Barry Dalton

My thinking on this subject has refined over time since I first wrote this post, encouraging customer service to grab the brass ring and seek its seat at the strategy table, along side marketing.  the main reason?  I think that well-intended message has been distorted.

Just a random guess, but I'm thinking its safe to say there's been thousands of blog posts written over the past couple of years declairing customer service is the new marketing.  I'm also guessing its safe to say that just about zero CMOs or other heads of marketing have since genuflected at the office doorway of their customer service bretheren in a demonstration of submission.  Just a guess.  

In most companies, marketing is king.  Always has been.  Marketing has the big budgets.  Marketing creates the positioning.  Marketing drives revenue (even though nobody can figure out how or why we even need...

Yes.  All the buzz for the past couple of years in customer service has been focused on social.  And by that, many are still defining social customer service as answering inquiries on Facebook and Twitter, but that's a topic for an upcoming post.

The point here is that the dominant channel of both service demand and supply is still voice.  But, while it seems like this channel is ripe for vast improvements in the customer experience and in efficiency, efforts to improve it have seem to become passe.  So, I'm declaring my self Mr Boring is a quest to solve this phenomenon.

I spent last year responding to any and all customer surveys that came my way.  I wanted to see what companies really did with my feedback.  And by in large, the answer was nothing much.  At least from the customer's line of sight.

So now this year I'm on to IVRs and voice response self service.  I'm still really bullish on the potential of this technology.  So I want to call a bunch and peek...

I'm a huge fan of self service.  Like I haven't said that a thousand times.  But, it's worth repeating.  Give me the power.  Give me control.  And, then get out of my way.  Sure, I might call you on occasion.  But don't make me call you because your self service stinks.  And in some cases, I actually prefer the human touch.  The point is that I want to decide.  I want the choice.   

That being said.  I am not John Q. Public (thank God for the public at large).  I am unique.  I'm an individual.  So, when you're creating your customer engagement and channel strategy, make decisions for the right reasons, not because its easier or cheaper for you to stand up an IVR.  Do it because some segment of your customers want it.  And, certainly don't take a page from banks who forced customers to use ATMs in the early days - a channel that was far inferior to the branch teller back then. 

When I was trick or treating with my kids on Halloween, it hit me that many of my neighbors...

I love Target.  I had to state that right out of the gate.  Because, its the ones we care about the most that we should be most interested in helping to improve.  And, that's the context in which I relate this little diddy.

Driving home from some random errand on my honey-do list last weekend with my son, he wanted to stop at Target for lunch.  (please hold the critique on the dietary choices I allow my kids to make).  Target has a lunch counter that serves pizza and other such delights. 

We made our selections.  And as the cashier began to ring it up, my son spotted a golden ticket!  Another child, who's parent was clearly as health conscious as I, was drinking from a twisty straw.  A TWISTY STRAW!  Everyone knows sugary drinks taste a thousand times better through a twisty straw!

So, with the cash register reading $13.85, I asked for a twisty straw (two, if you must know).  But, here's the kicker.  I was told that you can only get a twisty straw with a kid's...