

It has been an interesting experience.  The opportunity to see the process as a new Twitter user was much improved since the last time I went through that.  I was able to see more efforts to prevent spam then I thought were happening.  It was good to see.  It is fun reviewing the stream of tweets from fewer people I am following.  This is something I have not done in a long time due to the sheer quantity.  At the same time I would like to build my followers up on this account so I can have even broader conversations about Customer Service in business today and into the future.  I have also realized it is hard to manage multiple Twitter accounts, even with the tools that are currently available.  It will take some getting used to.  I hope this provides clarification.

See you on Twitter!

Social Media Business Evolution Part 1: Culture

Posted on : 10-03-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Business, Marketing, Social Media

Tags: , ,

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Tomorrow I will be speaking at the Social Business Summit in Austin, TX.  This pre-event for SxSW, which starts on Friday, is being presented by Dachis Group.  Dachis is a great example of a company striving to work in this new transparent environment.  Have you ever checked out the Dachis website?  They strive to be so transparent that they have developed a scroll on their website that shows exactly what they are doing.  For example if a member of the team tweets a message, it will show up.  It will even say when they are emailing someone and the domain they are emailing (not the name or full email address).  I am looking forward to this event, because the topic is fun, culture change within businesses.  I am also looking forward to seeing people like Charlene Li, who I have never met in person.  Her book Open Leadership is about to come out, and I know it will be great.

Anyway, over the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of reading, probably one of the causes for not posting as much as I would like.  I hope to start putting a lot of these pent up thoughts into posts over the next few weeks.  One of the things I have realized is their are a lot of diverse thoughts on all aspects of social media and how companies will incorporate it.  First these varying opinions are great discussion points and will help define this going forward.  At the same time, I believe many are putting the cart before the horse.  People within social media tend to love the speed of information, transparency, personal control, and the ability to see their thoughts take off.  Also those of us in social media tend to see how these benefits can impact the world.  Many see it as an revolutionary transformation, as it has been for themselves.  For businesses though, it still needs to be more of an evolutionary change, otherwise many of the positive benefits will be lost.  This change will take place at different rates of speed, and most likely in different ways based on the organization (and the people that make up that organization, including Customers).

I have read in a number of sources that businesses should not be involved in social media until they have the right culture.  This typically is centered around the free flow of information as well as trust in employees that is required in the space.  I this spirit I should admit I have sometimes been in this camp too.  Here is a funny, true story.  I have spoken to numerous organizations about social media and how I have used the space.  There is only 1 company that I did not help when requested.  The reason for this was before they were willing to chat, they wanted me to sign a non-disclosure agreement that was very lengthy.  I really did not want to read through the entire thing, and I personally felt if they were requiring that from an unpaid consultant such as myself they probably were not ready for the space.

The more I have learned about social media, I have realized the culture change that people reference is starting to happen, but it does not have to be fully embraced for a company to begin in social media.  First employees, just based on the numbers, are already participating in social media through Facebook, MySpace, blogs, Twitter and so the list goes on.  Don’t kid yourself, they are already representing the brand and generating their own culture change.  They are also taking on more say over the brand due to this.  This is why I sometimes refer to social media as the “disorganized labor movement.”  Customers are within social media discussing your products, how they use them and their thoughts on your business, this is commonly referred to as the Groundswell.  This can be positive or negative, but they are talking (I will have an upcoming post that discusses this).  Customer are also forcing this culture change.

Companies are going to move in different ways to embrace social media.  From my perspective I have seen the first efforts to be within marketing or public relations/communications.  What has happened as companies have done this, they were forced to evolve strategies to effectively meet the demands from Customer and employees.  This has meant a shift to more transparent discussions and more areas of the business being involved, such as Customer Service and senior leadership.  Most of these companies did not have the transparent culture prior to this happening, but it was forced upon them.  So for those that say right culture is required first, should observe these evolutionary patterns and understand that culture change will happen because of social media, but it is not required as a point of entry.

Here is what is really required.  First it requires visionaries that can see benefits within social media.  It really does not matter from which silo it comes from.  This also does not require full support from everyone, but it will require at least one high level supporter.  The reason you need support from one high level person is because as this evolves, some of the old school leaders will be scared and may try to cause the organization to take steps back.  Fear of something new is natural, and the reason some leaders fear it, is because they lose some sense of control.  It will also highlight deficiencies within the organization, and it may even involve their area of expertise.  As time goes on, more and more people within the organization will embrace it.  I always joke that all senior leaders are from Missouri, the “show me” state.  They need to be able to touch and feel things.  I know many have struggled with “metrics” within this space, but that is not the best way to touch and feel things.  The true benefit is you can easily show leaders what is happening in the space, reaction and what, as an organization you are learning.  The fact is they can be shown Twitter search, Google Blogsearch, Facebook search, or other easy to use tools.  They can touch and feel it themselves.

As part of this discussion of culture change, some also say the entire organization must have a strong Customer focus before entering this space.  I disagree with this too.  The reason I disagree, is this space will assist companies on their focus on the Customer.  It is difficult for senior leaders to listen to every call, or view every email, but as I mentioned above they can easily follow the discussion regarding the brand.  As we know this is a space controlled by the Customer, and they will tell you the good, the bad and the ugly.  The difference is anyone can easily search this information and learn from it.  I have never met a senior leader who wanted to create a bad experience for a Customer.  Before it is pointed out by others, I do recognize there are sometimes natural conflicts, such as price, but they never wanted anyone to not be helped when help is required.   This space will create the change within any company just by simply listening.

I applaud any company for being involved in social media.  Even if they may not be taking the best direction, I recognize that this space will force their evolution and they will become stronger participants because of it.  So my feedback to the experts in the space, just give it time; your  visions will be recognized by many companies.

What will Drive Organizational Change Toward Service?

Posted on : 04-02-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Business, Customer Service, Social Media

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Many in the social media community feel that the Customer is gaining much more control over brands, and this alone will drive change.  I do not disagree, but I feel there are a number of factors that will drive this organizational shift.  Today I heard an interview with Larry O’Donnell, COO and President of Waste Management.  He was discussing a new show premiering on CBS after the Super Bowl on Sunday called Undercover Boss.  Here is the preview for the show:

I watched the preview, and all of a sudden I was proud to have Waste Management as my trash service.  Mainly because I felt a connection to both the employees and to Larry.  I have written many times before that most of us struggle managing upward, which means most leaders do not know the reality faced by our most important assets, our front line employee.  For years we have made cuts, implemented dumb policies and procedures, yet no one ever told us of the problem.  Not due to this show, but I think many factors will cause the “boss” to want to find out more directly from the front line.

A week or so ago I heard a company’s earning announcement.  It was not good, missing on many important metrics that the investment community looks for.  I remember hearing the news reports (yes I am an investment news junkie), and thinking how the CEO must have reacted to the numbers as they were presented to him.  Most of us that have worked in management can probably tell the story.  He went to the CFO and said why are the numbers missing.  The CFO would respond with even more metrics as the cause.  This is the way the business world has been for a long time, all about the numbers.  But in this case I pictured the CEO growing more frustrated and continuing to travel down each level of the organization asking why.  Finally he gets to a service/sales person.  The person responds with every frustration they hear from Customers, including fees, poor service, etc.  All of a sudden the CEO is enlightened with the true picture.  This is one way the top levels will see the benefit of having connection directly to the Customer.  It is a key part of their advisory staff, unfortunately in many cases non-existant at this time.

I also believe there will be other leaders that will be enlightened in other ways.  The struggle with many companies is the front line does not feel empowered, but they are very passionate about the Customer and driving change.  I believe there will be many lower level employees who decide they will bring about change and take the steps to be heard by the leadership team.  This has happened before, and unfortunately not always with positive results.  Many companies speak of open door policies, but human nature takes over and it is seen by others in the work chart path that get upset by this and take action against the employee.  Even with this negative, there will be some that get the story through and make a big difference in their company and industry.

The other way change will happen is through social media.  There will be a few different aspects that will drive the change.  First is what many of us see each day, the Customer has a bull horn and is happy to use it.  Companies are listening and you will see improvements this drives.  I also believe employees (current and former) are talking in social media, and companies are listening to them.  Companies are also implementing internal social media tools, a little slower than some of us would prefer, but it is happening.  These tools will help flatten the organization and the views will be easily noted and companies will implement changes based on what they hear.  The biggest barrier in implementing these tools is not usually the senior leaders, but instead it is the middle layer of management.  This is because in many cases there weakness will be more noticeable and it will highlight needed changes.

So let’s recap the drivers toward changing organizational culture to be about service:

  1. Enlightened CEO/President or other senior leader – They will take the time to learn from the frontline what is really happening.  Thank you Larry for being a part of this show and demonstrating this benefit for other senior leaders
  2. As Seth calls it, the Linchpin – This is the “factory worker” who rises up to show the senior leaders what needs to be changed
  3. The Customer (or lack there of) – The most important number for any company is not cash flow, as many in the investment community would argue, it is actually the Customers that create the potential for that cash flow.  This economy is a big driver for change.
  4. Social Media – Your Customer and employees are talking, are you listening?  Do you like what you hear?

The Customer, not the Company Defines How Products are Used

Posted on : 03-02-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Brands, Business, Marketing

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I have a lot of respect for Pepsi CEO, Indra Nooyi.  She has done a lot to help the brand and grow the business of Pepsi.  The video above was on CNBC the other day.  It was a feel good story of the introduction of the Pepsi Refresh Project.  This is a social giving initiative in which Pepsi is putting up $20 million dollars and allowing everyone to vote on which initiatives will receive a cut of the money.  It is a great idea and I am sure the money will assist many charities in need.  I know I plan to vote each month.  But the interview took an interesting turn that I think is a learning experience for many of us.  Here is what happened:

At 2:00 minutes the CNBC host, Mark Haines asks if Pepsi will always be in second place to Coke.  Ms. Nooyi gives a good response regarding the diverse nature of the Pepsi brand, including Frito Lay, Quaker Oats, Gatorade, Tropicana, etc.  This leads to a conversation about the recent rebranding of Gatorade, basically moving back to what it was founded on, a sports drink.  This is where it gets interesting to me.  She then points out that Gatorade is a drink for the “athlete to be used in active thirst.”  She  states for a period of time people defined active thirst as sitting on the couch watching TV because they loved the taste of Gatorade.  She went on to explain that when the economy took the down turn, those casual drinkers could not afford the brand.  After stating this she said in an emphatic way, ‘Thank God.”  They are now taking Gatorade back to the core user and innovating the product for the active user.  Mark Haines goes on to ask if they are going to post guards to prevent couch potatoes from buying the brand.  Ms. Nooyi responded that couch potatoes are welcome to buy the brand provided they get out and exercise, then they can have the drink.

Now I wish I was more active, but I tend to spend a lot of time in front of the computer, working or watching the kids.  I am sorry Ms. Nooyi would not welcome me as a Customer.  I was a good one, especially with the large powdered Gatorade I have in my pantry (I wonder if Ms. Nooyi would refund the cost since she does not want me to have it?)  My original point for this post was to show how easy it is for someone to accidentally say something that could upset long time Customers.  I have been a long time drinker of Gatorade, in what seems like a galaxy far far away, I played tennis with my best friend Jason.  After a few matches I would really enjoy a large Gatorade (Jason, we should do that again in the spring!).  But I think there is a larger point in that the Customer is really the one who defines that brand, not marketing research, CEO or anyone else.  If a Customer likes the product, the company should just be grateful to have them.

I am sorry Ms. Nooyi if you do not want me to be a Customer of Gatorade.  Actually I am sure she does, and this was more poor word choice, but you can see how that impression can be created.

From the Pantry

From the Pantry

Marketing is Smart, Customer Service is Submissive

Posted on : 02-02-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Business, Customer Service

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I have been doing a lot of thought about the convergence of PR, Marketing, and Customer Service. I think, as Esteban Kolsky has pointed out, it is more the organization coming together in a more social way. A flattening of the overall organization. Marketing will still be marketing, PR will still be PR and Customer Service will be Customer Service.  In my mind the theory of converging marketing, PR and Customer Service, is really just another way that shows how smart marketing people are. I used to work with a guy who believed the more you controlled the more important you are to the company. He loved to gain responsibility of more areas, even if he did not understand them, because it made him more indispensable to the company. As I thought about him I started to envision marketers worrying about losing control or status as they watched the ineffectiveness of campaigns and the increase to word of mouth advertising.  I can picture one of them saying, “the world has changed, and we are going to change with it…Customer Service must be part of marketing so we can navigate this new world order properly.”

Customer Service by its very nature tries to appease their Customers. The trouble is sometimes their Customers may vary dramatically. We all know and understand the external Customer, but what we often do not discuss the internal Customer, and their impact on the external Customer. Customer service usually services every area of an organization. Research comes to them to learn more about the Customers needs, marketing seeks help in improving effectiveness of marketing material, finance is always looking for a savings. You probably have heard Customer Service called a “Cost Center” or some like to think of it more as a “Sales Center.” Again this is Customer service bowing to others thoughts about the costs of service, or a means to justify the existence. It is time we put our foot down, we are a “Service Center.” It is our goal to help our external Customers get the most out of our products and create an experience that builds Customer loyalty and dedication.

Marketing grabbed the seat at the table with the Chief Marketing Officer, a position I understand and respect. Marketing is an important part of any organization. At the same time, Customer Service is ultimately the most important part. But service has never really pushed for the seat at the table. They never pushed back on policies, processes, or other things that were pushed down creating a bad experience for those external Customers. Service organizations worked to get more efficient at the request of the financial folks, and in many cases became ineffective at serving the external Customers properly.

It is time for Customer Service to say “no more.”

  • ‘No more’ agreeing to goals that take away from the Customer experience
  • ‘No more’ allowing policies and procedures to be dictated down without proper discussion of the impact they will have
  • ‘No more’ trying to justify the existence of the Customer Service organization; the Customer has already justified it for you

Its time for Customer Service to:

  • Make the Customer story central to decision making; every leader must understand the impact of their decisions on the Customer
  • We have to define our goals and strategies to the leaders of the company
  • Recognize that the Customer Service Agent is an integral part of the success of the company; inspire them to be successful and not a cog in the wheel
  • Share ideas, feedback and calls upward
  • Identify the right measurements for your service organization, one that sets the tone to get it right for your Customers.
  • Learn to say ‘No’ to internal Customers when no value is derived for the external Customer

It is time for Customer Service to show a new attitude.  Many want it, but Customers demand it.

I wanted to make sure you all knew that I am Frank, not 4123 1234 5678 9012

Posted on : 28-01-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Business, Customer Service, Technology

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We all have cravings for an emotional connection to others, yet the majority of our life we steer clear of these connections. How has the computer age impacted your life? I think the majority of us would say it has made life easier, opened up numerous doors of knowledge, and the internet has brought about so many more connections to people we would have never had the opportunity to meet. It has also brought about the depersonalization of society in many ways. When you look at messages to each other, they are not the long love letters that we have seen in so many movies. They are short email messages, or better yet text messages to the ones we love. How personal are our connections in social media? Do you share your most intimate thoughts or are your messages a bit more controlled? I would assume the latter.

Many people who know me well would probably not consider me the most emotional person, and the outward person I portray may show that. But we all are human and there is a human need to connect with others, seek approval from others, a few nice words, and in some cases a few negative words. It helps us meet this emotional need.

So what does this all have to do with anything? As I mentioned in my last post, I am reading Seth Godin’s book Linchpin, and it is really make me think about a lot of things. In the book he basically says we are still in the industrial world, and as part of our job we are the factory workers, the cogs in the wheel. I have thought a lot about this, and where did it all come from. In some ways I think we evolved into more of the factory scenario, but I would have to do a lot more research to confirm that. I am not saying the dictating from the top down was not there, because it was, but they process side of everything we do, in my opinion, is part of a depersonalization that has been happening for a long time. For most companies, especially the larger ones, people are not known by there name, but instead there employee number. Hi I am 12345678, pleased to meet you. Before computers I would guess I was still Frank. I would bet it is easier to layoff 12345678, then it would be to lay off Frank or Jane or Jim or Jason and the list goes on and on. I would also guess that when an employee is not as much a number, but instead a person, the amount of emotional value they would add to the organization would be much greater. They could become that artist that transforms the organization or creates the next big product or completely wins over your Customer. But instead today, many do not invest any, or very little emotion, and there is minimal connection to the company.

So we were just talking about employees, but what about Customers? Well I know I am a number at most places I do business with. The funny thing is Customer data that companies have is enormous, yet none of it builds an emotional connection or emotional understanding of the Customer. Many companies have Voice of the Customer programs, which has some roots in the Six Sigma quality improvement process. The interesting thing about Six Sigma is everything is about data and numbers, but they call it “Voice of the Customer. I have been trained in Six Sigma, and I do see some of the value it created in organizations, but I wonder how much emotional value it removed from an organization. The concept converts everything into data and hopefully the data will guide you through the process. Wow, that sounds like cogs in the wheel doesn’t it? Seth, you may have some strong points in your book! Even those doing the project have no emotional connection. Anyway, back to the Customer. The leaders in the organization only have one connection to the Customer and that is the data that is shared with them everyday. That is not very emotional. That is why companies have not changed the Customer experience much over the years, except in some cases getting worse. No emotional connection to make sure it was right. That is why I have always emphasized the Customer story. Executives, and employees are tired of pure data, and the story from that data has not always created the right decisions. So if you want to improve your organization, share the Customer’s story, make that emotional connection, and I can guarantee you that change will happen!
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BTW, I wanted to make sure you all knew that I am Frank, not 4123 1234 5678 9012 or 12345678

Is Social Media A Fundamental Shift for Customer Service?

Posted on : 27-01-2010 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Customer Service, Social Media

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As I am sitting here preparing for my keynote at the Call Center Summit in Orlando I keep thinking about this question.  I have seen a fascination with social media uses by companies, and a quest for the best possible direction for them to take.  In the past year I have seen more and more companies come to the  realization that a key aspect for social media is service related.  I applaud them for coming to this realization, but I have to wonder why it has taken so long.
So is social media a fundamental shift in the way your organization handles Customer Service?  Is it a shift in your own mind regarding Customer Service?  If it is, I hope you are not in the Customer Service field.  I am sitting here wondering why companies and individuals feel this way.  Isn’t the most basic building block of Customer Service helping those in need?  I think we have forgotten this most basic tenet of Customer Service.  Today I will be asking the audience why they like this field and how they are leading the organization from a Customer Service perspective.
Yesterday I picked up Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable.”  I was shocked to see the kind mention I received (Thank you Seth!).  As I started to read it I thought “oh no, now we are going to have chaos as people strive to become artists. ”  But as I read on I started to see what Seth has always known.  Today’s work environment is still the same as it was during the industrial age.  We are cogs in this wheel of life, and there are very few that break through this mold to become Linchpins.  Since you have not read it yet (and I recommend you do), you can think of the leadership as the industrialist and the rest as factory workers doing a process.  The Linchpin is the factory worker who steps in and redefines the organization, product or process.  Today we may view the Linchpin as a trouble maker or someone stirring the pot, but as Seth points out they are more the visionary or artist drawing and shaping the future.
What does Linchpin have to do with Customer Service?  Everything.  In many organizations Customer Service is the true representation of the factory worker.  Every answer scripted, step by step process during every call.  Rigid structure with talk time, handle time, schedule adherence, script adherence, and the list goes on and on and on.  There was a time when this was not as true.  We did not make the job a process but an opportunity for this factory worker to build a relationship, take ownership and in shocking news, help the Customer.  As we built Customer Service into this machine, we further distanced the bourgeoisie, I mean company leadership, from the Customer.  I think the trouble is for too long people in this field have been the cogs in the wheel.  The challenge to this is the cogs did not let the industrialist know what was broken or how to fix it.  They did what they needed to do.  In some cases the industrialist did not even care it was broken, at least until the bottom line was impacted.  Of course many time it was too late at that point.
So back to the question, is it a shift in fundamentals?  No, but it is a return to a more simpler time when Customer Service was really about helping Customers.  Novel idea!I am sitting here preparing for my keynote at the Call Center Summit in Orlando I keep thinking about this question.  I have seen a fascination with social media uses by companies, and a quest for the best possible direction for them to take.  In the past year I have seen more and more companies come to the  realization that a key aspect for social media is service related.  I applaud them for coming to this realization, but I have to wonder why it has taken so long.
So is social media a fundamental shift in the way your organization handles Customer Service?  Is it a shift in your own mind regarding Customer Service?  If it is, I hope you are not in the Customer Service field.  I am sitting here wondering why companies and individuals feel this way.  Isn’t the most basic building block of Customer Service helping those in need?  I think we have forgotten this most basic tenet of Customer Service.  Today I will be asking the audience why they like this field and how they are leading the organization from a Customer Service perspective.
Yesterday I picked up Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable.”  I was shocked to see the kind mention I received (Thank you Seth!).  As I started to read it I thought “oh no, now we are going to have chaos as people strive to become artists. ”  But as I read on I started to see what Seth has always known.  Today’s work environment is still the same as it was during the industrial age.  We are cogs in this wheel of life, and there are very few that break through this mold to become Linchpins.  Since you have not read it yet (and I recommend you do), you can think of the leadership as the industrialist and the rest as factory workers doing a process.  The Linchpin is the factory worker who steps in and redefines the organization, product or process.  Today we may view the Linchpin as a trouble maker or someone stirring the pot, but as Seth points out they are more the visionary or artist drawing and shaping the future.
What does Linchpin have to do with Customer Service?  Everything.  In many organizations Customer Service is the true representation of the factory worker.  Every answer scripted, step by step process during every call.  Rigid structure with talk time, handle time, schedule adherence, script adherence, and the list goes on and on and on.  There was a time when this was not as true.  We did not make the job a process but an opportunity for this factory worker to build a relationship, take ownership and in shocking news, help the Customer.  As we built Customer Service into this machine, we further distanced the bourgeoisie, I mean company leadership, from the Customer.  I think the trouble is for too long people in this field have been the cogs in the wheel.  The challenge to this is the cogs did not let the industrialist know what was broken or how to fix it.  They did what they needed to do.  In some cases the industrialist did not even care it was broken, at least until the bottom line was impacted.  Of course many time it was too late at that point.
So back to the question, is it a shift in fundamentals?  No, but it is a return to a more simpler time when Customer Service was really about helping Customers.  Novel ideaAs I am sitting here preparing for my keynote at the Call Center Summit in Orlando I keep thinking about this question.  I have seen a fascination with social media uses by companies, and a quest for the best possible direction for them to take.  In the past year I have seen more and more companies come to the  realization that a key aspect for social media is service related.  I applaud them for coming to this realization, but I have to wonder why it has taken so long.
So is social media a fundamental shift in the way your organization handles Customer Service?  Is it a shift in your own mind regarding Customer Service?  If it is, I hope you are not in the Customer Service field.  I am sitting here wondering why companies and individuals feel this way.  Isn’t the most basic building block of Customer Service helping those in need?  I think we have forgotten this most basic tenet of Customer Service.  Today I will be asking the audience why they like this field and how they are leading the organization from a Customer Service perspective.
Yesterday I picked up Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable.”  I was shocked to see the kind mention I received (Thank you Seth!).  As I started to read it I thought “oh no, now we are going to have chaos as people strive to become artists. ”  But as I read on I started to see what Seth has always known.  Today’s work environment is still the same as it was during the industrial age.  We are cogs in this wheel of life, and there are very few that break through this mold to become Linchpins.  Since you have not read it yet (and I recommend you do), you can think of the leadership as the industrialist and the rest as factory workers doing a process.  The Linchpin is the factory worker who steps in and redefines the organization, product or process.  Today we may view the Linchpin as a trouble maker or someone stirring the pot, but as Seth points out they are more the visionary or artist drawing and shaping the future.
What does Linchpin have to do with Customer Service?  Everything.  In many organizations Customer Service is the true representation of the factory worker.  Every answer scripted, step by step process during every call.  Rigid structure with talk time, handle time, schedule adherence, script adherence, and the list goes on and on and on.  There was a time when this was not as true.  We did not make the job a process but an opportunity for this factory worker to build a relationship, take ownership and in shocking news, help the Customer.  As we built Customer Service into this machine, we further distanced the bourgeoisie, I mean company leadership, from the Customer.  I think the trouble is for too long people in this field have been the cogs in the wheel.  The challenge to this is the cogs did not let the industrialist know what was broken or how to fix it.  They did what they needed to do.  In some cases the industrialist did not even care it was broken, at least until the bottom line was impacted.  Of course many time it was too late at that point.
So back to the question, is it a shift in fundamentals?  No, but it is a return to a more simpler time when Customer Service was really about helping Customers.  Novel idea!

As I am sitting here preparing for my keynote at the Call Center Summit in Orlando I keep thinking about this question.  I have seen a fascination with social media uses by companies, and a quest for the best possible direction for them to take.  In the past year I have seen more and more companies come to the realization that a key aspect for social media is service related.  I applaud them for coming to this realization, but I have to wonder why it has taken so long.

So is social media a fundamental shift in the way your organization handles Customer Service?  Is it a shift in your own mind regarding Customer Service?  If it is, I hope you are not in the Customer Service field.  I am sitting here wondering why companies and individuals feel this way.  Isn’t the most basic building block of Customer Service helping those in need?  I think we have forgotten this most basic tenet of Customer Service.  Today I will be asking the audience why they like this field and how they are leading the organization from a Customer Service perspective.

Yesterday I picked up Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable.”  I was shocked to see the kind mention I received (Thank you Seth!).  As I started to read it I thought “oh no, now we are going to have chaos as people strive to become artists. ”  But as I read on I started to see what Seth has always known.  Today’s work environment is still the same as it was during the industrial age.  We are cogs in this wheel of life, and there are very few that break through this mold to become Linchpins.  Since you have not read it yet (and I recommend you do), you can think of the leadership as the industrialist and the rest as factory workers doing a process.  The Linchpin is the factory worker who steps in and redefines the organization, product or process.  Today we some may view the Linchpin as a trouble maker or someone stirring the pot, but as Seth points out they are more the visionary or artist drawing and shaping the future.  

What does Linchpin have to do with Customer Service?  Everything.  In many organizations Customer Service is the true representation of the factory worker.  Every answer scripted, step by step process during every call.  Rigid structure with talk time, handle time, schedule adherence, script adherence, and the list goes on and on and on.  There was a time when this was not as true.  We did not make the job a process but an opportunity for this factory worker to build a relationship, take ownership and in shocking news, help the Customer.  As we built Customer Service into this machine, we further distanced the bourgeoisie, I mean company leadership, from the Customer.  I think the trouble is for too long people in this field have been the cogs in the wheel.  The challenge to this is the cogs did not let the industrialist know what was broken or how to fix it.  They did what they needed to do.  In some cases the industrialist did not even care it was broken, at least until the bottom line was impacted.  Of course many times it was too late at that point.

So back to the question, is social media a fundamental shift for Customer Service?  If your answer is yes, than that is a sign that you need to relook at your service organization’s goals.  Customer service number one focus must be helping the Customer first and foremost.  Novel idea!

If you have the chance join us on Thursday, January 28 for the Social Media Today webinar “The Future of Customer Service is Here