Great Customer Service is an Output of Culture

By Jim Swoboda

One of CultureMD’s clients is best in class within their competitive space when it comes to handling customers.  As our organization interviewed team members across all areas of their organization, when asked, “what is one of your company’s key strengths?”, the number one response we received was “how we take care of our customer, we always do what is right!”

It is a very good day when one hears a company’s employees state this and then find out their customers echo the same.   Words match actions.  In the end, that is the sign of a strong corporate culture.

One of CultureMD’s strengths is helping organizations find their way when it comes to offering incredible customer service resulting in the creation of insanely loyal customers.   

Over the past week, we have witnessed a company, who most would admit has insanely loyal customers, respond in a way that one would expect them to when faced with a critical decision.  That company is Apple Computer.

On Tuesday, September 5, with the usual fanfare that accompanies a product launch at Apple, the entire iPod line was again refreshed.  The current best selling items were completely replaced with new version that not only added new features, but totally changed their shape/form and colors.  In addition, quite possibly the most innovative product on the planet, the iPhone, was revamped just a short 60 days after it introduction.  And that, is where Apple tripped.

He announced discontinuance of one of the two iPhones and a significant price drop on the remaining model was unveiled.  With no mention of how Apple might deal with the hundreds of thousands of loyal customers who had already bought the iPhone at the original price, the on-line world lit up like a Christmas tree.  Thousands of upset Apple customers were writing about their displeasure with Apple’s action and asking how they could treat their loyal customer like that.  

From our perspective at CultureMD, a very fair question.

Silence was the response for the first 24 hours and it appeared that just possibly, Apple was not hearing the outcry from their most coveted customers, the early adopters.  Years of carefully built customer good appeared to be going the way of the products being discontinued.  

Then, it happened, Apple CEO Steve Jobs issued an open letter to all Apple customers that restored the faith in Apple.

The letter was very candid and is a great example of understanding a mistake was made and then apologizing for it and offering to fix that mistake by giving all early customers of the iPhone credit to be spent in the Apple Store.  

Consider these excerpts from the letter:

“Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these.&rdquo

“We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple.”

Mr. Jobs knows that Apple’s customers expect more from Apple than any other consumer technology company.  It is clearly acknowledged and addressed and thanked.  And in the end, Apple did the right thing.  

Great Customer Service is an output of a culture that clearly defines the customer as the reason any business exists.  Apple gets it!

Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:51:37 EST