QBQ! Quicknote - Why Can't Customers Follow the Rules?  |
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 You might be thinking nobody would ever ask that lousy question. Maybe not in so many words, but ... Sitting in the restaurant booth with her menu unopened, the customer looks cheerily up at the server and asks, "So, what's new in the way of bread bowl salads?" The response? "Most people just read the menu." Ouch. The customer approaches the pharmacy counter giving his name. The clerk searches a basket and then says, "Is your name currently displayed on our electronic board on the wall?" Her customer responds, "No, but I called an hour ago and was told my meds are here and ready to go." Gesturing to the customer's left, she says, "Next time you need to get in that line! But, this time I'll go to the back to find it." The customer turns to see an unmoving line so long the last person is in another county! The insurance agent talks with the policyholder by phone a day after an auto claim was submitted. The young customer in his twenties describes his first accident ever and what steps he took afterward. After hearing the story the agent shares his thoughts: "I believe I need to come over and sit down with you and your wife so we can go over the rules again." The HMO customer finally gets through the automated phone system (clearly designed to keep customers away) to a hopefully compassionate and caring phone nurse. She tells the nurse she believes a small piece of glass is stuck in her index finger. It's sore but she's unable to see anything embedded in the skin. It's possibly been there for a couple weeks and she's tried to live with it. Now it's probably time to come in and have a professional look at it. How did the healthcare provider respond to her customer in pain? With these words: "And what do you expect us to do now that you have put this off so long?" Mmm, could the answer be "HELP ME???" On the lobby walls of our institutions we post our mission and vision statements, and every one of them refers in some way to "serving the customer." Sorry if this offends but I say, "MEANINGLESS!" Why? Because - In the customer's eyes the institution is only as good as the person they are interacting with - at that moment. It's really never about institutions, is it? It's always about individuals. When an individual's personal customer care philosophy is "Bad, bad customers! Why don't they follow the rules?" then the values we proclaim on the lobby walls are a waste and we fail everyone. Things can be better, though, when each of us practices personal accountability by asking terrific questions - QBQ!s - such as: "How can I best serve this person at this moment?" "What words can I choose to put this customer at ease?" "How can I improve my tone so as to make the customer feel special?" Accountable thinking like this can make all the difference. I recently phoned the Department of Motor Vehicles in Denver and found a person who really demonstrated the QBQ! spirit. She was kind and patient as she answered every one of my questions. How simple, but what a difference! I got off the phone thinking, "Now there's a magnificent institution doing great things for humankind!" Don't we all want our customers to feel that way about our organization? All it takes are some good questions and one individual who cares. -------------------------------------------------------------------  John G. MillerAuthor of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch QBQ! QuickNotes may be forwarded by email to others or printed in their entirety with credit given for personal and group use. Copyright QBQ, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved. Host a QBQ! event at your organization and start making personal accountability a core cultural value. Click here for more information or give us a call today at 1-866-988-RAIN - we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about Personal Accountability and the QBQ! at our Personal Accountability at Work website Visit the QBQ! QuickNotes Archives Personal Accountability should be an important part of every organizational culture. Unfortunately though a culture of personal accountability is often times eroded and replaced by a destructive culture characterized by negativity, blame shifting, finger pointing, and poor employee morale. QBQ! The Question Behind The Question seeks to eliminate this noxious culture and replace it with one where individuals take responsibility for their actions and ask themselves what they as individuals can do to help the organization succeed and prosper. For more information about how you can create a culture of personal accountability in your organization give us a shout! 1-866-988-RAIN   |
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