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| In this issue: |
November 2005 |
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"Shin-Ring" or the Tale of Travel
As road warriors know, business travel can be a grueling marathon. "Shin-Ring" is my term for what happens to you when you sleep in too many different hotel rooms, in too many time zones, and carry too many different phones. The Shin in Shin-Ring stands for the bumps and bruises that
accumulate as I bang my shins on hotel furniture in darkened rooms. The
typical sequence goes something like this: I wake up, not quite sure where
I am, not quite sure if I'm hungry, because it may be dinner time to my
body but breakfast time in the local time zone. I get up for a drink of
water. If you were able to listen, you'd hear a quick "Thwack" followed by
a loud "Ouch" then a "Damn." (I don't swear, so that's about as nasty as
it gets when I am upset with something.) Once again I would have whacked
my shin on hotel furniture for what seems like the umpteenth time. The Ring in Shin-Ring comes from switching phones as you travel to different countries. Each has a different ring tone, so as you travel, you wonder who's the inconsiderate dolt who won't pick up their cell phone. It keeps ringing and ringing. Then it dawns on you -- it's you! Moving from Hong Kong (with my global GSM phone) to a rental phone in Japan (different version of GSM) then back to the U.S. with my own cell phone again got me quite confused as to what "my" phone’s ring tone was. It's no wonder that real road warriors jump, no matter whose phone rings! Other observations about business while traveling: The personal touch is critical when the queries are complex My trip to Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo was a complicated one from a logistics point of view, with multiple airports, domestic travel, even last-minute changes as I tried to squeeze business meetings in Shanghai and Beijing into my itinerary. Online travel sites weren't able to handle the complexity of my journey. On advice of customer support agents, I sat down and wrote a long, detailed e-mail explaining what I was trying to accomplish, the dates that were ‘firm’ and those that were flexible, and sent it to two travel agencies – my corporate agency and a highly regarded boutique firm that specializes in travel to East Asia. I included my airline preferences, seating preferences, routing options ("If there's enough time, I'd like to get to Shanghai. But I need to be in Taipei and Miyazaki on these two dates.") and much more. Good news: Both travel agencies answered promptly. But it was how they answered -- their level of customer service, in other words -- that helped me decide who got my business. A Tale of Two Travel Agents
The corporate travel agency replied with a similarly detailed itinerary, but stated that they would be contacting me with a courtesy follow-up telephone call to better understand my needs before finalizing the itinerary. Sure enough, they did. The first agent provided a "perfect" answer to my question. But she did not pick up on an important fact: While I may have seemed like a road warrior, I needed help! The second travel agent realized not only that I was floundering, but I was running out of time. She took the initiative to give me a courtesy call, and that led to a lot of additional business for her agency. Eventually, multiple agents helped me through the process of booking the tickets (as I was traveling!), always called when they said they would, and followed up even when they didn’t need to. They took superb care of me. I’ve got a thank you note to write to the managers at Expedia Corporate Travel. It’s unlikely I will be "travel agency shopping" again anytime soon. Faced with a complex query like mine, how does your team do? How often does your team make a courtesy call after an "expert" contacts you with very specific requests to accomplish a complex transaction? Do you make the assumption they know a lot, or do you take the initiative to make a courtesy call to see if there are more nuances you need to capture? How you're perceived has a big impact on how your information will be received
My initial perceptions were to blame. Once I assumed he was a tout, I dismissed the value of his offer and the credibility of his information. In this case, it was my loss. How you can improve the "first impression" you make: When traveling to different locations, particularly when you are the "expert", people are touched and honored when you show an interest in their lives and know more than just the bad things that tend to make global news. In addition to reading up on the person and organization you are going to meet, be sure to brush up on the local news.
People in other countries generally appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to know more about them and are aware of the things that affect their daily lives. Oh, do stay away from religion or politics! Travel Diary:
Excellent choice of reading material, I must say.
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Books in the News:
The Ultimate Customer
Support Executive
Reviewer Joe Fleischer added, "Even the simplest words... in a given culture can have a profound effect on whether support managers achieve buy-in among colleagues and customers. (His insights) make Verghis’ guide so valuable for managers who seek to expand their horizons in the ever-globalizing realm of customer support." Read the entire Call Center review here. Call Center Magazine also cited my book in another article in the same issue. You Don't Need a Hero compared customer support teams to superheroes: visible during an emergency, but they practically vanish the rest of the time. Read the entire article here. Special: I’m pleased to offer readers of the newsletter a special 10% off. This is only available by clicking on this link. The Ultimate Customer Support Executive: Unleash the Power of Your Customer is also available from my publisher, Silicon Press, and from online stores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as the Help Desk Institute Bookstore. |
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Verghis Customer Support Workshops: Two new workshops are coming up in December. Sign up now and I'll save you a spot. Even better, as a reader of my newsletter, enter the appropriate promotion code, and get an additional discount off the price of the workshop. Tue Dec 6, 2005
from 8:30a - 4:00p, The Ultimate Customer Support Executive Workshop
will be held in Boston. Based on my book, the workshop’s basic premise
is this: To unleash the power of the customer within our organizations, we
first have to EARN respect -- then DEMAND it. Learn how to make a
difference in your customer support operations and turbocharge your career
at the same time. (Note: This workshop will be held again on Jan. 19,
2006.) Fri Dec 9, 2005 from 8:30a - 12:00p, my workshop Cultural Implications for Service and Support will be held in Boston. Join me as we examine different cultural frameworks, vividly illustrated by practical examples. You'll learn to understand the differences between cultures around the world. Whether you're part of or manage a culturally diverse team, an outsourced team or have culturally diverse customers, this fascinating workshop will enable you to apply key concepts immediately. (Note: This workshop will be held again on Jan. 20, 2006.)
Enter Promotion Code PVCI01 for your discount for the December 9
workshop. To encourage participation and a spirited dialogue, the number of attendees is strictly limited at each event. Click here for more information on either workshop, or to register to attend. Remember, enter the appropriate promotion code for a discount not offered to the general public. Want to learn more about workshops offered by The Verghis Group? Want to know when they'll be offered in a location near you? Drop us a line at workshops@verghisgroup.com. |
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| Upcoming
Events:
I'll be attending these upcoming events and hope to see you there. November 2005: Panelist: Selling ITIL to Senior Management Other events are listed here. |
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We want to hear from you! What would you like to know more about? What other topics or books would you like to see discussed? Who would you like to see interviewed? Your comments, questions, ideas, suggestions, feedback and contributions are welcome. Send them to the editor here. You're welcome to forward this to colleagues, friends and anyone you think might be interested in improving the quality of their customer service. To obtain a subscription, visit our website. Privacy Policy: Your email address and personal information will never be sold or shared with any third party. Previous
issues: |
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About The Verghis Group: We are vendor-neutral. Our mentorship and facilitation based model emphasizes the speedy transfer of knowledge to your internal teams. For more information or a no-obligation initial consultation, contact:
This publication is a presentation
of The Verghis Group, which is solely responsible for its
contents.
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Case
in point: About 6 days into my 12 day, 22,000 mile journey to the Far
East, I exited Taipei’s airport and a man offered me a "Mercedes Benz taxi
ride." Obvious tourists anywhere in the world, I'd already observed,
attracted touts like him the way honey attracts bees. Naturally, my guard
went up immediately and I declined his offer. But later I discovered his
"special discount" was actually quite valuable, and that his "Mercedes
Benz taxi ride" was actually a very good deal given that there were
typically additional charges for a luxury ride to and from the airport.
Here
is a picture of me (only gajin smiling!) with local dignitaries in
Miyazaki Prefecture (equivalent to a state in the US) and VIPs, just
before my keynote address and meetings.
