In the Puddin'

Brand Champion Award - October 10, 2008

 

Colton - Barista

Starbucks - 21050 N Tatum Phoenix, AZ

Brand Champion Awards - Awarding individual team member's actions and how it delivers their organization's brand promise in an extraordinary way.

We've received several emails lately inquiring on the whereabouts of Lola (for those of you new to The Puddin' - Lola is my alter ego that I allow to rant as she pleases) and why she hasn't been contributing to The Puddin' lately. A few of you were even concerned that one of the brands of which Lola gave constructive criticism may have gone to extreme measures to keep her quiet.

Well, I assure you that no ill fate has befallen Lola and providing evidence to that, it has been decided - or rather, Lola insisted - on awarding this week's Brand Champion. So, without further delay:

Lola:

It is absolutely no secret that sometime ago, I grew disenchanted with the Starbucks experience (see Lola's Advice to Starbucks). And with the numerous other options to grab a cup of coffee or meet for conversation in the marketplace, there has been no need for me to revisit Starbucks for quite some time now. My criticism regarding the current state of their brand was not that the creation of the brand experience was less than brilliant. Indeed it was absolutely that. Rather, the loss of my loyalty to the Starbucks brand was a result of Starbucks letting go of the most valuable components in their brand experience. It was heartbreaking and disappointing to see a brand execute an experience so well for years across a wide marketplace and then abandon those tactics to prioritize the lower economic offerings of basic service and goods.

And while I am pointing out what I find to be the most offensive infractions of keeping brand promises in my posts, it is always my sincere hope that the brand and its team member's endeavor to create valuable change and turn the ship around. Of all the brands I have featured, it is my pleasure to report that Starbucks is the first to provide me with an experience that demonstrated a genuine effort to change the execution of their brand promise for the better.  That is, at least the Starbucks location closest to my office.

So, why would I even give Starbucks another chance? Simple. I was wearing a sticker.

There is something irresistible about the concept of 'free'. Not 'free with minimum purchase'. Not 'buy one get one free'. Not 'free if you give up 90 minutes of your valuable time that you will never get back to sit through our presentation'. I mean, 'just show up, ask for it and we'll give it to you honestly, for free'.

And there is also something very attractive about the concept of 'reward'. I get something truly free because I'm just really that great and I do amazing things. I earned it - Therefore I deserve it - Therefore I want it - And that makes me happy, proud & special.

So, why was I at Starbucks? Because on Election Day Starbucks was offering a 'free' cup of coffee as a 'reward' to all of those who voted that day. I was so there. Not because I'm that cheap, but partially because I was caught up in the euphoria of the day's events and mostly, because by 5:00 in the evening, I wanted to see how true to intention brands would honor their customer's patriotism. How were they behaving at 5:00pm after being barraged all day by moochers? Would it feel like I was truly being honored for performing my civic duty or, most likely, would they be wearing their emotions on their sleeves that they wished whoever it was in Marketing and PR had never thought of this operational nightmare of a promotion?

And, without purposeful intention, we added a twist to our experiment. My husband and I, proudly donning our 'I Voted' stickers brought along our 2 youngest children (8 & 12) who had also voted that day in school (the school district provided a mock voting experience at all levels - including city positions and propositions - very cool). They had indeed 'voted' that day and were wearing their red, white and blue stickers. It was clear that from my children's perspectives, they felt the importance of their own voting experiences as they argued politics in the back seat of the car all the way to Starbucks. Would their perspective as 'voters' be honored?

The four of us walked up to the counter and inquired if they were indeed giving away free coffees to voters. Our question was met by the very gracious smile of Colton, the Barista, who happened to be working at the counter. Colton assured us that was true. We then explained that our daughters had voted at school that day and inquired if that counted. Were they eligible for free coffees? Without flinching, Colton smiled generously and said, "Sure". My children beamed. With one confident word attached to the instinctive value of honoring the Starbucks promise to their customers and voters - my children reaped value of 'reward' - They were happy, proud and special. I was pleasantly surprised.

We then ordered 2 regular and 2 decaf coffees (and a pound of Thanksgiving Blend beans for home...too tempting).

After a couple of minutes, Colton returned to the counter with our 2 regular coffees. But where were the promised decafs? Colton explained that they had just run out of decaf and it would take several minutes for the brewing cycle to complete. I started to let myself think, "I knew this was too good to be true...", but Colton interrupted my thoughts with his next comment.

Colton suggested that perhaps the girls might like decaf Americanos (espresso with hot water - for you non-coffee types) - on the house, of course. What was this? Going out of the way to solve the problem of delivering on a free promotion...for children who it was not designed for? Being pro-active to please the 1 millionth customer that is trying to mooch free stuff off you at the end of a very long day?(with low tips, likely). Trying to please me without my prompting or even a frown? I could not repress the largest smile. "That would be perfect - Thank you." I said.

And perfect it was. Colton demonstrated one of the finest traits of a true Brand Champion - Brand Instinct. Delivering on the brand promise in an unscripted, not-in-the-manual situation without hesitation. Preserving the intention of the brand promise as the most important idea and then using his instinct and brand resources to deliver the experience as it was expected by the customer. 

It was the perfect use of empowerment. Colton didn't check with his manager. He acted with a sense of urgency to take care of our needs. And I bet he was confident he didn't need to check. His reflexive action suggested that in his store's culture, the values were well instructed and team members were trusted to uphold them without the need for authorization. What a wonderful thing: Colton viewing my problem being more important than permission. A rare thing of beauty in customer experiences today.

Perhaps you are thinking, "What's the big deal? One reflexive action that took place in less than a minute. So what?"

Let me remind you that it is those split-second reflexive actions that: decides the winner of a duel with one quick draw, sweeps the girl off her feet before she disappears into the sunset, and leaps in front of another to take the bullet to save a life. And yes - creates a memorable moment that earns loyalty and builds brand devotion.

And let me also remind you that in a perfect world, Colton's actions would not be an exception. But the world is still less than perfect and Colton's decision and reflexes in a quick-paced fast service environment are rare.

Later that evening, we went to both Chik-Fil-A and Krispy Kreme - both of which brands promised 'freebies' for voters. Neither of which honored my children as 'voters' with one of the brands' team members getting downright nasty in temperament with the multitude of customers they were 'required to honor'. Those experiences could not have been a bigger contrast to the one Colton created for us.

Congratulations to Colton for creating a memorable experience on a momentous day for a well-documented 'former customer' of Starbucks. Your efforts in honoring your customers' experience and authentic instinct to keep the brand promise of Starbucks are a great value to your store and the organization. And who knows - perhaps you have recaptured a lost customer and brand fan. -- Lola for Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Champion Awards Guidelines

• Each Friday, beginning 8/08/08, an individual team member selected by ZAG Group and In the Puddin' will be selected and awarded as 'Brand Champion'
• Brand Champions will be featured in In the Puddin' and receive an honorary certificate
• A Brand Champion's direct supervisor and corporate office will also be officially notified
• Each weekly Brand Champion is then eligible for the ZAG Grand Champion prize at the end of the year
• On September 1, 2009, the ZAG Grand Champion will be announced. More details on the prize coming soon, but will include airfare, hotel room and a very cool experience, of course.

Lola's - Tableside Values - Final Edition

  In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

First and foremost - Let me apologize for some drafts accidentally being emailed out of the Puddin' Factory. For those of you subscribing by email, we are aware that a couple of these got out the door without being fully cooked. I believe we have identified the issue and can prevent it from happening in the future. You have my most humble apologies for our error and any confusion it may have caused.

Which brings me to my next point and the final installation of Lola's Tableside Values: Recovering from mistakes.

Today, it is time to let my alter ego come out to play - we'll call her 'Lola' - and I will let her rant as she pleases:

Lola: In restaurants, the consumer knows they are paying for the experience of dining. You are not just paying for the food, you are paying for:

• the convenience of having someone else prepare the food
• the convenience of someone else setting and clearing the table, dealing with the dishes, etc.
• the service of someone else for you and your guests
• the entertainment of menu choices and culinary discovery
• the entertainment of the atmosphere and all of the touchpoints
• the pleasure of having your needs and wants attended to

And if all of those elements come together, consumers are pleased with their restaurant experience and will consider returning or recommending. Often, though - unexpected problems occur throughout the course of the experience that interfere with enjoyment.

And that is OK, too - Nobody's perfect. As long as the restaurant and its brand representatives take responsibility for the mistakes and the impact on the experience. Once it has been established that a guest has the right to feel inconvenienced, disappointed, etc. and the restaurant takes responsibility - then an adequate solution can be found and the guest can go back to enjoying their experience.

Sounds simple, right? Amazingly enough, the most difficult aspect of that super simple formula seems to be apologizing and taking responsibility for the guest's disappointment. Instead of a simple mea culpa, many restaurants have gotten in the poor habit of sending a manager over to the table to 'explain' what went wrong and then attempt to convince the guest that there is a very good reason why their experience does not have to match the guest's disappointed expectations...why it is not as 'bad' as it seems.

Here are a few recent personal examples:

• When at Yard House and toward the bottom of my fresh fruit cup, I find a black bug. My guest then finds a dark foreign object in her fruit cup several minutes later. The server sends a manager over to the table that first says, "How are you doing?" Silly question. Then his next words were "I understand you didn't like the fruit." Was he suggesting our dissatisfaction with having bugs in our food is a matter of personal preference? Why not just apologize?
• When at Islands Restaurant, there seemed to be some sort of fuzzy-stringy items stuck to the fries. Not just one fry - I stopped counting after a dozen. They sort of looked like fine hairs and definitely were not potato, so we questioned the server on her check back (which by the way did not happen until we were half-way finished with our meals). Before we could finish explaining the problem, our server interrupted us and told us "It's not hair if that is what you are thinking." She went onto to tell us she gets that complaint all of the time, but we shouldn't worry - it's not hair. We asked for the manager who then assured us it was "only burlap" from the potato sacks (they cut their fries in-house). Only burlap? Why down-play their chronic issue with multiple foreign objects in one of their most popular menu items? Wouldn't it be simpler to take responsibility and solve the chronic issue? 
• At Thai Elephant, I was finishing my lunch with another guest while the third person in our party was still waiting to receive their lunch. We called the server over and inquired on the missing lunch. He stated that the third person would need to wait because the dish they ordered took longer to cook. When we asked if that made sense to have parties dining together for a business lunch receive their food over 20 minutes apart from one another, his reply was, "If you order the BBQ chicken, that is how it comes out." Absolutely no concern for our experience. I didn't even bother trying to explain that normally restaurants would time the cooking of their dishes so that the experience of having lunch together is actually that for their guests. 
• At Wally's American Pub and Grill, my guest expressed dissatisfaction of poor service to our server and got up to use the restroom. The server, walking behind him, began mocking him behind his back as he walked. Outrageous. Upon relaying our experience to the manager on duty, he flat out told us that was not possible. When we clarified that he was suggesting we were lying about our experience, his response was "Yes". When we then suggested that we felt the need to let the owner know what had transpired, the manager confidently told us "to go right ahead - he was sure the owner would 'back them up'." And I believed him. Chances were that no one in his organization would take responsibility for our experience. So we didn't call the owner - We've just never gone back.

Yes - These are extreme examples of restaurant mistakes and very poor management responses. Most often, restaurant errors are more minor, but the principle is the same.

A restaurant is a dining experience and creates a specific expectation and brand promise. There are a million things in and out of the control of the restaurant that threaten to break their promise. The question is, despite challenges that occur in restaurants, big and small, how important is the promise of a great dining experience to the establishment? Is it more important to take responsibility and create a great experience even when a guest is disappointed or is it more important to convince the guest that they should be satisfied and/or attempt to downplay the guests' personal experience?

The irony is, studies have proved for decades that consumer loyalty is 10 times more likely in a situation where a brand takes the responsibility to recover well from a moment of dissatisfaction. What an opportunity to create powerful fans by simply taking responsibility every time something goes wrong.

And things will go wrong - every single day - countless times a day. If you want to build value into your restaurant brand and powerful devotion from your guests, then please make sure you take genuine responsibility for the experiences you provide with sincere empathy and without excuses. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Lola's Tableside Values - Part II

In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

First of all, thank you to the readers who took the time to email me and let me know the last edition of Lola's Turn satisfied your need for brand experience carnage. From this point forward, you have my word that she will make it a point to serve a satisfying portion of graphic details. We are now back on track from where we left off.

With that said...I’m letting my alter ego come out to play today - we’ll call her Lola – and I’ll let her rant a bit:

Lola: First, a refresher of where we were a couple of weeks ago:

I am amazed that the concept of value for price paid is not honored nearly as well on the service side of restaurants as it should be. I find myself sitting in restaurants wondering how in the world it is possible for me to be paying twice or three times as much in some 'finer' establishments versus their more casual counterparts and yet, the service is frighteningly similar.

· Pricing: Don't forget how the consumer looks at it. Take your menu price and automatically add on twenty percent. Because the minute I sit at one of your tables, that is the REAL price I'm going to pay. Naturally, the more expensive the menu price, the more expensive the twenty percent mark-up of my overall bill for gratuity due to service. And that's fine. If it is worth it.

·  Are the steps and sequence of service and attention to detail equitable to the respective price points (more refined for more expensive restaurants)?

·  Is the service more personalized at the higher price points?

·  Is the overall showmanship and entertainment value greater when you pay a higher price point?

The answer to the three questions above is: Not nearly enough to justify the price point in many cases.

If service, personalization and overall showmanship value is supposed to be greater for the larger amount of money I am paying to the restaurant and the team's gratuity - Then someone please explain to me why so many service people say exactly the same thing - regardless of the level of dining and respective price point?

In fact, the moment some team members deliver certain 'lines' to me, I am unavoidably aware that they are simply going through the motions and it will be nearly impossible for me to have a truly extraordinary, personalized experience. Technically proficient and well-timed, perhaps, but from an experience stand point - mediocre at best.

Here is a sampling of phrases that, when they are said to me in a restaurant, make me feel like I am chewing on a sandwich of tin foil and Styrofoam:

·         “Reservation tonight?”

o    Welcoming me and my guests first would be a thought. Then learning my name. This impersonal 2-word common greeting makes it clear that you view my party as just another potential name on the list or a potential problem to fit in if I don’t have a reservation.

·         “Hi. How many?”

o    In four syllables you just let me know that I am personally irrelevant. This greeting makes it clear your values are counting derrières in seats and my party is considered as covers to be ‘fit in’ …once we’ve been processed for counting. Incidentally, my name is usually taken for the wait list in these circumstances and never used again (once in a while when receiving my credit card back upon paying)…

·         “Hi, My name is ____ and I’ll be taking care of you tonight…”

o    This is my all-time dreaded ‘bad line’ mistake. Servers who open with this statement are highlighting the fact that the experience is about them and their presumptuous great service, not getting to know the needs of their individual guests.

o    I am glad to know the name of my server if they took any interest in learning mine. This greeting has a strong failure rate for name recognition execution.

o    Setting the bar kind of high aren’t you? ‘Taking care of me’? Really? How is that possible when you don’t even care to learn my name or any other details about what I enjoy, I’m in the mood for or whatever. Chances are, when a server leads with this statement, they are there to take my order, not to take care of me.

·         “Is everything to your satisfaction this evening?”

o    Satisfaction is a “C”. You want to know if my experience is living up to the goal grade of a “C”? This makes it clear you want to make sure I am not displeased to the point of complaining about anything and equally clear that the focus is not on creating an exceptional experience with memorable wow factors that exceed my expectations.

·         “How is everything?”

o    ‘Everything?’ That’s not a real question. That’s like when most people pass you in the hall and say, “How’s everything going, Joey?” It is a pleasantry – not a real, empowering question that prompts a genuine response. Most that are ‘taking care of me’ are satisfied with an ear-candy response of “Fine”. Ask me a real question about a specific aspect of my experience and then listen for a genuine answer if you wish to take care of me.

·         “I’ll just leave this here for your convenience (the check). I’ll be your cashier whenever you are ready. No rush.”

o    That is like handing someone their coat and hat toward the end of a cocktail party ‘for their convenience’. It’s a silly, disingenuous thing to say. Don’t present the check at a point where it could be perceived as rushing me. And then have it immediately ready to present if it is requested (fine dining). Yes- that requires reading your guest, but that is what it means to ‘take care of someone' at a table.

How is it conceivable to say such generic things to guests and then expect a distinctive, memorable experience will be created? Team members need to see how their words are so powerfully capable of either creating a phenomenal experience or how they can make it perfectly clear the team is only there to be order-takers. Regardless of which experience they offer, strangely, it is still their expectation to make a similar percentage in gratuity.

With that said, there are some incredible service professionals out there who see their work as art and every guest experience as a new canvas waiting to be masterfully crafted into a great memory. These experience creators are not who I am referring to in this article. These experience experts are the ideal and what the public is hoping for every time they set foot in a restaurant.

Words are incredibly important in service. And just as you would be the laughing stock at the company Christmas party for having the exact same conversation with each person you talked to, or throwing out the same ‘line’ to each person down the row of bar stools in a lounge, your impression holds no more value when you do the same with your restaurant guests.—Lola for Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Lola's Tableside Manners

In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

I realize that many of you were expecting Part II of Lola's Tableside Values today as promised in last Tuesday's blog. My apologies in advance if this caused any disappointment - we will get back on that track next week. There are a couple of reasons why I am deviating from the original plan:

1.     Apparently, many of you have very specific expectations of Lola and how she handles her blogs. After receiving a number of emails missing Lola's style of shedding light on specific instances of brand experience carnage, (which were absent from last week's post) it was clear that taking a step back to let Lola share all of the gory details regarding 'wine knowledge gone wrong' was the right thing to do. We aim to please.

2.     Lola thought it was a good idea and as you can imagine, she's a bit difficult to convince otherwise. Go ahead. You try to talk her out of something she wants to say.

With that said...It's Tuesday, so I’m letting my alter ego come out to play - we’ll call her Lola – and I’ll let her rant a bit:

Lola: First, a refresher of where we were last week:

I am amazed that the concept of value for price paid is not honored nearly as well on the service side of restaurants as it should be. Restaurateurs: I know I'm paying more just to sit in one of your chairs:

·  Wine pricing: We all know we are paying double (or more) of what we would pay for a bottle of wine if we bought it retail. We willingly pay this restaurant profitable mark-up for the service of the wine: the knowledgeable guidance, selection and simply for sitting at the table.

·  Bottom-line: There is no excuse for a server not to have good knowledge of anything on your menus in order to guide me through a great dining experience.

The impact of wine service in restaurants is powerful and the experience expectation pattern is simple:

·  The higher quality of the food, the higher quality of wines are needed to pair

·  The higher the quality of the wine, the more expensive the wine

·  The more expensive a bottle of wine, the more I need to pay in gratuity to have it served

·  The more I pay in gratuity, the greater expectation I have for the service experience

In years past, you needed to dine in restaurants to experience a great, unusual bottle of wine. Today, you need only visit your local wine shop and most will happily special order whatever you would like or recommend something new for you to discover - at a fraction of the restaurant price. On-line wine clubs and other electronic sources make wine exploration and purchasing even simpler.

For restaurant patrons, wine in restaurants is no longer focused on the product itself. And poor wine service often prevents the enjoyable experience of well-paired wine artfully selected and presented with great food and ambiance.

Wine is typically the most expensive aspect of a restaurant experience (with the exception of outlandish after-dinner cognacs and such) and yields the best profit margins. It confuses me to no end, as a business decision, why many restaurant managers do not focus on this profitable consumer investment. Does the execution of the most expensive element of an experience impact the perception of the experience's value? Of course it does. Does it matter if the experience component where I invest the most is met with a lack of awareness and concern? Absolutely. Then why are so many restaurant service teams apathetically ignoring this impact?

The most common responses I get when inquiring about wines in restaurants are those coming from unprepared order-takers of products that lack the understanding that they should be delivering an experience (such as):

·  "I don't know" (and I don't care)

·  "Let me get my manager / bartender" And then I wait. And my experience is put on hold. And typically the next person doesn't know much either. I then wonder - if you don't know and your establishment does not care if you learn how to guide my experience, why am I tipping you so much? Is it to open and pour? Really?

·  "I'm not familiar with those...I typically drink..." Why is the experience I'm paying for being limited to what you enjoy?

·  Or they just plain ad lib some stuff that is not correct - Not good. Guest loyalty and brand strength are built on trust. Misinforming me and / or letting me know you'd rather "fake it" then help me will never earn my trust.

Then there are some more colorful responses responsible for frustrating experiences:

·  At the restaurant of an award-winning chef in response to asking what Pinot Noirs they recommended: "They are all pretty much the same except for the prices..." 

·  At a ZAGAT listed bistro in response to asking how they would pair my entree selection: "The sommelier has the night off, so I guess we'll have to wing it." 

·  At a Travel + Leisure award-winning restaurant in response to asking for a recommendation: "I'm a recovering alcoholic so I don't touch the stuff...I can tell you what other people order, but that’s about it."

But actions speak loudest. These wine service errors are not simply guilty of failing to add value to the experience, but due to a total lack of knowledge, destroyed the experience (all the following were in restaurants with entrees averaging $30 or more):

·  At an Italian restaurant, a bottle of wine was ordered minutes after being sat. Bread came. First course salads came – no wine. When the server came to inquire about our enjoyment of the first course, we asked about the wine. “Oh, you want that now?” was the response. Apparently, the server felt the bottle should be served with the entrée and we should enjoy our water until then.

·  At a pricey steak house chain out of Chicago, red wine was dripped all down the back of my white silk blazer due to the server lifting the bottle over my shoulder without using a wine service napkin. Sure – accidents happen all the time – but nobody tripped, slipped or hiccuped at an inopportune time. This was simply a total lack of training.

·  At a French bistro, a nice bottle of champagne was poured into wine goblets instead of flutes. When I brought this to the attention of the server, they promptly transferred the champagne from the goblets directly into flutes…spilling a little…killing all of those precious bubbles. Talk about an experience killer – What is champagne without the fizz?

·  At an Italian restaurant, in the side station, I watched my server ‘marry’ two bottles of wine together (pouring one into the other). Who does that? Since when do you handle bottles of wine like ketchup dispensers?

·  This one is a doozy. At the signature restaurant of a 4 diamond resort, I order a bottle of champagne:

• The server brought the bottle to the table and attempted to open it with a corkscrew. Scary.
• Having no success, she grumbles and exits the table without comment to us.
• She then interrupts another server who is speaking with her table and discusses her frustration to her co-worker in front of the other table. Unbelievable.
• Her co-worker comes to the table and opens the bottle for her and hands the bottle back to our server while the abandoned table looks on in amazement
• Our server then pours into our glasses but does not account for the bubbling action and spills a fair amount onto the table.
• She mops up the table and inquires whether she can lay down a fresh cloth. Fresh cloth? What about the value of our experience that just got mopped up?
• We assumed she decided she had no confidence in her ability to pour due to the fact she never refilled. We took it upon ourselves to refill for the rest of the evening.

How is it possible for these things to happen? It is inevitable if you eat out enough. The fact is, many establishments do not acknowledge the importance of wine as the most expensive aspect of the dining experience and are not committed accordingly to ensuring their brand representatives are capable of leveraging this service into opportunities to create extraordinary experiences and ultimately – enhanced value.

A toast to those who are currently ensuring their service team is utilizing their guest’s wine investments to consistently create valuable dining experiences. For the others who still view wine knowledge and service training as an ‘extra product’, be thankful I didn’t mention any establishment names this time. Cheers ---Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO.

Lola's Flight Plan

In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

Times are tough for airlines - There is no question about that. Over the past several years and now more than ever, they have been challenged with brutal economic conditions and unprecedented safety concerns.

These conditions have affected every aspect of air travel and, understandably, impacted the way airlines conduct business. Although not pleased, the public can logically understand why ticket prices, cancellations of under-booked flights, and security delays have increased. What is difficult to understand, however, is why airline customer service has decreased so severely during these competitive times.

It's Tuesday, so I’m letting my alter ego come out to play - we’ll call her Lola – and I’ll let her rant a bit:

Lola: This summer brought quite a bit of travel all over the country. It seems I was in a different city every few days for awhile. As I did not always book my own travel plans, I had the opportunity to fly a variety of airlines (most of the major brands). Head-to-head comparisons of airline brands could not have been easier - even if the travel itself was not.

There's a minutia of comparative data to play with in attempts to determine the price / value comparison between airline brands - especially with all of the 'add-on' fees that have been implemented with differing rules from company to company, loyalty 'miles' and 'points', etc. Generally, the best value of 'price per flight' was decided by city I was flying into (and how much activity that particular airlines has to that city). So, without calculating too much of the complicated 'X-factors', all airlines came out close enough to equal in price.

Also on an even playing field, was the travel experience led by customer service. Amazingly, consistently poor. Now I am not referring to airport and TSA complications out of the team members' control. I am not talking about the services and amenities that have been cut to keep airline costs down - flight attendants and ticket agents had no part in those decisions.

I'm talking about the extraordinarily poor attitude from many of the front line team members of airlines that lets the customer know, in no uncertain terms, that their life is hard and we should feel their pain. Here are some of the more memorable examples of what I observed this summer (I wish I were exaggerating - but these are actual):

• In response to a young woman requesting a blanket: "No blankets anymore. Just another budget cut to get used to."
• In response to 4 women's inquiry of other available flights when theirs had been canceled: "What are you asking me for? I'm just a peon."
• In response to a woman's request to keep the entire can of soda: "I just hope I have enough for everyone else now." (turns out the passenger was pregnant leaving a city that was 110 that day.. she wasn't showing, but still...)
• In response to a gentleman's plea to make an emergency trip to the bathroom while the 'fasten your seat belt' light was on: "You must sit down, sir. I said sit down. SIR, I SAID - SIT DOWN."
• In response to a mother traveling alone with 3 children under the the age of 4: "Move it."

First of all - These types of behavior in customer service anywhere are totally unacceptable. Everyone deserves basic respect and their needs to be honored. It does not matter how difficult things have been made for the team member, they have no right passing on their hardship to others who are in their care of service. Period.

Secondly, the fact that this type of service is happening on an airplane (a mile high in the sky), complicates things for the airline customer. In other situations when a customer is displeased with how they have been treated, they remove themselves from the situation. That's not going to happen on an airplane, so the customer does their best to swallow their dissatisfaction - which makes for a terrible experience from that point on (and usually the rest of the day). Where these customers would normally express their displeasure, most now report that they do not,  in fear that they will be arrested for causing a disturbance and processed by an on-board Marshall (with their luck, they say). Putting the customer in a position where they feel powerless to control or improve their situation is never a good experience.

Lastly, these examples represent all of the major airlines - even the ones that have the reputation for being fun and friendly. Every airline had a fair share of team members that wanted their passengers to know just how difficult their jobs were now and made sure to let people know that any request was simply making things worse for them. Not necessarily by lashing out as in the examples above, but most, by an overwhelming attitude of apathy and lack of concern for their customer's experience.

It is important to give credit where credit is due: there were certainly team members that performed their job with smiles, compassion and great composure. I have not had the experience this summer of having the crew break out in song and dance, but I know it does happen. I think that is truly wonderful. However, it is unfortunate for these team members (who are now the minority) who are honestly trying to perform at their best, that they are not getting more support from their co-workers and accountability from their leaders. Although refreshing, one song and dance does not make up for the indifferent or rude treatment of three other team members. A brand is what you consistently live out. It appears that currently, no major domestic airlines is consistently living out great customer care.

This is an opportunity for a hero. A chance for one of the major airlines to step up and insist that they will commit to consistent excellence in the one area they can control regardless of the economy or amenities: The positive attitude of their front line staff and the genuine concern for their customer's traveling experience. Please step up, take the lead and force the other airlines to chase you. I'll be waiting to cheer you on with my wallet and loyalty. --Dolores McKay

 

Lola's Problem With Place

In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

One of the biggest misconceptions in Experience Design is that the experience is the physical place and what it looks like. Although absolutely true that good experience design incorporates the physical space, exceptional experience design incorporates much more.

Today I’m letting my alter ego come out to play - we’ll call her Lola – and I’ll let her rant a bit:

Lola: "If you build it they will come." That may be true. For experience design to drive a successful business, the larger question is:

"Will they keep coming?"

A lot of experience design starts perfectly well (grossly over-simplified):

1. A great, distinctive idea creates the inspiration for a new place of business.
2. The next big question is, "What does it look like?" and the physical design / architecture takes shape.
3. Technology will often come into play as leveraging experiential elements considered to be "cutting-edge", "biggest", "fastest", "clearest picture", clearest sound system", "state-of'-the-art" then become part of the 'place'.
4. Interior design is used to set the mood: colors, textures, shapes, furnishings, lighting, etc. all to create an appropriately appealing, distinctive place.
5. Ideally, the 5 senses are incorporated to assist in immersing consumers into a distinctively different place
6. Great experience design will then incorporate the actions of the team members and their operational workflows and special points of contact with the consumer.

Without #6, the experience is likely to resemble the most gorgeous person on Earth with an IQ of 2 - Undeniably very attractive at first, but boring, frustrating and annoying over time - Unlikely to earn your loyalty and devotion.

• Regardless of how beautiful a stadium is built, loyalty to the franchise is ultimately coming from the team's ability to carry out the plays in the coaches handbook with precision and consistency - team members working together for victory.
• Broadway puts an enormous amount of creativity and resources toward building incredible stage sets with state-of-the-art lighting and effects. Still - It's not much of a show if one girl in the chorus line decided her job was stupid. Or, frighteningly just as likely in business, that the director decided that it didn't really matter what any of the actors were doing on stage, as long as the projected ticket sales were met for that month and no one complained. And, if ticket sales are down, it must be the economy.

It is impossible for me to emphasize enough the danger of relying so heavily on the physical experience design. Yes - It is essential to create a great space for experience design to work. But why are companies so tempted to stop there? Without question - it is what is happening, what people are doing and the responses of the team members in that space that creates an experience worthy of repeat customers, loyalty and fanatical market share.

The most painful example is an organization who took the time to orchestrate great experiential tactics, enjoyed the success it brought to the brand and then let go of the tactics because they thought they no longer needed them to be successful. While these organizations may be correct in the short-term, they may be the leaders for a period of time, I am concerned for the welfare of their brand when their competitors challenge them. What will happen to them when consumers have greater choices?

Such a company who meets this concern is Harkins Theatres, the largest privately owned movie theatre chain in North America and their Cine Capri product:

Making its debut April 1, 1966, the original Cine Capri theatre was an instant hit with moviegoers in Phoenix, Arizona. It had 800 seats and a 58-foot (18 m) wide screen - the largest in Arizona. From the signature white columns to the majestic gold waterfall curtains surrounding the screen, the Cine Capri was the place to see all of Hollywood’s blockbusters.  In 1997, the decision to demolish the Cine Capri in favor of a high-rise office building. Despite over 260,000 petition signatures and efforts of the Save the Cine Capri Committee, the preservation effort failed.

In 2003, Cine Capri was rebuilt in Scottsdale with the largest regular movie theater screen in Arizona (except IMAX) at over 70 feet wide by 30 feet high with a 568 seat auditorium and a 40,000 watt / 150 speaker Digital sound system.

Growing up in Arizona, I looked forward to the reincarnation of Cine Capri and anticipated the experience. My first experience was wonderful: The manager of the theatre stood at the stage front and welcomed all to the Cine Capri Experience, hyped the movie and what we were about to experience as well as introducing (by name) our Experience Concierge who would be at attention throughout the movie for any of our needs. After the manager exited with crowd applause, the immense, ornate, gold satin curtain peeled back to signal the grandeur of the main event. Upon leaving the theatre, our Concierge thanked each one of us for coming and asked if he would see us next weekend.

A year later: the theatre was still beautiful; the gold curtain still parted, but no welcome, no pre-event warm-up from the manager and no Concierge waiting in the wings. The human tactics had been completely set aside and (perhaps coincidentally or not) we bought a home theatre system that Christmas. Now we create most of our movie experiences at home.

A few months ago, we went back to Cine Capri, no longer expecting magic, but feeling it was the best place to see Indiana Jones' latest movie (a big deal in my family). The experience had deteriorated further. Arriving early to be at the front of the line for "Dan's seats" (where Dan Harkins likes to sit at Cine Capri - so we've been told) was a priority for my kids. Upon arrival, we asked 4 different employees where the line was to be formed for Cine Capri - no one knew for sure - one blamed it on the management, stating that it was impossible to tell because they kept moving it all the time. We awkwardly hovered outside of the entrance of the movie, waiting for the prior showing to finish, unfortunately, observing as unsupervised employees mocked some of the patrons exiting the movie. I asked to see a manager and explained what I observed. His concern did not appear genuine. When I explained that I was not sure he was taking my concerns to heart and that perhaps I should write a letter, he simply nodded and took no further action. Perhaps I caught them on a very bad day - but as a consumer, my last encounter is my impression of their current brand.

With all of that said, it is important to know that I still believe Harkins to be the best movie theatre brand in Arizona - as a physical space, their theatres are superior to local competitors - down to the comfort of their seats and concession offerings. I have been a fan of their product for my whole life and have deep respect for their reviving a piece of Phoenix history. I want Harkins to have future success and remain a leader in their market. But I am deeply concerned that if the human tactics are not repaired back to their original greatness, Harkins will not be able to compete when new luxury movie theatre brands like Monaco Pictures and their kind enter the local market.

A brand cannot survive on heritage alone. A brand cannot survive on past reputation alone. A brand must consistently perform in a manner that lives up to its reputation and heritage to stay competitive.

As was necessary in 1997, Lola is now campaigning to Harkins to bring back those great tactics and commitment to service that had always been a part of the Cine Capri experience. Save the Cine Capri - don't let it become just another movie theatre. --Dolores McKay

Lola's Advice to Starbucks

Several times a week, I am asked what I think will happen with the Starbucks brand and what adjustments could be made with their in-store consumer tactics.

Today I’m letting my alter ego come out to play - we’ll call her Lola – and I’ll let her rant a bit:

Lola:It breaks my heart when I see an organization actually bring an innovative brand to success with beautiful tactics and then elect to let them wither away. Starbucks has abandoned many of the tactics that built their unique experience and personal relationships with the consumer. It is so rare that an organization can successfully launch tactics that truly and consistently make a genuine connection with a consumer as well as Starbucks. To let these values & tactics go and revert back to simply providing services & the selling of goods seems almost criminal.

Lola’s top 4 simple suggestions to Starbucks (Keeping it to 4; don’t want to get her too spun up – it’s not pretty…)

1) Bring back the commitment to community

When Starbucks venues started popping up in Arizona, there was a brand commitment to not only be a part of, but BUILD a sense of community. There was propaganda everywhere about it, and it was bought into as people would politely debate which of “their (personal) Starbucks”, was actually the best. Messages were scripted on blackboards wishing the local high school team good luck or congratulating a city sports organization for their latest victory. In some, there were even pictures featuring a patron (updated weekly) with a few fun,personal facts about them. Now these have been replaced with generic ads just selling more Starbucks products.

2) Relay my name

Slightly reminiscent of the FISH play in Seattle, the relay interplay used to happen upon ordering a drink: “Four pump, triple Venti, Cinnamon Dolce latte for Dolores, Extra hot!” (Yup. That used to be Dolores’ drink when she was a patron of Starbucks – Lola doesn’t spend much time there anymore) This would then be called back by the Barista identically. Upon completion of the drink it would be repeated once more. All in a jovial, entertaining fashion. Not only is the Consumer sure the Team’s got their customized drink right (which is prepared wrong more frequently since they quit relaying) but the consumer hears the most beautiful sound 3 times during their ordering experience: Their name.

3) Get out from behind the counter

Ask if you can clear something for me, straighten the tableside newspapers, dust the retail shelves, pretend to perfect the arrangement of chairs, whatever…Just get out from behind that great divide known as 'the counter' that clearly defines the territory of the Consumer and the Team Member as much as you possibly can. Rid the Team’s temptation to talk about their 'stupid boyfriend' or most often, their 'stupid co-worker or manager' (their words, not mine) “amongst themselves” in the false sense of security of privacy behind the counter. Discreetly join the Consumer in their experience instead creating a separate one that continually competes for attention.

4) Transform your staff into product experts

Starbucks has built so many wonderful product options to appeal to a wide variety of tastes and preferences. Their advertising and packaging takes great care in emphasizing the attention to this detail and often, the complexity of flavor profiles. Too bad the Team often has no real knowledge about this and cannot guide the Consumer even up to the level of the label’s verbiage. Would you hire a Sommelier who couldn’t guide you through the difference between a Cabernet and a Chianti? How about a ladies’ shoes salesperson who couldn’t decipher a wedge from a pump? If high-quality, personalized coffee is their passion, then why aren’t their front line ambassadors passionate about their product? Why aren’t they tour guides? Why don’t they know the difference between the Ethiopian blend and the Sumatra?

Starbucks – Less ordering-taking and more engagement, entertainment and education is required to bring Lola back. -- Dolores McKay