BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

Are Your Associates Thinking In Heroics?

Following
This article is more than 4 years old.

The definition of "I get really good customer service" has changed.  People no longer talk or tweet about good service; it must be either unique or over-the-top to become deeply engraved in their memory banks. And, if you are hoping customers will enthusiastically tell a great story about you and not just offer a tepid recommendation, the standards jump even higher. 

Delivering extraordinary service and creating ingenious service come from the same attitude—a quest to be profoundly remarkable. That means an experience (either generous or ingenious or both) that is so profound in the manner it touches your soul you cannot wait to remark about it.  It comes from service providers whose associates  "think in heroics."  It is the business end of the outcome my friend Shep Hyken labels, "Be amazing or go home."

Heroics in Action

Case Number 1.  Jim was working the front desk at the Holiday Inn hotel near the Toronto Airport when two men arrived late to check-in.  Their conversation was tinged with anger since the airline had lost their luggage and they had important interviews the next morning.  Jim sized up the two guests and concluded both were about his same size.  He asked a colleague to take over the front desk for him, went home nearby and returned with two business suits, shirts and ties.  The guests were blown away.  The following afternoon they returned to the hotel all smiles—their interviews had been successful thanks to the service heroics of Jim.  "He is a miracle worker," they told the hotel manager. 

Case Number 2.  A well-worn, shoddy pair of sneakers belonging to a St. Luke's Medical Center patient was mistakenly thrown out by housekeeping.  The patient was livid and unmoved by the hospital's offer to pay for their replacement.  Realizing an opportunity to turn disdain into delight, another housekeeper got a description of the sneakers, left the hospital for a nearby mall, purchased a replacement pair with her own money, and returned to witness a profoundly moved and thrilled patient.  The housekeeper became the first recipient of a new Golden Sneaker Award designed to encourage heroics consistent with the values of the Milwaukee-based hospital.

We have all heard our share of beyond the call of duty stories that can sound exotic, extravagant, and way over the top. We smile.  They warm our spirit.  And then we go back to reality with the thought that "my manager would kill me if I did something like that."  As the cold reality of work quickly freezes out the story's momentary warmth, it gets dropped into our brain's "fairy tale" file.

However, is there another perspective on these enchanting heroic stories?  Is it possible they could be worth the "extras" they require?  What if the devotion that resulted from heroics was worth it in the form of repeat sales, larger buys, bigger share of wallet, greater advocacy, and forgiveness for hiccups?  And, how do successful organizations with a bent for service heroics make it a reality without breaking the bank?  Here are three tips.

Thinking in Heroics Takes Owner Thinking

Many barriers can inhibit bold action, especially for frontline employees.  They can feel blocked by rules or procedures, anxious about taking actions with their limited experience, and apprehensive about an action's impact on the big financial picture they know little about.  But, if prepared for heroics, employees are more likely to take appropriate risks. Empowerment does not mean unlimited license; it means responsible freedom.  The Ritz-Carlton Hotels' practice of giving a housekeeper the authority to spend up to $2000 to make sure a guest leaves happy is widely known. But, there is an important backstory.

Empowered ignorance is anarchy. Ritz-Carlton did not send out an e-blast to housekeepers announcing their new authority. Housekeepers were trained to handle unhappy guests and find solutions that relied on compassion and kindness before reaching for an economic one.  They learned about the financial impact of their decisions so they would respond to Ritz-Carlton guests with maturity, not just generosity.  And, they learned that many times a monetary cure to an emotional condition can be interpreted as an unwelcome bribe rather than a sincere desire for guest loyalty. 

Thinking in Heroics Requires Trust-in-Action

When empowerment is discussed by leaders, they sometimes lament that employees have more authority than they typically use. Gather a group of employees and they often gripe about their lack of authority.  The truth is empowerment (or lack of it) is usually code for a fear of failure.  Reluctance to engage in heroics out of fear of failure can be silenced by trust and encouragement.  The goal is encouraging employees to experience the limits and, if they go too far, learn the leader response will be support and coaching not punishment and rebuke.  Empowerment begins with error; error begins with risks.  Employees take measured risks when they believe failure will spark growth and encouragement, not blame.

Trust starts with allegiance to values. Nordstrom is famous as a site for service heroics.  That propensity to "go the extra mile" to thrill a customer begins with the Nordstrom standard: "Use your good judgment in all situations. There will be no other rules." The message is this: "We hired you for your good judgment, so please use it.  And, we are guided, not by a bunch of rules but by a clear set of non-negotiable values.  The first five are trust, respect, loyalty, awareness, and humility."  Zappos pays new employees $2000 to quit after going through their orientation.  They believe if employees lack zeal for Zappos' values, it is cheaper to let them go early.

Thinking in Heroics is Customer-Centric

The challenge every organization faces in creating a strong service culture is how to keep the "shiny from wearing off." The early elation of the "the year of the customer" big kick-off can quickly turn to raw exertion when the umpteenth irate customer makes some unreasonable demand on an already exhausted front line.  How do organizations ensure excitement wins out over despair?  A part of the answer is the celebration of heroics.

Effective service celebrations begin with "see."  The telling of heroic service stories should provide a graphic picture of what heroic service looks like.  Too often those witnessing a celebration learn who, but not why.  They depart with little to emulate.  Make sure the stories are told in intricate detail, along with the attitude demonstrated by each story.  Employees will remember the virtues of heroic service, not the fact that the way to get the award next year is to send customers home in an unbudgeted limousine because "we screwed up their account."

Customers love service heroes.  Some service providers are fortunate to find associates who are wired to deliver over-the-top customer experiences despite the culture.  Service heroics is nurtured and sustained by leaders who value their associates as much as they want their associates to value those they serve.  Promote owner-thinking grounded in trust, values and a deep passion for customers.