On a recent trip to America, I arrived at the Kennedy Airport and was due to take another plane from New York to Chicago, so I joined a queue of about three people preceding me at the check-in desk. A pleasant and well-groomed young lady greeted each one with a big sunny smile. Her experienced eye checked our individual tickets after a swift inspection, as she kept the smooth flow of friendly chat without slowing down the pace of the queue or her job. Before my turn came, she glanced my way to acknowledge my presence and include me in the welcome, thus by indirectly reassuring me that my turn would soon be next. She then cheerfully gave the travellers directions to their departure gates, and wished us all a pleasant journey. I boarded my plane feeling good, happy, and important! Immediately following my happy journey, I received a first-class example of ‘poor customer service' as soon as I checked into a well-known hotel in Chicago. Some of my fellow travellers were booked at the same hotel, so as we entered there was a relatively large group at the Reception Desk. There weren't any Bellmen or Porters present, so I had to half-carry, half-drag my luggage. Then I had to wait at a long queue, unlike the one at the airport, which seemed motionless forever. Finally, when my turn came up, I received no greetings at all. Without a glance at me, the disgruntled Receptionist looked at my passport, cocked her head to one side, raised her eyebrows, searched for my room reservation, and then practically tossed the key towards me while shouting the single word: “Next!” I shuffled my feet to my room, dragged my luggage behind me, and felt suddenly very depressed and totally insignificant! You probably have all experienced one or the other type of “customer service” more than once you your lifetime. You probably also know what it's like to try to catch the attention of somebody, perhaps a waiter, a salesperson, or a receptionist, who uses an air of professional ‘busy-ness' in order to ignore you. This consequently gives the customer a feeling of great dissatisfaction. A small turn of the body, direct eye contact, and a friendly nod, is a body language that says: “I've seen you. Just give me a moment, and I'll be with you.” That usually is all that is needed to satisfy a waiting customer and result in a completely different impression and atmosphere. “Service” is not easy to define. In general, it is a ‘good' or ‘poor' feeling a ‘service-recipient' gets, from the ‘service-giver'. Giving good service, or satisfying customers, is actually about meeting their needs, as well as giving them a feeling of well being. “Service” can be divided into two main types: ‘material' and ‘personal'. Material service consists of the price, quantity, quality and timing of: equipment, food, drinks, physical comfort, working methods, routines, manning, information and resources (technical, mechanical or automatic). Therefore, ‘material service' is easier to define, measure and compare. On the other hand, personal service is difficult to define accurately, because it is not tangible, i.e., it cannot be weighed or measured. It is more emotional than rational. How service is seen depends on the expectations people have in advance. If, through advertising, recommendations of friends, or high prices, leads us to expect a lot, we can easily be disappointed if service does not come up to prior expectations. This frequently leads us to label the service as “poor service”. If, however, not too much is anticipated, then ‘good service' is a pleasant surprise. As mentioned, material service is easier to define, measure, and compare. Generally, we are more conscious of it than of personal service. Most organizations in planning their service policies emphasize the material aspect. In training their personnel, it is frequently the working method and routine that is accentuated, whereas the personal angle of service is too often overlooked. Most money spent by these organizations on improving service is dedicated to making changes in the material aspect, and they also tend to focus on material service in their advertising, partly because it is much easier to define and describe. If it is easier for organizations to describe their material service, then it is also easier for customers to do so. When complaints are received, or market views are sought, then the likelihood is that the easily defined points of material service are commented on. The result is an over-emphasis on material service that, if it reaches the required standards, only leaves the customers indifferent, at best. But, it is good personal service that upgrades it to a ‘good' impression. Customers may find deficiencies in material service to complain about, but more often than not, if personal service is good enough, they will not complain. For example, you seldom hear remarks like: “What a clean restaurant!” Or, “How quickly our meals arrive!” But you would probably hear quick and loud complaints if the restaurant was not clean and the meals were slow in arriving. Service cannot be standardized, and can be seen in different ways by different people. Each customer will evaluate service in his/her own terms. So, satisfying customers is a challenge of focussing on and matching individual needs. In a competitive field of business, such as a consumer's goods dealer, it is possible to find many firms with comparable or equal prices, products, delivery and material service. In this situation, the business will usually go to the organization that provides the best personal service, as it is the only angle left for true competition. Experts from a well known Scandinavian School of Service collectively summarized ‘good customer service and satisfaction' in their book “The Human Factor” by the following twelve tips: ONE: Smile. TWO: Establish eye contact. THREE: Be well groomed, calm and courteous. FOUR: Like your job, and act the part. FIVE: Be confident, and look the part. SIX: For a more personal touch, use the customer's name (courteously). SEVEN: Show that you care. EIGHT: Give your undivided attention. NINE: Mirror the person's body language, and match his/her speech tone. TEN: Act friendly without being offensively inquisitive or intimate. ELEVEN: Demonstrate respect for your colleagues and your Company in front of the customers. TWELVE: Show that, without any shadow of doubt, you respect and accept the person (customer) regardless of his/her race, sex, age, culture, or religion. An honest smile and full personal attention will work wonders, even if material service breaks down or all else has not gone smoothly as might have been hoped. The important thing is that your main objective is to give your customers the feeling that they have been well looked after. By Hoda Nassef
