Bringing Back Family Time: Chick-fil-A

How many times has this happened to you; you go to dinner with your family and you realize no one is talking because they are all on their phones checking their Facebook status, Twitter & Instagram accounts and responding to texts? I am embarrassed to say it has happened to me more times than I can count. Americans now spend an average of 4.7 hours per day on their phone, according to a 2015 Informate Mobile Intelligence study.  “We really want our restaurant to provide a sense of community for our customers, where family and friends can come together and share quality time with one another,” said Brad Williams, operator of Chick-fil-A in Suwanee, GA.

A small box is on each table at his restaurant with a simple challenge: enjoy a meal without the distraction of cellphones and receive a free Chick-fil-A Icedream. Guests complete the challenge successfully only if cellphones remain in the Coop untouched for their entire meal.

*Related – You are suffering from a Creativity Crisis and you don’t know it

Act as if no Customers had bad intentions

You cannot be a Zero Risk company to deal with if you create policy that punishes 98% of your Customers for what you are afraid that 2% might do. We have found that the top Customer service companies in the world, when designing their company’s Customer Experience model, act as if no Customers had bad intentions, versus the other way around.

Do you believe your customers?

Jeanne Bliss wrote a good blog on Believe your Customers. Some excellent points she shares, “Very little shreds of respect remain, if any, after we’ve put a customer through the third degree that many customers experience when they encounter a glitch, and actually need to return a product, put in a claim or use the warranty service. As tempting as it is to debate customers to uphold a policy to the letter of the law, suspend the cynicism and work to believe your customers.”

Hospitality improves people’s health

A Cincinnati area hospital is studying best practices of World-Class Customer Experience companies like The Ritz-Carlton hotels to improve their patient’s health and satisfaction scores. “There is scientific evidence that people who are more satisfied have better clinical outcomes,” says Deborah Hayes, who is chief operating officer at Christ Hospital Health Network. The health network already receives high marks for patient satisfaction, however Hayes said the hospital can score even better by studying the best in hospitality and adopting it back to their industry. “Every thing and every interaction with their guests has a meaning. It’s built from the ground up, engaging all associates, leadership and management,” says Hayes.

America’s #1 Customer Service Conference, the Secret Service Summit, is only 7 months away! This year’s lineup of speakers is probably the strongest compilation of Customer Experience experts and executives from world-class brands; Verne Harnish, Sally Hogshead, John DiJulius, David Horsager, and Captain Charlie Plumb are some of the powerhouses taking the stage this year. Check out the full list below and don’t forget to save the date: September 29 & 30. Register today and SAVE $600!  Watch NEW Trailer!