Customer Service Meets Communications
Everyone has a customer service horror story to tell. The typical one involves calling a bank/insurance provider/airline/healthcare service/credit card company/fill-in-the-
blank and being greeted by a chipper voice. Then, you realize that voice is a machine, and that the questions it's asking don't address your problem in a clear-cut "yes/no"
format. Then, you try to reach the operator, and ... well, you know how it goes. Fifteen minutes later, you're still on the phone - and you are likely teetering on the edge of
sanity.
But there is a bright light in an otherwise dreary forecast: For the companies in the know, communications is becoming increasing integrated into customer service departments
and activities, and with good results. After all, the customers' view of your company and the company's reputation are inextricably linked, putting customer service well within
the purview of communications' responsibilities.
With that in mind, here are two best-in-show examples of a happy customer service/communications marriage, and how they achieved optimal results:
Wells Fargo
The communications team at Wells Fargo takes the concept of integration to a whole new level when it comes to customer service, and it has everything to do with empowering
employees to live the brand.
"We view all of our team members who have customer service responsibilities as both PR ambassadors and stewards for the Wells Fargo brand," says Chris Hammond, communications
director of Wells Fargo. In 2002, he helped the bank develop a new brand strategy that put customers at the center but made employees the key channels for doing so.
"We asked ourselves, 'What if all team members were an extension of the PR department?'" he says. "That's how we look at it as far as customer service goes." The strategy of
creating a brand and corporate culture that eats, sleeps and breathes customer service has paid dividends. The company is America's Most Admired large bank according to
Fortune, Barron's ranked it the 12th most admired company in the world, and it's among the world's most profitable corporations.
What's more, Harvard professor Bill George's new book True North lauded chairman and CEO Dick Kovacevich's leadership style, citing his desire to make banking with them
an experience that had an intimate, homey feel.
The following are a few best practices cited by Hammond to communicate customer service throughout the organization:
Use your structure to your advantage. This tip is applicable to challenges of every shape and size, and customer service is no exception. Even though Wells Fargo is
headquartered in San Francisco, it serves more than 23 million consumers at approximately 6,000 outposts. Therefore, it decentralizes communications "so every local Wells Fargo
store is a headquarters for satisfying all our customers' financial needs and helping them succeed financially," Hammond says.
Start with the inside and work your way out. Hammond reiterates the importance of communicating good customer service practices internally if you want to make it work
externally. "Creating that culture is essential. We focus in on team member communications, because they are our most important audience," he says. "It all starts with the team
members who have the responsibility to create exceptional customer service experiences. We're only as good as their commitment to creating that 'wow' experience."
Also remember that internal communications doesn't stop with the executive level; when it comes to customer service, communicating a strong culture to those who interact with
customers most intimately is essential. The bank tellers are far more crucial to the customer experience than the CEO will ever be.
Hammond also recommends adding customer relations success stories to internal communications vehicles, be they newsletters or the company's intranet. This recognizes positive
efforts and reinforces the culture. Plus, Hammond says, "It will yield a groundswell of enthusiasm internally."
Treat customer service as though it could make or break your corporate reputation - because it can. When you take a customer service situation that might pose some risk, take
the situation seriously and make sure that your organization is responsive to the customer's needs first and foremost, Hammond says. "If we ever catch wind of a customer
interaction that's not ideal, we will step in to make sure that we 'wow' them with our response."
Southwest Airlines
The airline's mission is clearly stated on its Web site: "The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of
warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit." By most accounts, this is exactly what the employees achieve. Case in point: One passenger took video footage of an
impromptu ukulele performance by a Southwest employee attempting to entertain passengers during a delay. The passengers cheered, and the consumer-turned-video-producer
subsequently posted the clip on YouTube (see PR News, 03-05-07).
Southwest Airlines VP of PR Linda Rutherford cites the company's aggressive approach to customer relations. It has several departments that touch customer relations: a call
center and writing staff for handling inquiries, and a "customer communications" function located in the executive office, which has the C-suite handling urgent matters that must
be addressed. Then, there's "Proactive Customer Communication," which, according to Rutherford, is "kind of like a swat team. If we have an operational anomaly, we proactively
send a letter to every person on that airplane."
Rutherford points to a number of best practices that keep communications and customer relations aligned to achieve optimal results:
Don't build barriers, and make sure all communications are in sync. Rutherford jokes that sometimes communicators forget to communicate among themselves because they are too
busy communicating to their constituents. Rather, align communications.
"There's a lot of integration," she says. "It's not programmatic - it's informal. We look at it from an audience stakeholder perspective."
Speak early and often. "The point is to communicate with the customer before they have a chance to complain," Rutherford says. "We have a lot of resources to do so. Our culture
is very transparent, real, upfront and blunt. Plus, we over-communicate, and we do it clearly and succinctly."
Preventive measures are always advisable, especially if you are in a high-risk industry. For an airline, weather and security issues make conditions unpredictable, so you must
keep customers abreast of all situations - both potential and actual.
Don't reinvent the wheel. In line with the "speak early and often" philosophy, have communications channels in place where you can reach customers - and other constituents - at
a moment's notice. This means coming up with one message point that can be tweaked.
"Create a simple, straightforward communication, and let the heads of appropriate department tweak it," Rutherford says. "Everyone working on the same objective separately is a
waste of time. Start with one core communication."
Based on these two best-case examples, customer service and communications can - and should - go hand-in-hand. Once the strategy is in place, the rest will come naturally.
After that, it's just a matter of remembering four simple words.
"Have a nice day."
CONTACTS:
Chris Hammond, [email protected]; Linda Rutherford, [email protected]