Reducing Customer Casualties

By Michael B. Tatham, President, The Tatham Group

You would think that a recession might wake organizations up and make them focus on reducing customer casualties.  And many spend a lot of time and money working on this issue.  However, no matter how hard organizations try to ‘create customer focus’ the business is disconnected and therefore is just not capable.  If you keep doing what you’ve always done…

Recently at Tatham we had a piece of equipment producing poor quality output.  After many experiments, the root cause remained elusive.  After diligently explaining the situation to the service department, and all the experiments we had run, they decided to call in a service representative to take a look.

First disconnect: Upon his arrival we had to explain the entire issue over again including the experiments we ran.  Déjà vu?

Second disconnect: Immediately, we were informed that what we were using the machine for was not what it was designed for (even though it was specifically recommended to us by the sales department).  Annoyance.

Third disconnect: He did not have the right tools with him to diagnose the problem.  Frustration.

Closing the Loop

By John Munce, Deployment Executive, The Tatham Group

It was a little card sitting in the center of the hotel room desk.  I expected nothing and the maid doesn’t usually leave me love notes.  But that morning, on my way to a meeting, I told the desk clerk “65 degrees (F) is a little chilly for my room in the morning.”  Yes I had tried to raise the thermostat.  No nothing had happened.  Then I didn’t think about it again all day.

The card told me that Our Engineering Representative Was In Your Room Today at 4:48.  This bit of information alone was valuable.  I’ve been in other hotels when I had no idea whether anything had been done to respond to my complaint.

The card then said, “Checked windows, raised T-stat, will stop back to check Rm Temp.”  Now I had the answer to what was really done and a promise that he would confirm whether what he had done really worked.

The card also read, “(Sorry for the inconvenience).”  Wow, even the engineer would apologize.  Few things will make me angrier than service people who won’t even apologize for something not being right.  Even an insincere apology is better than nothing.  It at least recognizes that something was wrong.  How many times have you felt that you were inconveniencing a clerk because you wanted something adjusted or changed?

Adding Steps to Simplify

By John Munce, Deployment Executive, The Tatham Group

We process types often talk about simplifying processes. We’re on a relentless march to find the value-add step and then perform only that step. There can be a rallying cry for a team: Take out steps! Cut rework! Take out checking! Build in quality! Find the absolute minimum number of steps! Less is more!

But sometimes simplifying the process means adding in a step. It can seem unnecessary, even irrational.

My friend Ann is a process type and fierce project manager who’s dying of pancreatic cancer. When I went to see her the other day, she launched into a process critique of end-of-life health care. The medical establishment came off with a strong B. One item in particular fascinated her.

A nurse from hospice had come for the introductory visit. There was lots of chatting and information sharing. The nurse inspected the house and talked with my friend about whether she would want a hospital bed or other special equipment. Then she presented The Gift.

The Future Is Friendly

By Michael Tatham Jr, President, The Tatham Group

Are the members of Generation Y lazy or just searching for an environment to thrive in?

 The late 1990’s introduced an environment that expected more of Generation Y, the group that falls into the approximate birth timeline of 1980-1999.  This was a time when technology and more specifically the Dot Com phenomenon began. According to Wikipedia: “They needed to be faster and more efficient (with the advent of better technology), smarter (increase in college enrollment), and available (40-60 hour work weeks) than Boomers and Gen X. Therefore some of the defining characteristics of Gen Y are tech-savviness, family-centric, achievement-oriented, team-oriented and attention-craving”.  

Building Friendships

By Mari Franco, President, The Tatham Group Phils

The two most important factors in building relationships are TRUST and CONFIDENCE. 

This leads me to my personal practice of handling relationships and friendships. To develop friends and keep my networking alive I am very careful in making sure that they trust me. This is a very key word that many people take for granted and do not necessarily practice. They say they believe in it, but in reality, they don’t practice it.

 There are five letters that are very important to me and I practice them in my leadership ways. The five letters are F F F E and S.

 The three F’s stand for FAIR, FIRM and FRIENDLY.  Always treat people fairly with firm convictions and in a very friendly manner.

 E stands for Empathy.  Always put yourself in the his/her place. Try to imagine how he/she feels before you make decisions.

 S stands for Sympathy.  Again, by understanding people’s feelings you tend to develop long lasting relationships and true friendships.

Knowing Your Limits…What Do We Really Know?

By Doug Powell, Senior Vice President, Wachovia

The Customer: Part I of III

I enjoy working on my house.  This is a good thing because the person I bought it from (also the person who had it built and, I think, had a direct hand in many of the ‘finishing’ touches) only did about a C+ job on most of it.  I fully realize that this level of craftsmanship (yes, craftsmanS-H-I-P) ultimately allowed me to be able to afford my house on a new, single income, with little real equity, having just relocated after a career move.  Yet each time I get into a project, I inevitably find a lack of attention to detail that reminds me of why I have to redo the work myself, causes me to shake my head and utter the words “how in the world did he think this was quality work?”  As you have no doubt read elsewhere on this site, I have found a very stable process.

The Process of Responsible Gastronomy

By Laura Malin, Executive Chef, The Tatham Group

As the executive chef for The Tatham Group, my approach to social and environmental responsibility is to trust in and respect one very special process: the process of nature. I’ve done this by believing in the following principles: consider the environment first, respect the seasons, support local and organic farmers, educate your customers and never underestimate their palates. In the end, they will know a good thing when they get it.

Here’s a tip about customer service…

Last December, I was whisked off to the Caribbean for a week-long birthday vacation. Truly – there was no better way to celebrate my birthday than sipping a Corona on a pristine white beach off the coast of Mexico, while listening to waves crash.

There was, however (and there always is a ‘but’), one small detail that put a damper on things: all the extra hidden costs!

We signed up for a promotion that touted this great deal: for the bargain price of $800 USD, two people could stay in Florida for two nights, take a four-day cruise to Mexico and then spend one more night in Florida. The only catch was that we had to get ourselves there and listen to a time share presentation. “No sweat,” we thought, and off we went.

Ensuring a Policy for Success

The following post is a story from our very first newsletter published a year ago. Since then, Equitable Life has continued to reap the benefits of applying The Tatham Method to their operations, and has continued training its employees to think differently, to challenge status quo and to always improve the customer experience. Here is their story:

Kitchener-Waterloo, July 2007 – In just two short years, Equitable Life of Canada (Equitable) has gained more than 30% in capacity and productivity in the areas that they focused on. It has achieved at least $785,000 in savings annually and is transforming its culture to being a flexible, customer-centric, demand-driven company.

While to some these improvements may seem bland, for Equitable – a well-established mutual life insurance company based in Waterloo, Ont. – they translate into much more: an improved work environment, happier customers, consistent results and streamlined activity — and that, is priceless.

The secret? It’s in two words: Boot Camp.

The Change Paradox

When was the last time you wore your watch on the opposite wrist or tried writing your name with the other hand? If you’re like me, I’m guessing it’s been a while. (But now that I’ve suggested it, go ahead. Try.)

These are exactly the kinds of exercises that help our brain open up to new ways of doing things. When we challenge routine activities, our brain senses a new experience and forces us to change our behaviour. Still, why is change so difficult?

In an article published by the Scientific American Mind, author Nikolas Westerhoff suggests that age might have something to do with the challenges of changing our behaviour. Westerhoff writes that as people get older, they tend to become less inclined to change, even though they claim to be open to new ideas.