Southwest Airlines halted all their operations this past Tuesday morning, citing “intermittent technology issues.” By 1 PM/Eastern, 43% of the airline’s schedule was delayed.
The airline released a statement saying that an issue with a “vendor-supplied” firewall (I’d hate to be that vendor) caused data connection problems within its operations teams. An internal message seen by the frequent traveler website, The Points Guy, noted several computer systems that had lost connectivity.
Any and every business will have IT problems at some point – ranging from what Southwest experienced this week to a solopreneur uncertain of how to run a credit card. And, following their holiday debacle over the old scheduling technology that Southwest was using, “Southwest executives have said that they were accelerating plans to modernize the airline’s systems and doubling down on investments in new infrastructure improvements,” according to The Points Guy.
They had better be doing that. Because as I state in my forthcoming book, “The Ultimate Customer Experience,” the first level of customer interaction is “Processing.” In other words, there are some aspects that are non-negotiable from the customer’s point of view. If you fail to deliver at this first level, none of your other activities to drive customer retention will succeed.
Customers do not want us to “make it right.”
Customers want us to “GET it right!”
For Southwest, keeping the planes moving safely and on time is part of the deal. Certainly, there will be issues out of your command, but passengers understand those. Wednesday afternoon, my friend, Mark Sanborn, was delayed for several hours on his United flight to Denver. He wasn’t upset at United – the delay was because of an ice storm at their destination. However, if I’m on the tarmac and can’t take off because of a software issue – or another aspect, such as crew scheduling, that I perceive to be under your control – now I become an upset and dissatisfied customer.
The primary question is, “What do we have to get EXACTLY right…every time…for every customer?” Another that my new book encourages you to ask is: “What do our customers have a RIGHT TO EXPECT from us every time they do business with us?”
Have you had a conversation with your team about those questions? One study indicated only 16% of businesses even HAVE THE LIST of what customers have a right to expect!
You cannot expect your team to deliver what your customers have a right to expect…if you have failed to identify and train your employees to deliver on those expectations.
My research and experience have identified five steps you must make certain every employee knows and executes as he or she interacts with your customers. This is the first one – “Don’t make it right; GET it right.”
However, if the employee doesn’t know what “getting it right” means – or if they haven’t been trained properly or exposed to what an Ultimate Customer Experience® is – you have no right to expect them to deliver it for your organization.
Start with this first step: Make a list of what every customer has a right to expect from you every time they interact with your organization.
(Want to be certain every member of your team knows the five steps to an Ultimate Customer Experience? We have special offers for bulk purchases of the forthcoming book –some even include a virtual presentation from me to kick off your UCX efforts! Contact us for details.)
If you want to get better at what you do, there are few limits to how far you can go. With the right mindset, you can become more successful than ever before.
(That’s why Jason Bradshaw and I are conducting the “Stand Out / Earn More” program this week. You’ll discover how to register for FREE at the end of this post!)
As with any skill, learning new things and improving takes time and effort. Here are some tips for lifelong learning that will help elevate your career and your business:
Learning is how we grow as professionals
Learning is a lifelong process, and it’s not just about getting a degree. Learning is about keeping up with trends and new technology. It’s about staying ahead of the curve to keep providing your best work for customers and continue to be an asset to your company or organization.
If you want to stay current, there are many ways to learn while working:
Attend conferences and conventions related to your field (if possible).
Plan out time each week for learning new skills – whether through books, online courses, or other resources — even if it means reading just five pages daily!
You can keep getting better with discipline and action
It’s possible to keep getting better at your craft with discipline and action. That’s because self-discipline is a crucial ingredient for success. You might not know precisely what it takes or how much time it will take for you to do something well—but if you’re disciplined enough, this will show itself over time when nothing else matters but doing what needs doing right now! Whether you want to be an expert in programming, marketing, or sales, the only way you’ll get there is by setting goals and following through on them.
Track your progress
Track your progress and celebrate your achievements as you go. This will help you stay motivated, focused, and on track.
One way to stay motivated and on track is to set a time-based goal. For example, if you want to run a marathon in under 3 hours, set a date and commit to training. Once you’ve completed this goal, select another one that will help keep you motivated.
Having multiple skills is an essential part of being a professional
To be a distinctive professional, you need to have multiple skills. There are many ways that you can learn new skills: taking classes online, attending virtual summits, reading books about it, observing someone who already has those skills (i.e., watching your boss), and so forth.
Learning builds confidence so your efforts are taken seriously
Confidence is a key part of being a distinctive professional. As your experience grows, so does your credibility and, thus, your confidence. Learning new skills helps build this credibility and also helps to keep you interested in what you do.
Learning new skills helps us gain both confidence in ourselves and attractiveness as an employee or entrepreneur because our customers know we are always looking for ways to improve ourselves professionally.
Lifelong learning is key for the true professional
Lifelong learning is critical for the true professional. Lifelong learning is a skill that can be developed, taught, learned, and improved. It’s not just about what you know today; it’s about how you’ll be able to apply that knowledge in years to come.
The world is changing. To survive in this dynamic environment, it’s essential to be flexible and adaptable. Lifelong learning allows you to do just that—it keeps you informed about the latest trends and developments so that you can stay current with the ever-changing landscape.
In the end, lifelong learning is essential for anyone who wants to keep getting better.
Professionalism isn’t just about keeping up with the latest trends or being busy all the time; it’s also about taking time to reflect on your skills so that you can use them well in the future. Learning new things is important because it gives us confidence in ourselves and our work, moving people to take us more seriously.
Why wait? Go forth and learn!
This is my personal invitation to you to attend our “Stand Out / Earn More” event this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – and I hope to see you there! You can attend for FREE!
When the world around you is running hot, it’s essential for you to stay cool.
I don’t remember a time when there was so much aggression and meanness in the culture. Your challenge is how you will deal with it.
Perhaps this situation is a result of tearing down the walls of civility we became accustomed to expecting. Maybe it’s the natural outgrowth of the intense divisions we are currently experiencing in America and worldwide. Nonetheless, stress and aggression can quickly escalate into dangerous situations, so it’s crucial to remain calm and level-headed, regardless of whether we’re talking about our professional or personal encounters.
Here are three of the many conditions making the workplace increasingly stressful:
Social media has created a more open and interconnected world, which can be positive. But it also means constant bombardment with new information and updates (some of which may be completely false). The result can be a sense of overwhelm for many people.
The global economy is increasingly competitive, which puts pressure on businesses to perform. This can lead to longer hours and increased stress for employees.
Political divisions are causing tension in many workplaces. Whether it’s arguments about the upcoming election or different opinions on current events, this stress can spill over into our professional lives.
Stress in business is higher today than ever before. Stress in the workplace can lead to aggression and unwarranted levels of confrontation. The pressures our customers are under — in many cases created by their dealings with other organizations, not our own — can lead to responses from them that aren’t congruent and are needlessly assertive.
It is crucial for business owners and managers to understand how to keep their cool when everyone around them is losing theirs. Here are five simple tips for staying cool under pressure:
Take a deep breath: It sounds clichéd, but deep breathing really can help to calm you down. Focus on taking slow, deep breaths and count to four as you inhale and out as you exhale.
Identify your triggers: What makes you lose your cool? Once you know what sets you off, you can try to avoid those situations or be prepared for them mentally.
Walk away: If you feel yourself getting agitated, remove yourself from the situation if possible. Go for a walk, take a break in another room, or even step outside for fresh air.
Talk it out: Sometimes, the best way to calm down is to talk through whatever is causing your stress. Find a friend or colleague you trust and vent your frustrations. Getting them off your chest can help make them feel less daunting.
Focus on the positive: When you’re feeling stressed, it’s easy to dwell on a situation’s negative aspects. Instead, focus on the positive aspects in your life, no matter how small. This can help to put things into perspective and remind you that the current stressor is not the be-all and end-all.
Staying cool when those around you are losing their temper can be difficult, but it’s essential to remain calm in order to diffuse tense situations. By following these tips, you can help to keep yourself – and those around you – safer from stress-induced challenges.
Every day, more emails land in my inbox offering an opportunity to take a course or participate in a program designed to help grow my business or advance my financial standing.
While there’s no doubt that — like everyone else — I’d love my business to expand and my bank account to be enhanced. Yet, such widely varied choices are available that I often simply “keep on keeping on” without the help these opportunities may provide.
There are so many opportunities available in today’s world that we sometimes get paralyzed by a plethora of choices. While it’s great to have options, too many can be overwhelming.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by opportunity, here are a few tips to help you narrow down your choices:
1. Define your goals. What are you hoping to achieve? If you aren’t specific with your goals, it’s almost impossible to discern what can help you get to where you want to be. Once you know what you want, you can eliminate options that don’t align with your goals.
2. Do your research. When you’ve got a shortlist of potential opportunities, take some time to learn more about each one. What are the pros and cons? What do other people say about it? There are some brilliant programs available to help you in your journey to achievement. Sadly, however, today’s world of online learning has made it much easier for shysters to go virtual. Take a moment to do your homework on both the program and the presenter.
3. Trust your gut. At the end of the day, you know yourself best. If something feels right, go for it! Nike never says, “Just THINK ABOUT IT!” We all know that they tell us to “Just DO IT!” That’s frequently great advice in all endeavors — not just for athletes.
Don’t let opportunity overwhelm you. By taking some time to evaluate your options, you can make sure you choose the right opportunity for you.
There is no distinction without action — and you can discover the action steps you need to take by expanding your learning. Then, go for it with all you’ve got!
In today’s market, customers have more choices than ever before, and they’re not afraid to switch brands if they’re not happy. As every business strives to stand out from the competition, an increasing number are now turning to the customer experience as their critical differentiator.
That’s why businesses that focus on delivering an “Ultimate Customer Experience®” are gaining a competitive edge.
By definition, an Ultimate Customer Experience is one so positive and memorable that it assures customer loyalty and ongoing referrals.
It’s no secret that providing an exceptional customer experience can be a challenge — but the rewards are well worth the effort.
Businesses that deliver an Ultimate Customer Experience enjoy:
increased customer loyalty
higher customer lifetime value
and more robust word-of-mouth marketing.
Here are three steps to initiate the Ultimate Customer Experience® (UCX):
Define what an exceptional customer experience looks like for your business. This means going beyond simply evaluating, then meeting customer expectations. First, you need to commit to significant research to understand what your customers expect you to deliver thoroughly. Then, develop the internal systems required to exceed those expectations at every opportunity.
Educate and train all employees on the importance of delivering an exceptional customer experience. Everyone from the front-line staff to the CEO needs to buy into the idea that the customer experience is a crucial differentiator for your business. Your team must learn the specific aspects of what determines a UCX for your particular business – and they must be educated on the attitudinal and behavioral elements required to create high levels of customer engagement.
Constantly measure and improve the customer experience you’re delivering. Use customer feedback to continuously improve the way you do business. Your customers are likely to provide their feedback via social media and other forms of communication. Commit to leveraging technology to drill deeply into where the errors are in your processes so that you can stop manufacturing customer dissatisfaction.
By following these steps, you can start to differentiate your business by delivering an Ultimate Customer Experience®. When you accomplish this, you will stand out…and earn more!
If you’d like to learn more about the impact a UCX will have on your business, contact me! (I’m available on every social media platform – and email: Iconic@ScottMcKain.com)
We own the federally registered trademark on the term “Ultimate Customer Experience®” — and are, therefore, the ONLY company that can legally present training, coaching, speeches, and consulting on this vital topic.
The bottom line is this: if you want your business to thrive in today’s competitive market, you need to focus on delivering an Ultimate Customer Experience.® It’s the distinction difference that will make you stand out from the crowd.
At a time when our world seems increasingly divided and fraught with conflict, it is more important than ever to be kind and compassionate toward one another. Whether interacting with customers or colleagues, friends or family members — or even total strangers — we should always try to display good intentions and show courtesy and respect.
This pervasive sense of meanness and anger in today’s culture is constantly perplexing to me. It’s showing up in our businesses and displaying itself in almost every walk of life.
A primary aspect of a great business and extraordinary customer experiences is simple respect and kindness. Here are three steps we can take to display that we care:
1. Listen more and talk less. We can learn a lot about someone by genuinely listening to them without interruption or judgment.
2. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. This is a principle from Stephen Covey’s classic book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” It means that we should try to see things from the other person’s perspective before communicating our point of view.
3. Put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. This is similar to the previous point, but it takes it one step further. Not only should we try to understand where the other person is coming from, but we should also try to empathize with them and feel what they are feeling.
Just because a person is from a differing political viewpoint, or a dissimilar religion or a different race or gender doesn’t mean they deserve disrespect. Today’s social media has created a lot of “keyboard courage” — people sending messages via Twitter or Facebook that they would have difficulty saying in person to someone. However, part of what we’re seeing is a lowering of the standards of common courtesy. After you get away with bad behavior online for a while, perhaps it becomes easier for many to assume that you can act that way in person, as well.
Here’s a fundamental challenge when it comes to this problem. As I state in the book “ICONIC,” when it comes to reciprocal respect, the key is that YOU must go first.
This is NOT to say you should alter your opinion.
It’s not to say you should diminish your beliefs.
However, you cannot wait for the other person to show you respect before sending it their way.
That kind of “I’ll do it if you do” approach will never work! It is also antithetical to the principles of respect and kindness. Instead, we need to proactively show others that we care about them — not just with our words but with our actions.
By practicing these small acts of kindness and courtesy at every opportunity, we can bring more compassion and empathy into the world around us. If more people made a conscious effort to be just a bit gentler toward one another, perhaps we could begin to heal some of the wounds currently ripping our society apart.
Even if we only make a slight difference in this world, that would still be worth doing. Let’s try a little kindness today — in our daily interactions with others, as well as in our broader efforts to create a better society.
