Weave, Jump and Tunnel; Customer Service Lessons from the Dog Park

MY dog has a special gift for agility training.  She is able to do something no other dog can do on the obstacle course.  For those of you who aren't 'dog people' agility is a sport in which dogs race fluidly through a course consisting of jumps, hoops, tunnels, teeter-totters and other obstacles and success is determined by both accuracy and speed.  Any dog can participate and it is great fun for people, and dogs, of all ages.  At its most challenging level, the handler stays at one end of the course and the dog is required to complete the course all alone, this is called the 'gamble'... for obvious reasons... it's win or bust!  

Watching a dog work through the obstacle course is a thing of beauty.  The level of communication between handler and dog, each completely attuned to the other, trusting and wanting to achieve a perfect outcome, it is a truly unique experience.  It reminds me of 'Fahrvergnugen'.  Remember that word?  It was used by the marketing geniuses at Volkswagen to describe the experience of a driver being 'at one' with their car.  (The 'genius' part?  Totally a made up word.  Go figure!)   So, a successful agility team is one that is aligned, in sync, 'at one'.

Just because they are 'at one' doesn't mean that one isn't in charge, driving the process forward.  The handler has spent time training and working with the dog, not only teaching the dog what is expected, but, more importantly, LEARNING to read the dog and anticipate when a word of encouragement or praise will help steer them to victory.  The handler knows how the course is set up, which obstacles may present a challenge and has a STRATEGY to navigate from start to finish in the most efficient and effective manner, ensuring a win.

The same thing applies to a successful interaction with a customer.  You need to make them jump through a hoop, crawl through a tunnel and sit pretty while you feed them a bit of chicken jerky at the end...  just kidding!


Seriously though, we have found that the most successful service professionals are those that employ a specific strategy throughout each and every interaction.  Not a script (that 'S' word makes my hackles rise, GRRRrrrrrr) but a series of steps that can be customized to reflect individual style and adapt to every situation because they address the elements that DIFFERENTIATE a World Class interaction from a good, or even great, one.


Imagine you are on a truly World Class vacation.  Money is no object, you are 'Brangelina' or a Khardashian, the world is waiting to please you... what would you do, where would you go and what makes it World Class?  


No, really... take a minute and dream big.  Like, Oprah-style big.


.............................................................................


Okay, I usually facilitate this with a flip chart and room full of happy vacationers, but I am going to do a bit of magic here and throw out what I'll bet you are thinking; 


A limo stocked with my favorite booze and snacks picked me up, 
I flew on a private plane, 
When I got to the resort my clothes were already unpacked, 
everyone knew my name, 
My favorite Food Network Chef cooked for me, 
I got a guided tour by a local expert, 
I never waited in line, 
My daily agenda was scheduled in advance based on what they already knew I'd want to do, 
No one ever said 'NO', my every wish was granted.


Pretty close, right?


We have done this exercise with tens of thousands of participants and it always boils down to the same seven things which we call the World Class Service Key Differentiators.  I'm not going to tell you what they are (I get paid to do that) but I will tell you if you look at the list above and are clever you will be able to figure out what most of them are.  We took the Key Differentiators and then figured out how to make each one TANGIBLE, how to define it, apply it to an interaction and measure whether it happens or not.


And, I am here to tell you, that when you incorporate these elements into an interaction, whether with a happy, doubtful or downright upset customer you will achieve 'Fahrvergnugen', and be groovin' (couldn't resist) right through that phone call or face-to-face conversation right to the finish line and it'll be a Blue Ribbon experience.  Following our Interaction Strategy not only eliminates miscommunication and mistakes, it saves time, naturally, because you are following the most direct path to the end result. 


And the best part?  The true beauty of the whole thing?  Because it is being done 'in sync' with the customer it looks and feels, to them, that they are in charge... but really the handler, er, service professional is directing them the entire time.  Cool, no?


Oh, and my dog's special talent?  She has trained me to run the entire course, backwards and forwards, without ever calling my name even once or giving me a single treat.  Now, if only I could get her to join me...  But who am I kidding?  My crazy dog was a rescue (BTW, she is not the dog in the picture above, that is Linus Van Pelt, Radclyffe's Chairman of the Bored) and she came to me so scarred and scared that I am just so darn happy that she is willing to entertain my attempts to train her (and she actually is doing very well, ask her trainer) that I will do anything to make her happy.  Oh, and the thing I have done.... but that is fodder for another Blog!