U.R.X. | Carpe Momento | THERE YOU ARE!
Employee apathy creates Customer apathy – Today too many companies think it is a race to evolve their Customer Experience from costly human interactions to the bells and whistles of fancy technology like self check in/out iPads, apps, kiosks, marketing and by communicating solely through social media channels, and online support. While this is a necessary evolution for our business models, this must not come at the expense of sending our employees the message that it is no longer about you and what you do, you are no longer a critical piece of the Experience. Employees will feel less important, having a decreased sense of value and disconnection from the company’s purpose, which will create employee apathy. Employee apathy produces Customer apathy. Customer apathy is a sign of a terminally ill business. We cannot let our leaders and employees rely on technology as a crutch for the Customer Experience.
URX – Our employees need to be reminded and told constantly, “You are the Xperience.” (URX) That it is about them, how they interact with the Customer. Ipads, apps, websites, and kiosks don’t build relationships. People do. Employees who connect instead of communicate create loyal Customers. Consider making your 2016 CX theme around URX – “You are the Xperience.”
Carpe Momento – Employees need to be focused how they can provide a positive experience on EVERY interaction, whether it is face-to-face, click-to-click, or ear-to-ear. They need to Carpe Momento – Seize the Moment. Your Service Aptitude training needs to teach them how to do that. And while we have shared many great examples of this in past eServices, i.e. The Five E’s and FORD, another technique I would like to share is about how your employees can bring energy to a Customer interaction.
It is all about Energy – People love energy. The more energy they get the more they are willing to pay for it. Think about your favorite places. Do you want to walk into an empty restaurant, bar, clothing store, or even hair salon, with open seats everywhere and employees standing around? No way! When that happens, people will say there is a ‘lack of atmosphere.’ No, there is a lack of energy. We love energy, the hustle and bustle of positive movement. Think about walking into an Apple Store. Feel the energy? It is everywhere, people are interacting, playing with products, learning, being educated. It is all about the vibe. Let’s go teach our employees ‘you are the Xperience’ through carpe momento by providing energy in their interactions.
THERE YOU ARE! One of the greatest training techniques and role-playing that should be in our entire new employee training is how to greet Customers. One role play we love to do is have an employee act as if they bumped into one of their best friends from high school whom they haven’t seen in several years. What would that look like? They would do a double take and show the expression, “There you are” which results in a natural and authentic execution of the Five E’s; enthusiastic greet, eye contact, ear-to-ear smile, engaging, and educating (about their life since they last saw each other). There is no better way of greeting another person than with the expression “There you are”! Again that can be done in face-to-face, click-to-click, or ear-to-ear. We have all heard the sound of someone’s voice or read an email of someone that is so excited to be talking to us. What if that became our standard for how each of our employees and us interacted with our Customers. What would the energy our Customers would be receiving be like? Would we be Carpe Momento? Would our employees understand what URX truly means?
An Admiral’s ‘There you are’ – NewDay USA is one of TDG’s consulting clients (see past eService NewDay USA accelerates growth by inspiring Millennials). The Executive Chairman for NewDay USA is Admiral Thomas Lynch, one of the highest-ranking officers that served in the Navy. Admiral Lynch is well known and you can see him often on places like CNN. On one of my earlier visits to the NewDay offices, someone asked me if I wanted to pop my head into Admiral Lynch’s office and say hello. I said of course, having met him a few times briefly. As I was brought into his office, he was seated at his desk reading a large document or report in his hands. When he looked up and saw me walking in, he literally threw that report up in the air and said, “Holy cow! It is John DiJulius,” as the papers went flying everywhere in his office like confetti. I was shocked. Never before had I had such a greeting by anyone, yet an admiral. I felt like a true VIP and walked away with a bounce in my step. Then it hit me: If one of the highest-ranking officers in the US Navy could make me feel that way, why can’t I give that type of welcome to more people? My employees, my clients, even my kids deserve that when I see them. I want to Carpe Momento by providing a positive, energizing moment. The way I can do that is by interacting with people by showing the expression, “THERE YOU ARE”!
