Moments of Clarity

Customer Service Case Study: The Marketplace at Jordan Creek

I've given The Market Place At Jordan Creek numerous free passes.  I've spent 20-30 minutes wandering the isles and asking questions of employees.  I've queried others on their experiences there.  Now, I feel obligated to ask the question of the store's management:  Where is the customer service experience?  On the scale of 1-10...with 5 being neutral, I'd give the place a 4.  Here's why.

1. I've never been greeted nor has any employee even made eye contact with me while passing by.  Most seem interested with performing a task or getting to "the next thing" whatever that is.  I offer a fresh clean canvas every time I go into a place like that.  It's as though I have a sign hanging that says, "Please paint your masterpiece on me...sell to me, educate me, let me experience this store as though it's an offshoot from my own gourmet kitchen!  I will loyally buy and send as many people as possible to increase your revenues if you'll just ask me in!
2. The meat counter consistently has items that don't look very fresh.  The Marketplace only offers Prime Dry Aged Beef.  Thus, when I'm spending $19.99/lb vs. $7.99 from Costco, I expect excellence.  Today, I stopped by for a coffee at 12:30PM and found all of the meats in the counter still wrapped up in plastic with many slots for more trays vacant.  The fish looked a bit dried out around the edges.  Again, if I'm buying Ahi Tuna for a gourmet seared rare tuna steak...it better be fresh like nobodies business. Today, a gentleman approached the meat counter while I was there.  He asked, "Do you have any lamb or other specialties?  The meat clerk replied, "No, just beef, chicken, and pork."  The gentleman casually replied, "Sounds like a HyVee or Dahls to me," and walked away.  (For non-Iowa readers, those are our supermarket chains in town and to their credit, they have much more attractive meat counters than The Marketplace at this stage.)  Now two meat clerks present, they simply sat mute after that statement and the gentlemen went off..most likely to spend his money elsewhere.

This is the kind of store that must have massive overhead.  Their inventory is huge.  Selection is probably unrivaled.  But guess what?  It's going to bleed to death slowly unless it makes raving fans out its potential client base. 

Please engage someone to train in customer service effectively so that EVERY employee (partner, associate) is engaging the customer and attempting to go above and beyond. 

I guarantee that if you took surveys on the experience there for 30 days...then put a black apron on me or many other readers of this blog and you'd get a massive boost in scores and repeat business. (Shall we develop a charity customer service roving team?)

It's simple.  Build a connection with those customers and they'll come back because they love you.  You aren't selling food and beverages, you're selling an experience.  Thus far, my experience is exponentially better at HyVee where I'm greeted by literally every employee that passes me.

If you do pay attention to the blogosphere Market Place management, I'd gladly sit down with you or do some mystery shopping.

Here's their front splash page blurb on how they approach customer service:

We strive to provide exceptional customer service through extensive training for our store associates.  Stressing knowledge, courtesy and prompt response to the needs of the customer, our goal is to develop loyal long-term customer relationships. In addition, we strive to develop a long-standing relationship with customers who are interested in pursuing culinary arts with our specialized culinary and cooking events, as well as, guest chef appearances.

Bite Your Tongue

I've been verbally and electronically accosted a few times in the last month.  The topic has always been the same:  technology.  More specifically, I've been on the receiving end of a technology reaming, given by a technologist, over something that I cannot understand beyond superficially knowing the terms being used.
In all cases, the situation was actually not my doing...rather it was the technologists emotional overreaction to:

1. The technologist not having all of the facts.
2. A problem that was created and fostered by people at the technologist's company.
3. The immediate human reaction of trying to assign blame.
4. Having their rear chewed.

My gut reaction is to lash out and throw down.  My professional senses have learned to listen, acknowledge, and accept what the person is saying as a "temporary truth".  Additionally, I take the drop everything and resolve the situation approach. In all cases, the lashings I received were unwarranted and in fact, later the true causes were discovered and addressed.

I received no apologies or atonement for having been the whipping boy.

The Lesson:
There will be many situations like this in your business.  Avoid gut reactions.  Sit on those flaming response emails for at least 24 hours to cool off.  Accept that when emotions are hot, blame will fly.  Understand the it's entirely possible that the person on the other end is missing chunks from their posterior because the boss man/woman ate them for breakfast.  Calm down and work methodically to resolve the issue.  Don't expect atonement...it's the price you pay sometimes for excellence. 

Airline Frequent Flier Programs

I know working for the airlines is tough and that the industry has suffered.  You can "taste" the cutbacks in food (or lack thereof), drink selections, attitudes, delays, and general service quality.  One area that seems to have suffered heavily is the frequent flier programs.  For years they've been making the rules stiffer and reducing options, but what I've noticed recently is an absolute absence of human bodies in these departments.  I've emailed and faxed to no avail many times recently on at least 3 airlines.  My issue is one of those that I'd prefer to handle via email or fax since it will inevitably require me to fax/send paperwork anyway.  The bottom line here is that I emailed US AIR about two weeks ago, receive the automated "we're working hard for you email" and then have received nothing back now.  American still provides me excellent service in this category by the way.  Then, I receive a marketing email, asking them to vote for them in the Freedie Awards, the industry's way of slathering gravy on each other I guess.

I hope the airline's culture has not shifted to "well, that's just free stuff anyway so it can wait or be cut" because that "free stuff" is called MY LOYALTY.  I actually make conscious decisions to fly with you over and over again to get some modicum of reward for being absent from my family XX days per year.   I know things are tough but they're tough all over.   

Amateur Move But Fixed

I use GoDaddy email forwarding for my Mitchgroup.com domain.  Silly me let the mailbox fill up since day-to-day, I filter everything through gmail.  Anyway, the problem is fixed so if you've received a bounced email when trying to contact me, I apologize.  No wonder the volume has been low the last few days.

[email protected] is fully engaged.

Fox is back baby

Mediacom and Sinclair reached an agreement today on bringing FOX back to Des Moines cable.  I'm not sure what the catalyst was this time...but it's a done deal.  I can now watch 24 anytime I please on DVR.  Thank goodness this is over.  Thanks to Scott Westerman again for being a voice of reason and customer care during this bad situation. 

Three Cheers For Panera!

I'd like to tip my hat today to Panera.  Today I was greeted by name (wow!), I was asked about what I was doing, there was a comment about my lack of attendance lately (coincidental travel not staying away on purpose), and was engaged in conversation about my business travel and was made an offer to swap jobs for a while!

I felt more connected there than ever before.  I don't know if our blog posts have reached someone...and frankly that's not important to me. 

Today, Dorothy brought some added joy to my hectic day and made me feel like a valued customer.  I appreciate this immensely and can't wait to engage again. 

My telecom nightmare

I moved to Iowa about 13 months ago. Upon arrival, I was welcomed and really hooked up by Mediacom, the cable company presently embroiled in a battle with Sinclair Communications. I've posted on that deal before.  At the end of the day, I'm at the nexus of the perfect storm regarding my whole telecom infrastructure:

1. I no longer have Fox (24 being the main issue) so I cannot DVR it and must switch over to rabbit ears to see it in scratchy low def.
2. All of my discounts just expired.  I now have a $180/mo bill for internet, phone, and cable.  That does include a $20 discount on phone.  Mediacom seems to have no interest thus far in keeping me as a customer.  They must be trained with shock therapy to not even flinch when you say, "I'm going to take all of my services elsewhere unless you sharpen this pencil."
3. My wife wants to keep a local 515 Des Moines, Iowa phone number (now with Mediacom using their excellent unlimited VOIP.  I'm in favor of ditching regular phone all together.  Our cell phones are CA area codes and must remain that way for another reason not worth explaining.
4. I have Vonage for business already in the house
5. I have a skype account and skype IN phone number but they don't even offer 515 area code for that nor does Yahoo Phone.

My buddy forwarded me a link to Grand Central where you can use one 515 phone number and it will ring to any phone you want it to ring on (cell, office, etc.)  It's free right now but probably wont be forever and it's a bit clunky.

Anyway, I'm anxious to hear someone's suggestions if they have them..but I'm pretty sure I've covered every conceivable way of doing this..and that I'm left with bending over for Mediacom and living with rabbit ears, or going the DirecTV / Qwest phone/DSL route.      

I'm Having Trouble Holding On

I'm really having trouble remaining entrenched Panera.   I don't want to launch a revolt, rebellion, or negatively impact their business but here's my feelings at present.

1. I've been going there for over 6 months now.  I'm a stranger EVERY day to the employees and managers there.
2. Not a soul has remembered my name...ever.  Even when I've provided the mnemonic.
3. I've been introduced to most that work there by Mike Sansone.  I've tried to interact and create a sense that I care at the register, etc.  No luck. 
4. Unlike Starbucks, my Panera doesn't care much about the "cafe" area.  They clean it infrequently, usually only after the entire rush is gone...and sometimes that's hours.
5. The coffee is frequently empty or past is "expiration date" posted on the pot.
6. I have no complaints about the food quality whatsoever.
7. Yesterday, I was there from 10AM-5PM.  I'm like a big rock in the middle of the road.  It must take special care to avoid me.  How is this possible?

I will hold on for a while and will likely continue to utilize Panera as my office away from home...but I am looking.   Is it just University Panera?  I did visit the Panera on 86th in Johnston (Urbandale maybe?)...and I felt more of a sense of community there immediately from the employees.  There are many businesses around town with free wireless connectivity.

This Just In On Mediacom-Sinclair Situation

A news story just hit the wires moments ago.  Here's the headline and the link.

Mediacom runs out of free antennas

"Three Mediacom employees with signs stood outside the cable company's office at 2205 Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines this afternoon, notifying customers there were no free antennas left and that more would be available on Tuesday."

Cue the circus music.  If you're going to bridge the absurdity gap, make sure you buy enough Acme Absurdity Gap Fillers.

Fox is Wacked: Mediacom - Sinclair Saga Continues

I posted my piece on the Mediacom-Sinclair debacle and within 24 hours, I received a very nice note from Scott Westerman, a Vice President with Mediacom.  Doing a little research on where my visitors come from, I think he found my blog by searching technorati for the Mediacom and Sinclair tags.  Excellent and Admirable!  I'm posting our follow up email chain below.  The bottom line here, Mediacom gained a notch on my respect totem pole because they are watching, listening, and reaching out.   Below is my answer to his first response but the link at the bottom will get you the entire chain.

Doug's Response to Mediacom:

edited here but full letters available at link below.

The key thing that all parties should remember here is that (in the nicest way possible here)  the customer doesn't care what your businesses are squabbling about. We care that something we desire is no longer conveniently available to us at a price point.  We're being forced to look elsewhere or take additional inconvenient action to get get "back to ground zero".  How many of your customers use DVR?  I'm guessing an ever larger number. We cannot use DVR to watch 24 at our convenience anymore and that's a problem.  I bet the sports fans are REALLY angry and considering the myriad NFL packages on DirecTV and Dish, this will really damage you over time. 

Somewhere, some very smart analysts have probably provided you the top secret report with the "Bend over and take the losses vs. bend over and take the Sinclair price tag equation mapped out".  As you approach that break even point of losing customers and/or paying out whatever it takes to get the programming back, I'm guessing we'll see action.  So the question is will I and enough of those like me, all Mediacom VIP's with all of your offerings bundled, switch quickly enough to trigger the "oh crap" button. 

I'm stuck in the middle...and it's the WORST place for a customer to be.

Thanks for listening and participating in the conversation.  I'm not sure where you are located...but Des Moines has a vibrant blogging community that would like to know that someone in "big corporate America" listens...in case you'd like to meet some of them.

Scott Westerman's email to me with all follow up messages.