An update. I wrote a letter to AirTran. Low and behold, I got a wonderful and positive response.
We talk about Moments of Truth in BPM... that every contact with a customer must give that customer a positive and tangible benefit. And, I honestly must say, I got that... But, let's not stop there... we need to make sure that in our normal course of business, that we aim to assure that customers get the positive experience. Certainly recovering from a bad experience is a good thing. But, making sure that our people are motivated and our processes are aligned to meet the customer expectation with as little interuption as possible should be the goal.
In any event, my Moment of Truth with AirTran has put a smile back on my face.
30 May 2007
Please check in online and we’ll speed you through the airport… Really?
The advent of business to consumer transaction and process handling has been a boon to business, when it works properly. But, we are inundated with examples where technology was deployed but well-intending individuals but with nary a positive impact on the customer. Technology is only a benefit if the end-to-end process it supports is aligned to provide a true value to the customer. Online check in is an example.
One would think that use of technology to check in online should make the customer’s life easier. And, more and more airlines are adopting this technology. Yet, today, I make an example of AirTran Airways, a decent enough carrier. This morning, I received a friendly email asking me to check in online. I’m thinking, now that’s customer expectation management – not only will AirTran let me check in early, but at MY convenience and it reminds me to choose this option in case I forget.
So, I check in online, let AirTran know how many bags I am checking, print my boarding pass and, voila, I am ready to head to the airport. Now, when I get to the airport, Tampa International to be exact, my whole “I am going to speed through with this wonderful online check in thing goin’ on.” But, my expectations came crashing to a halt like a speeding train meeting a cow on the tracks!!! First, I have to find the special line for “online check in” folks like me. It’s not well marked. Once I do find it, the line moves slowly. In fact, I watched and measured the progress of my “quick online check in bag drop line” against the “standard ol’ get your boarding pass here and check in line”. About a minute after I had already been waiting in line, I watched to see how long it would take the most recent person in the “standard ol’ line” takes to check in… and low and behold, they are through their line before I’m through mine. In fact, an additional 4 customers sped through the “standard ol’ line” before I got through the “quick online check in line.” So, I am asking myself, “how this THIS save me time?”
This is a common problem (for which I will be writing to AirTran to complain” where technology is deployed to make customers’ lives easier but without a complete understanding of the entire “customer management process” utterly fails. In AirTran’s case it’s not enough just to provide a convenient way for customers to check in, it has to provide an equally convenient way to speed the customer through the process – afterall the computer reservation system cannot grab my bag, check my ID and get me moving along… that’s handled my AirTran people.
The point I am making is that with any process, technology is only a tool. It is not the process itself. If AirTran’s goal was to get customers moving through the check in process faster – a worthwhile customer expectation – then it needed to look at the entire process, from online check in to “on the way to security” and not just the online check in. While AirTran got me my documents quickly, it utterly failed in getting me “on my way to security” faster, the whole reason why I check in online in the first place.
My fellow BPM-Unpluggers… when you look to make a customer’s experience more rewarding you must understand what the customer wants from it and how your people make those customers successful. If there are “people” in the process, make sure they are motivated to making the customer successful and mitigate their constraints. Then, use technology as a tool to tie it all in. Don’t get lured into the idea that the technology will take care of the customer if there are points of failure that could derail the entire goal.
One would think that use of technology to check in online should make the customer’s life easier. And, more and more airlines are adopting this technology. Yet, today, I make an example of AirTran Airways, a decent enough carrier. This morning, I received a friendly email asking me to check in online. I’m thinking, now that’s customer expectation management – not only will AirTran let me check in early, but at MY convenience and it reminds me to choose this option in case I forget.
So, I check in online, let AirTran know how many bags I am checking, print my boarding pass and, voila, I am ready to head to the airport. Now, when I get to the airport, Tampa International to be exact, my whole “I am going to speed through with this wonderful online check in thing goin’ on.” But, my expectations came crashing to a halt like a speeding train meeting a cow on the tracks!!! First, I have to find the special line for “online check in” folks like me. It’s not well marked. Once I do find it, the line moves slowly. In fact, I watched and measured the progress of my “quick online check in bag drop line” against the “standard ol’ get your boarding pass here and check in line”. About a minute after I had already been waiting in line, I watched to see how long it would take the most recent person in the “standard ol’ line” takes to check in… and low and behold, they are through their line before I’m through mine. In fact, an additional 4 customers sped through the “standard ol’ line” before I got through the “quick online check in line.” So, I am asking myself, “how this THIS save me time?”
This is a common problem (for which I will be writing to AirTran to complain” where technology is deployed to make customers’ lives easier but without a complete understanding of the entire “customer management process” utterly fails. In AirTran’s case it’s not enough just to provide a convenient way for customers to check in, it has to provide an equally convenient way to speed the customer through the process – afterall the computer reservation system cannot grab my bag, check my ID and get me moving along… that’s handled my AirTran people.
The point I am making is that with any process, technology is only a tool. It is not the process itself. If AirTran’s goal was to get customers moving through the check in process faster – a worthwhile customer expectation – then it needed to look at the entire process, from online check in to “on the way to security” and not just the online check in. While AirTran got me my documents quickly, it utterly failed in getting me “on my way to security” faster, the whole reason why I check in online in the first place.
My fellow BPM-Unpluggers… when you look to make a customer’s experience more rewarding you must understand what the customer wants from it and how your people make those customers successful. If there are “people” in the process, make sure they are motivated to making the customer successful and mitigate their constraints. Then, use technology as a tool to tie it all in. Don’t get lured into the idea that the technology will take care of the customer if there are points of failure that could derail the entire goal.
25 May 2007
Empowerment in the Auto Parts Biz
I am not an automobile-o-phile. My car is transportation, pure and simple. So, when I had two issues, recently, with my car, the first thing that always runs through my mind is "how am I going to get #&*$# over by these auto parts companies?" To my amazement, my two recent experiences are examples of customer expectation management that makes one endeared to the two companies with whom I dealt.
The first involves Checker Auto Parts. A few weeks back, my battery suddenly died. There are rarely more isolating feelings than being stranded, at night, at a mall, with no car. Luckily, I had met a friend for dinner and was able to get my car started. A couple of years ago, I had purchased a new battery at Checker Auto Parts and so I headed, directly, to one of their stores. When I arrived, I showed up within minutes before closing and really thought that I would be turned away. And, even if I weren't I thought, "I have no receipt for this battery, how am I going to get my warranty to cover this?" Well, here I am, poor consumer with little knowledge of automobile engineering. But, the two gentlemen who were staffing the store kept open for me; found I had purchased the battery from Checker and did not hesitate to honor the warranty. Now, Checker is a do it yourself sort of place and I scarcely know the difference between a lug nut and a peanut. So, they helped my replace the battery by providing me the tools and supervision to do it. Within 30 minutes I was on my way.
The second involves Discount Tires. I just replaced my tires. Now, despite it's name, Discount Tires really isn't a discount. After all, the tires I got were neither hugely cheap more exorbitantly expensive. But, what makes Discount Tires so successful for me (and I have been going there for 10 years) is that they help me pick the right tires for my car, get them installed quickly and do all of this with a smile and respect for us automobile ignorami. Buying tires is not exactly an exciting adventure. And, in the case of Discount Tires, I return time and again not to purchase new tires but to have them rotated and repaired. They gladly do this without fail and without charging me. And, they STILL do it with a smile - after all I am not buying anything.
Now, at this point, you're thinking what the heck this has to do with BPM Unplugged. Well, it's the essence of BPM Plugged - creating an experience, which is successful for the customer. Somewhere deep in the back of the front lines at these two companies, folks asked themselves how we could make our processes and people behave in a way that endears our customers to us? And, part of that discussion involved customer expectation management - empowering folks at the front lines to handle their customer's problems is such a way that at that Moment of Truth, the customer walks away surprised and amazed at how painless the experience was.
As you look to take on BPM efforts, it is extremely important to remember that but for the grace of the customers go us. When we look at process we need to look at people - our employees who are the front line of the customer battle every day. And, as we work on our processes to make customer experiences successful, we cannot forget those front line employees' needs to make sure that process doesn't break in front of the customer because the employee isn’t empowered to handle the customer’s need. Make sure that front line employees are empowered to actually make the process work for the customer; otherwise, what have we really gained if the customer goes somewhere else?
The first involves Checker Auto Parts. A few weeks back, my battery suddenly died. There are rarely more isolating feelings than being stranded, at night, at a mall, with no car. Luckily, I had met a friend for dinner and was able to get my car started. A couple of years ago, I had purchased a new battery at Checker Auto Parts and so I headed, directly, to one of their stores. When I arrived, I showed up within minutes before closing and really thought that I would be turned away. And, even if I weren't I thought, "I have no receipt for this battery, how am I going to get my warranty to cover this?" Well, here I am, poor consumer with little knowledge of automobile engineering. But, the two gentlemen who were staffing the store kept open for me; found I had purchased the battery from Checker and did not hesitate to honor the warranty. Now, Checker is a do it yourself sort of place and I scarcely know the difference between a lug nut and a peanut. So, they helped my replace the battery by providing me the tools and supervision to do it. Within 30 minutes I was on my way.
The second involves Discount Tires. I just replaced my tires. Now, despite it's name, Discount Tires really isn't a discount. After all, the tires I got were neither hugely cheap more exorbitantly expensive. But, what makes Discount Tires so successful for me (and I have been going there for 10 years) is that they help me pick the right tires for my car, get them installed quickly and do all of this with a smile and respect for us automobile ignorami. Buying tires is not exactly an exciting adventure. And, in the case of Discount Tires, I return time and again not to purchase new tires but to have them rotated and repaired. They gladly do this without fail and without charging me. And, they STILL do it with a smile - after all I am not buying anything.
Now, at this point, you're thinking what the heck this has to do with BPM Unplugged. Well, it's the essence of BPM Plugged - creating an experience, which is successful for the customer. Somewhere deep in the back of the front lines at these two companies, folks asked themselves how we could make our processes and people behave in a way that endears our customers to us? And, part of that discussion involved customer expectation management - empowering folks at the front lines to handle their customer's problems is such a way that at that Moment of Truth, the customer walks away surprised and amazed at how painless the experience was.
As you look to take on BPM efforts, it is extremely important to remember that but for the grace of the customers go us. When we look at process we need to look at people - our employees who are the front line of the customer battle every day. And, as we work on our processes to make customer experiences successful, we cannot forget those front line employees' needs to make sure that process doesn't break in front of the customer because the employee isn’t empowered to handle the customer’s need. Make sure that front line employees are empowered to actually make the process work for the customer; otherwise, what have we really gained if the customer goes somewhere else?
18 May 2007
It's Spring Cleaning Time
Every spring, I clean out all the closets, cabinets and shelves. I make a valiant effort toward minimalism until… until I reach the garage and panic!!!
To be sure that some of my service organizations are grateful for my donations. But, this year I started to think about how I sort all my “artifacts” for disposal. My basic “rule” is that if I haven’t used something in over a year it’s out like ‘80s parachute pants. Yet, I still hold onto things that I think I may need tomorrow. Insecurity, nostalgia, unwillingness to change and let go… all keep me from just getting rid of “stuff”.
This year, I though about how spring cleaning could be applied to how we work. We all use processes and methods that we cling to not because they actually provide any value but because of our security with them… our nostalgia for things comfortable and our unwillingness to change. What if in our work we did a bit of “spring cleaning”? What if we really sat down, looked at the true value our processes bring to our work, our lives and, most importantly, the lives of our customers and took an honest approach to determining their value? Wouldn’t we find that at least some of what we do really provides us with no value any more? And, like my our old, moth-hole riddled sweaters, if we aren’t getting any value out of the processes as we once did, many ages ago, shouldn’t we toss them?
Maybe, at least, once a year, we should advocate a bit a spring cleaning in our organizations. We should really look at what our customers “now” expect from us and learn whether or not our processes are really meeting those expectations. And, like our old suits we cannot fit into anymore, toss the processes that don’t serve our customers, or ourselves, well.
To be sure that some of my service organizations are grateful for my donations. But, this year I started to think about how I sort all my “artifacts” for disposal. My basic “rule” is that if I haven’t used something in over a year it’s out like ‘80s parachute pants. Yet, I still hold onto things that I think I may need tomorrow. Insecurity, nostalgia, unwillingness to change and let go… all keep me from just getting rid of “stuff”.
This year, I though about how spring cleaning could be applied to how we work. We all use processes and methods that we cling to not because they actually provide any value but because of our security with them… our nostalgia for things comfortable and our unwillingness to change. What if in our work we did a bit of “spring cleaning”? What if we really sat down, looked at the true value our processes bring to our work, our lives and, most importantly, the lives of our customers and took an honest approach to determining their value? Wouldn’t we find that at least some of what we do really provides us with no value any more? And, like my our old, moth-hole riddled sweaters, if we aren’t getting any value out of the processes as we once did, many ages ago, shouldn’t we toss them?
Maybe, at least, once a year, we should advocate a bit a spring cleaning in our organizations. We should really look at what our customers “now” expect from us and learn whether or not our processes are really meeting those expectations. And, like our old suits we cannot fit into anymore, toss the processes that don’t serve our customers, or ourselves, well.
05 May 2007
BPM consultants should be SME's in... well BPM
Every sales cycle I endure the ploethera of calls asking for help in BPM but requiring subject matter expertise in a potential client's business. This is a dangerous requirement for BPM unplugged consultants. After all, our subject matter expertise needs to be in BPM.
When I think about successful customer outcomes for my own practice I think about what my real value is to my clients. It's getting them to be customer-centric in their culture, strategies, people and processes. So, when a potential client requires that I have certain subject matter expertise in some function or industry it's a pretty sure sign that what they are looking for is someone to deal with the details of its day to day business. But, this is not the role of a BPM consultant. Our role is to help our clients harvest the knowledge from their subject matter experts and facilitate an environment where they can be truly creative in addressing issues and conceiving solutions that change their future.
Many of my clients have been telecommunications companies. I've done much work in the high speed data and voice over IP (VoIP) domains. All of a sudden, potential clients see me as a high speed data or VoIP subject matter expert. I steadfastly deny any such claims. And, this is the danger. A BPM unplugged consultant who focuses on the subject matter of his/her client's business falls into two traps.
First, s/he ends up prescribing possible BPM solutions based upon his/her prejudiced knowledge of the subject matter. This constrains the consultant from being able to get his/her client and its team to think about new and different ways to solve current problems - to change for a better future. The result tends to be "built someplace else so it must work here" answer. At the very best, this gets the consultant's client to be only as good as the competitor where the solution was originally "built". This is not a great value-add for the client.
Second, s/he gets lost in the subject matter and loses perspective in the whole foundation of what BPM unplugged is all about.... successful customer outcomes. The consultant runs the risk of being just another subject matter expert within his/her client's organization, dealing with day-to-day problems. There is no focus on the future of doing things a whole new way. What's worse is a loss of that voice that says "let's not be just as good as the best competitor... let's be better."
When I talk to potential clients and the "subject" of subject matter expertise arises I quickly defer to my subject matter expertise... in BPM. Even with potential telecom clients, it is so easy to trip over things familiar to me. But, resisting the temptation and refocusing on what I do in BPM keeps me on track and solidifies what my potential client should expect from me. Then, if the potential client still wants to focus on understanding the subject matter of its business as a requirement, I know I must respectfully decline the engagement.
At the end of the day, we cannot be all things to all people. It's important to understand what my potential clients' successful customer outcomes with my consultation are. Equally as important is my recognition within the context of my own goals and objectives for BPM consulting whether I can actually or even want to meet them. And, if my potential client's expectation is that I be a subject matter expert in its business, then, that is one successful customer outcome I cannot meet.
When I think about successful customer outcomes for my own practice I think about what my real value is to my clients. It's getting them to be customer-centric in their culture, strategies, people and processes. So, when a potential client requires that I have certain subject matter expertise in some function or industry it's a pretty sure sign that what they are looking for is someone to deal with the details of its day to day business. But, this is not the role of a BPM consultant. Our role is to help our clients harvest the knowledge from their subject matter experts and facilitate an environment where they can be truly creative in addressing issues and conceiving solutions that change their future.
Many of my clients have been telecommunications companies. I've done much work in the high speed data and voice over IP (VoIP) domains. All of a sudden, potential clients see me as a high speed data or VoIP subject matter expert. I steadfastly deny any such claims. And, this is the danger. A BPM unplugged consultant who focuses on the subject matter of his/her client's business falls into two traps.
First, s/he ends up prescribing possible BPM solutions based upon his/her prejudiced knowledge of the subject matter. This constrains the consultant from being able to get his/her client and its team to think about new and different ways to solve current problems - to change for a better future. The result tends to be "built someplace else so it must work here" answer. At the very best, this gets the consultant's client to be only as good as the competitor where the solution was originally "built". This is not a great value-add for the client.
Second, s/he gets lost in the subject matter and loses perspective in the whole foundation of what BPM unplugged is all about.... successful customer outcomes. The consultant runs the risk of being just another subject matter expert within his/her client's organization, dealing with day-to-day problems. There is no focus on the future of doing things a whole new way. What's worse is a loss of that voice that says "let's not be just as good as the best competitor... let's be better."
When I talk to potential clients and the "subject" of subject matter expertise arises I quickly defer to my subject matter expertise... in BPM. Even with potential telecom clients, it is so easy to trip over things familiar to me. But, resisting the temptation and refocusing on what I do in BPM keeps me on track and solidifies what my potential client should expect from me. Then, if the potential client still wants to focus on understanding the subject matter of its business as a requirement, I know I must respectfully decline the engagement.
At the end of the day, we cannot be all things to all people. It's important to understand what my potential clients' successful customer outcomes with my consultation are. Equally as important is my recognition within the context of my own goals and objectives for BPM consulting whether I can actually or even want to meet them. And, if my potential client's expectation is that I be a subject matter expert in its business, then, that is one successful customer outcome I cannot meet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
