02.24.10
Do You Know Jack?
Little league baseball practice had ended and this coach was hungry and tired. A quick trip at the drive thru and a Southwest Chicken salad from Jack in the Box was on the menu for lunch. Stomach rumbling and mouth watering I tore the plastic lid off and found I had been gypped- no chicken on my chicken salad. Now I know that this is a small detail but come on, I need my protein. Jack tells me all the time on t.v. how good he is so I decided to test him. I filled out the online contact form and voila, two days later I received a letter of apology, a please give us another chance statement and a gift certificate. Wow. I guess Jack really is as good as he says he is.
Is it that far of a stretch from Southwest Chicken salad to wholesale distribution? In regards to customer service, the answer is no. Handling complaints quickly and fairly can help you edge out your competitors. Too many times complaints are ignored or only acted upon when they reach the upper levels of a company. Improving customer service can and should be stressed in every job description throughout the company. No matter how good your business may be, there will be complaints. How you respond will determine whether or not you are ordinary or EXTRA-ordinary. Here are a few items to consider.
Have a formal process for handling complaints
Establish a time frame on how quickly the complaint will be resolved
Communicate your willingness to resolve the issue with the customer
Give your lower level employees the authority to resolve complaint issues
Make sure someone is monitoring your general company email addresses or voice mails and responding appropriately
This next month test your staff. Do they know Jack? See how they will respond to various customer service issues and whether or not it meets your level of expectation.
Next time you are in San Diego, look me up, I’ll buy you lunch with Jack.
Regards,
Brian Boek
