The best time to win customer loyalty is when you make a mistake
September 15, 2010
“The best time to win customer loyalty is when you make a mistake.” I heard this surprising comment from an IBM executive speaking at a professional conference, and not long after that had an experience that demonstrated everything he said.
My IBM Thinkpad laptop had developed a persistent but intermittent problem. I’d sent it in for warranty repair, but it was returned with the problem still present. When I called IBM they offered to expedite another repair, again paying FedEx overnight both ways. But I was flying off to Europe in four days, explained that I needed a working laptop, and that this was cutting it too close for my comfort. The IBM representative promised to see what she could do. A few hours later, she called back, to say that she was working on it. And a bit later she informed me that an IBM repair person would be coming out (by boat) the next day to our island home to repair the computer. This wasn’t normal practice, and she had to “borrow” somebody from another department. But no matter — I was visited by a knowledgeable repair person who quickly found the real problem, fixed it, and got back on the boat.
The transaction cost here was the cost of sending a repair person to our home — perhaps a half day of his time. IBM certainly didn’t have to incur this cost, but they chose to.
On Turning the Computer Off
September 10, 2010
Turn the computer off? “Impossible”, you say. And my emotional response is to agree. I’ve a dear friend in the hospital, and I may get e-mails that need to be relayed. There may be an inquiry about the apartment we’re renting, a prospect who wants my coaching or consulting, a client who needs help in a hurry. I need to stay tuned to that information stream!
Or, do I? Will that information wait 30 minutes, or 60, or 90? Can I work on my time frame?
With the computer on, I tend to respond, and pay attention to what might come, even as I’m addressing the opportunities or challenges that are already here. My attention, and my creativity, are diverted from the most immediate task at hand.
I’m not alone. I see this with business colleagues around the globe. Sitting in front of our computers, we may be connected, but too often we’re not focused on the real questions, the deeper issues. We’re probably not our best creative selves.
Neuroscientists tell us that our brains need quiet time to rearrange and reorganize information we’ve taken in. When we’re permanently connected to an on-line data stream, that time just doesn’t happen.
What’s the prescription? Spend some time sitting under a tree, or on a rock by a stream, or even in a quiet room with no electronics. Think, plan, envision, create, imagine. Write with a pencil, and don’t worry about the font or margins. In fact, don’t worry at all. Just be present in the quiet space. With practice, you can even do it in a room with computers, iPhones, and other electronic devices present.
Listening to Users / Designing Usable Systems
March 5, 2010
Users have a special knowledge, and an intimate familiarity with data and process. Listening to them informs us. Watching how users work with our prototype system design lets us refine the design, so that it is clearer, more intuitive, easier to use, and harder to miss-use.
Listening is an attentive and active process that that requires focus and energy. Too many system design projects are based on untested assumptions — when listening to and watching users could have created a much better result.
Design is not cleaning up the mess, or adding ornamentation at the end. It’s a process of thinking, organizing, trying, testing, reworking, creating anew, refining, honing, and more. Successful systems work because they are well conceived, and responsive to user needs, styles, wishes, and habits. They continue to work because they are well structured, and can be easily maintained and enhanced.
A successful user interface design defines a process by which users interact with many elements of their work world. It’s much more than just a pretty set of screens.
Exceptional Leaders
January 28, 2010
What are the behaviors of exceptional leaders?
What do exceptional leaders do?
What do exceptional leaders say?
Exceptional leaders . . .
- Have lots of integrity. They can be trusted to hear difficult points of view, to speak the truth, to take responsiblity for their actions and words.
- Ask probing questions. They want to really know what is happening, and why, and seek out people who can provide solid answers to their questions. They are not afraid to admit their ignorance.
- Speak and write clearly. They know that their words will have a strong impact, and they insure that these words have the right impact.
- Trust the people they are leading — most of the time. They have a sense of when that trust might not be fully deserved, and work to instill values of trust, integrity, and cooperation.
- Can stay focused on the big picture most of the time, and are not overwhelmed with the details required to carry out policies. They can delegate tasks effectively and completely.
- Have clear goals — for themselves, and for their organization. And they can articulate these goals as a clear vision that can guide the work of everybody in the organization.
- Have a passion and energy that inspires all those around them.
- Regularly affirm the contributions of others in the organization. While they will take credit for bringing in the right people, and motivating them effectively, they recognize that any final product or result is a team effort
- Have strong interests and involvement in a various endeavors. They are nurtured by their involvements in the arts, and by their work with community, religious, and civic groups.
Twitter is not Trivial
December 14, 2009
I’ll confess — For years, I regarded Twitter as a trivial exercise — couldn’t understand why I’d want to reduce my deep thoughts to tiny 140 character sound bites. And when I joined Twitter, I could find some of those trivial tweets — many of them, in fact.
But I also found a pleasant surprise — lots of real content. Some are just nuggets of wisdom, some are self-promotion well done. And I’ve begun to write such myself.
This morning I sat on the boat from our island into town drafting seven such tweets. Here they are:
- Wanted: Creative projects, where deep questions, grounded in design thinking and spirit rich vision can bring insight, clarity, and results.
- Real consultants listen more than they talk, have more questions than answers or solutions, cogitate, enjoy collaboration, bring value.
- “What are we trying to do here?” Amazing how seldom this question stays on the table.
- Listening is the key. Not talking. Not responding. Not correcting or interrupting. Listening is the key.
- I’ve rarely met a problem that I understood at first. Yes, I had insights, possible answers, but it was bigger than I understood or imagined.
- My key question in interviewing possible employees: What’s an interesting “mistake” that you made, and what did you learn from it?
- A team that always agrees — deprives itself of joyful and creative diversity.
About forgiveness (from Sylvia Brallier)
November 29, 2009
“Forgiveness is not condoning. It’s not giving up. It’s not making the other person right. It’s not allowing for future injustice.
It’s setting yourself free of resentment so you can experience more peace and ease right here and now.”
by Sylvia Brallier (originally posted on her Facebook page)
A peaceful affirmation (from Heron Dance)
November 13, 2009
Each week I’m delighted to receive “A Pause for Beauty” — a wonderful newsletter that comes free of charge from Heron Dance. Each issue contains a beautiful watercolor illustration (the original is for sale, as are cards, prints, etc), along with some spiritually enriching or life affirming text. The following arrived with issue #144 (sent July 14, 2002):
“One does not need to fast for days and meditate for hours at a time to experience the sense of sublime mystery which constantly envelops us. All one need do is notice intelligently, if even for a brief moment, a blossoming tree, a forest flooded with autumn colors, an infant smiling”.
“Simon Greenburg”, from “A Grateful Heart” by M.J. Ryan
The reality that is present to us and in us:
call it being … Silence.
And the simple fact that by being attentive,
by learning to listen
(or recovering the natural capacity to listen)
we can find ourself engulfed in such happiness
that it cannot be explained:
the happiness of being at one with everything
in that hidden ground of Love
for which there can be no explanations….
May we all grow in grace and peace,
and not neglect the silence that is printed
in the centre of our being.
It will not fail us.
Thomas Merton, in “Prayers for Healing”
Judge computer systems by usability
November 10, 2009
Your computer system can be easy to use – and to utilize.
Want to turn off your PC? Just press the “start” button, and navigate to “shutdown.” Does this make sense? Perhaps to a system designer (who understands that it’s about starting the shutdown process), but not to most of us.
How many times have I been told by a clerk taking my order, or in some other way trying to serve me, “the computer won’t let us do that.” Well, the computer should.
With all the advances in computer technology, unusable systems are still with us. Perhaps more problematic are the systems that appear to work just fine, but that really don’t provide the assist that is needed.
What can you do as a manager who wants technology to serve your organization, to assist your staff in performing their jobs, and to make it easier for your customers to interact with your organization during every order, fulfillment and customer service functions? Read the rest of this entry »
