This post is the eighth in a series that will identify 10 different customer service obstacles that have emerged from my analysis of customer satisfaction data. Maybe you will have encountered one or more of these obstacles in your own business? The eighth obstacle is a lack of confidence in the service provider.

Can you think of a time when two or more employees were available to serve you and you made a conscious choice to work with one employee over another? What led to that decision? Was it his appearance? Was he smiling and attentive?

Chances are that your selection was influenced by the confidence you had in that particular employee’s ability to accurately answer your question, efficiently complete a transaction, or capably respond to some other need.

Whether face-to-face or over the telephone, customers are adept at detecting clues that either reinforce or undermine the confidence they have in an employee and the brand he or she represents.

Recently, I emailed a printing job to my local OfficeMax. In the message, I included a request to be contacted regarding pricing and an estimated completion time.

A couple of hours later, since I had yet to hear back, I phoned the store to follow up:

Me: “Hello. I’m just calling to follow up on a job that I emailed to your print services department. Is someone from that area available?”

Employee: “No. They’ve all left for the day.” (Avoid saying “no” to customers. An alternative might have been, “I’m sorry. Our print services staff has left for the day. Is there something I may be able to help you with?”)

Immediate access to current information bolsters confidence. Many businesses could learn from the example of Apple Stores and cross-utilize staff. There’s no reason why a store employee cannot access the print services department’s computer and determine a job’s status in the four hours that remain between the closing of print services and the closing of the store. In fact, store hours don’t even need to be a factor. FedEx Office offers its customers 24-hour online access to print job submission, proofing, payment, and shipping/delivery with real-time status updates.

Me: “What time will someone from print services be in tomorrow morning?”

Employee: “Someone is usually in at 9:00 am. Why don’t you call back then?” (“Usually” does not instill confidence and, if it can be avoided, customers should not be asked to call back. The employee could have easily taken my name and number and passed it along to the incoming member of the print services department.)

The next morning (after not hearing back from anyone in print services), I placed another call:

Me: “Hello. I’m calling to check on a printing job. Is someone from that department in this morning?”

Employee: “Yes, but he’s with a customer.” (Avoid saying “but” to a customer. Whenever possible, substitute the conjunction “although” or “and” in place of “but” for a softer tone. Here’s how it might be worded: “Yes, although he’s with a customer at this time. May I take your name and number and ask him to return the call within the next 5 minutes?”)

Me: “Okay. I emailed a file that I need to have printed in order to pick up this morning. I requested to be contacted before running the job and haven’t heard back from anyone. Could you tell me, is it their practice to check messages first thing?”

Employee: “Typically.” (“Typically” does not convey confidence. It’s kind of like hearing “sort of”, “maybe”, “probably”, “I’ll try”, or “I think so.” There’s not much confidence associated with these types of responses.)

In the book Up The Loyalty Ladder by Murray Raphel, the author cites a nationwide survey of buyers across the United States who were asked the question, “Why do you buy where you buy?” (And no, the number one answer was not price.) The number one reason people buy where they buy is confidence. Confidence in the business—the people and the products/services offered.

People want to shop where they feel they will be taken care of, where the quality of the product is consistent, and where what’s promised is what’s delivered.

Are your front line service providers communicating the confidence your customers are looking for?

This post is the first in a series over the next 10 weeks that will identify 10 different obstacles that have emerged from my analysis of customer satisfaction data. Maybe you will have encountered one or more of these obstacles in your own business? The first obstacle is apathy.

Apathy takes many forms, including: neglect, indifference, and unresponsiveness.

I took the photo to the right at a small strip center in my neighborhood. The center contains a nail salon and a dry cleaner. Both businesses will succeed or fail based on their ability to improve the appearance of their customers—whether nails or attire. Yet neither business seems interested in improving the appearance of their stores’ exterior.

Now some will say, “If I’m the tenant, it’s not my responsibility. Certainly building maintenance, landscaping, and snow removal are included in the lease.”

“It’s not my responsibility?” That’s just another way of saying, “It’s not my job.”

This sentiment plagues customer service everywhere. I’m confident most of us have heard an employee say, “It’s not my job” or “It’s not my department” in response to our questions or concerns.

While I haven’t read their leases, I have formed an impression about both businesses—and it isn’t positive. Why should I have confidence that the dry cleaner will pay careful attention to detail with my garments when it so egregiously neglects the appearance of its storefront?

The opposite of apathy is initiative. And initiative simply requires a choice. Many service providers choose the well-worn path of least resistance. This results in predictable, routine, and indifferent customer service.

But exceptional service providers make the conscious choice daily to accept personal responsibility, take initiative, and make positive lasting impressions on their customers—even if that means doing something that’s “not my job” like, say, pulling weeds.

Is there an organization that comes to mind when I ask you to consider a predictably poor customer service provider? By this I mean a company or entity you dread returning to because you’ve been consistently disappointed with previous customer service experiences.

When I pose this question to audiences, I tend to hear the same responses: DMV, IRS, USPS… Maybe you’re thinking of one of these—or perhaps you have in mind a cable company, airline, or cell phone service provider?

Now, the easy answer is to exercise your freedom of choice as a consumer and discontinue using these organizations and eliminate the recurring frustration. The problem is that that’s not always possible—or convenient.

In the case of the IRS, doing “business” with them is mandatory. And as long as driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations are required by law, you’ll likely be visiting a local branch of your state’s DMV. The same is true of the USPS. If you miss delivery and have to retrieve a package, send a registered letter, or some other exception, then (at more locations than not) be prepared to wait…

And there are some companies that you may begrudgingly do business with for one reason or another. Maybe your cable services are bundled at a great rate for the next eight months so you’re willing to endure long hold times? Or perhaps you’ve signed a two-year contract with your cell phone’s service provider and so, are willing to tolerate patchy coverage? And you may be willing to relax your grudge against that airline you said you’d never fly again because it’s offering a nonstop flight for half of what your preferred airline is quoting for the same itinerary with connections.

In my case, I gave in to my seven year old, Cooper, and returned to Toys “R” Us last weekend to buy him a LEGO Space Police Galactic Enforcer. Our first stop had been Target but they didn’t carry this particular model. Next, I called Walmart but they did not have it in stock. So I was forced to return to our local Toys “R” Us store.

This particular Toys “R” Us location, to me, is reminiscent of a wholesale club. Its atmosphere (austere), staffing (sparse), and customer service (indifferent) are more suited to a warehouse setting than a retail store. I don’t recall a single hassle-free shopping experience in the past. I do not look forward to returning. From my perspective, it has predictably poor customer service.

Having phoned ahead to verify that they had the LEGO toy in stock, Cooper and I arrived at the Customer Service desk at the front of the store to pick it up.

When I asked the Customer Service employee about the toy and provided my name he said, “If you called ahead, it’s probably in ‘Holding’ at the back of the store.”

Observation #1: The word “probably” does not inspire confidence. The number one reason why customers buy where they buy is confidence.

I said, “Holding?”

He said, “Yeah, ‘Holding’ is where we hold special orders and call-ins. I’ll go back and get it for you.”

Observation #2: When a customer calls a retail store to verify that it has a particular product in stock, provides his name, and states that he’ll stop by later that day to purchase it, (assuming it’s not a swing set or, otherwise, oversized merchandise) that product should be available at the nearest service counter to the front of the store—where customers enter.

He then disappeared for several minutes before returning with the product.

“Great!” I said, “Here’s my credit card.”

Surprised, he said, “Oh, I can’t ring that up for you here. You have to go around to the check-out area.”

Looking at two cash registers behind the Customer Service counter, I asked, “What are these registers for?”

“Oh. Those are only for returns.”

Observation #3: Avoid telling customers that you “can’t” do something or that they “have to” do something. Try a softer approach: “While these registers are for returns, the registers to my left are for purchases.” (I realize we’re talking about Toys “R” Us and not the Four Seasons. Even though you may not work for a luxury brand, there’s no reason why you can’t treat your customers with professionalism and grace.)

Observation #4: Why on earth would you designate the only two cash registers as “returns only” at a Customer Service counter in a retail store—where, presumably, you sell stuff?

So I walked around a long aisle stocked with Nerf products, past the Toy Story 3 display, to the front of the store where, as expected, both checkout lanes were filled with shoppers.

Sensing the irony of the situation, the customer service employee came out from behind his counter, motioned to me, and offered to ring me up at one of the registers located further down in the video game department.

There, he rung up my purchase and asked if I was a member of the Toys “R” Us Rewards Program. (I’m not.) He then made the pitch: There’s no cost to enroll. It just takes a minute to sign up. Shoppers accumulate in-store credits as their spending reaches certain milestones. For instance, for every $150 one spends, he receives a $5 in-store credit that can be applied to a future purchase.

Even though it’s free, fast, and I was already two-thirds of the way to my first $5 bonus, I passed. It’s just not worth $5 or $10 for me to return to this particular Toys “R” Us store. I’d honestly rather spend a little more at Target or another retailer where the customer service is not so predictably poor.

And I’m not alone. Last month, American Express and Echo Research compiled research that revealed American consumers are willing to spend, on average, 9% more with companies that provide excellent customer service.

Toys “R” Us is offering me a savings of about 3% to join its loyalty program but they’re completely missing the point of what truly drives loyalty. Loyalty is not reflected in the number of people who enroll in a rewards program. It is evidenced by positive word-of-mouth, repeat purchases, less price resistance, and other tendencies of loyal customers.

Loyalty has very little to do with plastic keychain rewards cards and 3% discounts. It has everything to do with committing to absolute customer satisfaction, making exceptional customer service the focus and priority of your organization’s culture and brand, and inspiring genuine customer loyalty through predictable service excellence.

Last night I was watching the men’s 1000 meter Olympic speed skating event at the Winter Games. The defending Olympic champion, Shani Davis, dominated the field of skaters, winning the gold medal.

What was interesting to me was a remark by one of the television commentators. He said that Davis, an American citizen, lives and trains in Vancouver—just outside the Olympic Village—and that one of his good friends, Denny Morrison, is a member of the Canadian speed skating team. For two years before the Torino Games they trained together in Calgary, pushing each another to excel.

The commentator went on to say that, for competitive reasons, the coach of the Canadian team would not allow competing skaters to practice against the Canadian skaters before this year’s games. He suggested that this decision might have been short-sighted, as members of the Canadian team may have benefited from competition beyond what was comfortable and familiar to them.

That got me thinking about the nature of competition in business.

Intuitively, business operates with a scarcity mentality that suggests that there is a finite “pie” and that, if you get a larger slice of the pie, then I somehow get less. That’s why companies file patents and trademarks—to protect their intellectual property, conceal it from competitors, and use it to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

The most successful businesses do not operate from a position of fear and scarcity. They lead from a position of confidence and abundance. These companies recognize that the “pie” is not finite. The size of your slice of the pie has little to do with the potential size of my slice because the pie has the capacity to grow exponentially.

This brings to mind an old Xerox print ad. In one frame, a little boy’s lemonade stand was suffering at the hands of a little girl’s competing lemonade stand, where a line had formed.

In the next frame, the boy had added a vase with a single rose to his lemonade stand and, to the girl’s dismay, the line had moved to her competitor’s stand.

The caption beneath the second frame read: “When companies compete, products get better.”

Whether in athletics, business, or another endeavor, competition is not something to fear and avoid. It should be welcomed and embraced. From a business perspective, all of us have something to learn from our competitors that will enable us to improve the product and service quality we deliver to customers.

What will your lesson be?

Last week, I emailed a file to a local office supply store that offers printing services. In the message, I included a request to be contacted regarding pricing and an estimated completion time.

A couple of hours later, since I had yet to hear back, I decided to phone the store:

Me: “Hello. I’m just calling to follow up on a job that I emailed to your print services department. Is someone from that area available?”

Employee: “No. They’ve all left for the day.” (Avoid saying “no” to customers. An alternative might have been, “I’m sorry. Our print services staff has left for the day. Is there something I may be able to help you with?” Many businesses could learn from the example of Apple Stores and cross-utilize staff. There’s no reason why a store employee cannot access the print services department’s computer and determine a job’s status in the four hours that remain between the closing of print services and the closing of the store. In fact, store hours don’t even need to be a factor. FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinko’s) offers its customers 24 hour online access to print job submission, proofing, payment, and shipping/delivery with real-time status updates.)

Me: “What time will someone from print services be in tomorrow morning?”

Employee: “Someone is usually in at 9:00 am. Why don’t you call back then?” (“Usually” does not instill confidence and, if it can be avoided, customers should not be asked to call back. The employee could have easily taken my name and number and passed it along to the incoming member of the print services department.)

Me: Okay. I’ll call back in the morning.”

The next morning (after not hearing back from anyone in print services), I placed another call:

Me: “Hello. I’m calling to check on a printing job. Is someone from that department in this morning?”

Employee: “Yes, but he’s with a customer.” (Avoid saying “but” to a customer. Whenever possible, substitute the conjunction “although” or “and” in place of “but” for a softer tone. Here’s how it might be worded: “Yes, although he’s with a customer at this time. May I take your name and number and ask him to return the call within the next 5 minutes?”)

Me: “Okay. I emailed a file that I need to have printed in order to pick up this morning. I requested to be contacted before running the job and haven’t heard back from anyone. Could you tell me, is it their practice to check messages first thing?”

Employee: “Typically.” (“Typically” does not convey confidence. It’s kind of like hearing “sort of,” “maybe,” “probably,” “I’ll try,” or “I think so.” There’s not much confidence associated with these types of responses.)

In the book Up The Loyalty Ladder by Murray Raphel, the author cites a nationwide survey of buyers across the United States who were asked the question, “Why do you buy where you buy?” And no, the number one answer was not price. The number one reason people buy where they buy is confidence. Confidence in the business—the people, the products, and services.

The other reasons, in order, were: quality, selection, service, and then price.

People want to shop where they feel they will be taken care of, where the quality of the product is consistent, and where what you promise is what you deliver.

Are your front line service providers communicating the confidence your customers are looking for?

Last month while I was awaiting a flight at the Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, I received a phone call from Lisa, an account executive with FedEx.

Lisa was calling me to check on my newly established corporate account and see whether or not I had any questions or needed any shipping supplies. We had a nice chat during which she pulled up my website and asked me why I was holding a pineapple—but that’s a topic for another blog posting… As our conversation ended, Lisa reinforced that she was available when questions did arise and let me know that she would be sending me an email containing her contact information so I would have a record of it.

So here I was, just four weeks into my corporate account with FedEx and having spent less than $100 in shipping with them at the time, receiving a phone call from a company representative. And it was not simply a rote, transactional call confirming the details of my account. Lisa was fun, animated, engaging, and demonstrated her genuine interest by pulling up my website during our call and asking me questions about my business.

After our call, it occurred to me that in the ten years that I used DHL Express I had never received a call from a company representative. During that period, I spent thousands of dollars on domestic and international shipping. As you may know, DHL Express ceased domestic operations in December 2008. That is why I established a corporate account with FedEx in January.

Companies in general—and overnight shipping companies in particular—live or die based on the confidence customers have in their service. And confidence is reinforced through personalized, memorable customer service. To me, FedEx has consistently delivered confidence and reliability.

Now, after my memorable phone call with Lisa, I see them as delivering a personal touch as well.

Go FedEx!