Exceptional customer service is the greatest assurance for client retention and for developing a successful "word of mouth" marketing campaign. Many venues have a solid foundation for treating customers well, but many do so without a clear philosophy and/or specific standards in place. In this session, designed for upper-level management, attendees will be introduced to a step-by-step process for implementing a universal customer service philosophy that is structured and able to be evaluated for its success. Make exceptional service a standard and an expectation in your operation.

1. BIG
and
EASY
Customer
Service
ACCED-­‐I
Annual
Conference
March
23,
2014
Chuck
Salem,
Unique
Venues

2. What
does
your
door
sign
say?
An Example…
Door Sign: Bobby’s Sport Shop,
Vermillion Bay, Ontario, Canada
Hi,
my
name
is
Allan.
My
home
phone
number
is
123-­‐4567.
My
hours
are
long,
but
if
you
come
by
and
I’m
closed,
just
call
and
I
will
come
up
because
you,
my
customer,
are
number
1,
and
it’s
been
that
way
for
the
32
years
that
I’ve
been
here
and,
besides,
I
love
my
job!
-­‐-­‐Al
Jerry
Fritz,
Traveling
the
Highway
to
WOW
Service,
1998

3. What
does
your
door
sign
say?
Mine
said…
Conference
Center
at
the
University
of
PiFsburgh
at
Johnstown
Johnstown,
PA,
USA
Welcome
to
PiJ-­‐Johnstown.
We
are
sincerely
glad
you
made
the
trip
to
our
center.
While
you
are
here,
you
can
expect
truly
aJenMve
service
from
a
team
of
highly
trained
staff
members.
Our
faciliMes
are
ordinary,
but
our
service
will
make
you
feel
you
are
at
a
five
star
resort.
We
try
to
anMcipate
each
and
every
need
but
someMmes
we
miss.
So,
make
sure
you
let
us
know
what
we
may
be
missing
that
makes
you
feel
welcome
and
we
will
get
that
taken
care
of
right
away.
Chuck
Salem,
GM

4. Group
AcKvity
What
does
your
door
sign
say?

5. The
Case
for
Good
Service
ü What
does
good
service
mean
to
you?
ü What
does
bad
service
mean
to
you?

6. The
Case
for
Good
Service
ü Service
Impact
On
Revenue
ü ParQcipants
ranked
service
as
the
#1
factor
for
vendor
trust
ü 62%
of
B2B
and
42%
of
B2C
purchased
more
aUer
good
service
ü 66%
of
B2B
and
52%
of
B2C
stopped
purchasing
aUer
receiving
bad
service
ü 88%
surveyed
have
been
influenced
by
online
reviews
Source: Zendesk through research conducted by Dimensional
Research, Andrew Gori, April 29, 2013

7. The
Case
for
Good
Service
ü Responsiveness
MaZers
ü 69%
say
good
services
is
equal
to
quick
resoluQon
ü 72%
blame
poor
customer
service
on
having
to
explain
their
problems
to
mulQple
people
Source: Zendesk through research conducted by Dimensional Research,
Andrew Gori, April 29, 2013

8. The
Case
for
Good
Service
ü Service
and
Customer
Longevity
ü 24%
conQnue
on
with
businesses
aUer
a
good
experience
for
two
years
or
more
ü 39%
avoid
businesses
aUer
a
bad
experience
for
two
years
or
more
Source: Zendesk through research conducted by Dimensional Research,
Andrew Gori, April 29, 2013

9. The
Case
for
Good
Service
ü We’re
Story
Tellers
ü 95%
share
the
bad,
87%
share
the
good
ü 54%
share
bad
with
5
or
more
people
ü 33%
share
good
with
5
or
more
people
ü 58%
are
more
likely
to
share
now
than
5
years
ago
Source: Zendesk through research conducted by Dimensional Research,
Andrew Gori, April 29, 2013

10. The
Case
for
Good
Service
ü The
Social
Media
Engine
ü 45%
share
the
bad,
30%
share
the
good
via
social
media
outlets
Source: Zendesk through research conducted by Dimensional Research,
Andrew Gori, April 29, 2013

11. What
Do
Customers
REALLY
Want
ü The
Survey
ü 10,000
meeQng
planners
and
trainers
ü Conducted
by
the
NaQonal
Conference
Center
ü Industry
experts
Sarah
Vining,
Joan
Eisenstodt,
KrisQn
Kurie,
Lindsey
Rosenthal
and
Lynda
Poll
Source: What Do Meeting Planners and Trainers Really Want in Their
Service Experience? Sarah Vining, The National Conference Center, Meeting
Discoveries, 2012

12. What
Do
Customers
REALLY
Want
ü Three
things…
ü The
advantage
of
choosing
a
venue
that
solely
focuses
on
meeQngs
and
events
ü The
ability
to
build
lasQng
relaQonships
with
the
venue’s
staff
ü The
staff’s
ability
to
anQcipate
a
planner’s
needs
Source: What Do Meeting Planners and Trainers Really Want in Their Service
Experience? Sarah Vining, The National Conference Center, Meeting Discoveries, 2012

13. What
Do
Customers
REALLY
Want
ü The
ability
to
build
lasQng
relaQonships
with
the
venue’s
staff
ü Is
the
planner
meeQng
the
management
team
from
the
start
of
the
planning
process?
ü Encourage
the
management
team
to
learn
more
about
the
planner
from
group
history,
industry
contacts,
talking
to
the
planner,
etc.
ü Are
you
and
the
team
making
reacQve
or
proacQve
points
of
contact
with
the
planner?
ü How
present
are
you
and
your
team
during
the
event?
ü How
about
the
follow-­‐up?
Are
you
reviewing
hits
and
misses?

14. What
Do
Customers
REALLY
Want
ü The
staff’s
ability
to
anQcipate
the
planner’s
needs
ü Do
you
understand
the
goals
and
objecQves
of
the
meeQng
or
conference?
ü Have
you
taken
Qme
to
learn
about
the
group
history…their
ins,
outs
and
all
about's?
ü What
are
you
doing
to
recognize
the
idenQfied
special
wants,
needs,
habits
and
desires
of
the
group,
the
planner?
ü Are
you
cross-­‐communicaQng
and
informaQon
sharing
between
the
in-­‐house
team?

15. The path to truly exceptional service
BEGINS
with
LEADERSHIP

16. Build
a
Solid
FoundaQon
ü Philosophy
ü Goals
and
ObjecQves
ü Service
Promise

17. Build
a
Solid
FoundaQon
ü CUSTOMER
SERVICE
Philosophy
ü This
is
a
bi-­‐product
of
your
overall
mission
ü The
foundaQon
by
which
all
other
aspects
of
developing
and
maintaining
excellent
service
are
built.
ü Example:
Furman
University
AdministraQve
Services
ü Lonsdale
Wealth
Management

18. Build
a
Solid
FoundaQon
ü Goals
and
ObjecQves
ü How
are
you
going
to
get
there?
ü Bringing
the
philosophy
to
life
ü Develop
achievable
and
measurable
goals
and
objecQves
ü GOAL:
Achieve
a
minimum
saQsfacQon
rate
of
95%...
ü ObjecQve:
We
will….

19. Build
a
Solid
FoundaQon
ü Service
Promise
ü What
do
you
tell
your
customers
they
can
expect
from
you
in
service?
ü What
can
they
expect
100%
of
the
Qme?
ü What
are
YOUR
consequences
for
not
delivering?
ü Example…Dominoes

20. Personnel
ü Job
DescripQons
ü Hire
ü Train
ü Evaluate
ü Recognize
&
Reward

21. Personnel
ü Job
DescripQons
ü Infuse
service
expectaQons
into
all
job
descripQons
ü Maintain
a
minimum
survey
result
of
XX%
in
housekeeping
saQsfacQon
ü Assist
in
Catering
maintaining
an
overall
quality
assurance
score
of
95%
or
above
through…

22. 1. Who
have
you
spoken
with
in
the
today’s
interview
process
and
what
did
you
talk
about?
2. Tell
me
about
problems
with
the
product
or
services
you
previously
supported.
3. How
do
you
respond
when
you
don’t
know
the
answer
to
a
quesQon?
4. The
customer
is
saying
you
are
taking
too
long
to
resolve
their
issue,
what
do
you
do?
5. The
customer
is
poinQng
out
a
big
problem
with
our
product,
what
do
you
do?
6. Give
an
specific
example
of
a
customer
that
you
turned
around
from
a
posiQon
of
unhappiness
to
sheer
joy.
Hire
Ask
the
right
quesKons…
Source: Zendesk through research conducted by Dimensional Research, Amanda Kleha,
June 25, 2012

23. Personnel
ü Train
ü Develop
a
consistent
introductory
training
module
that
outlines
the
philosophy,
goals
and
objecQves
and
expectaQons
ü Develop
quarterly
department-­‐specific
staff
trainings
and
require
aZendance
ü Develop
bi-­‐annual
all-­‐staff
training
to
build
upon
the
needs,
areas
of
improvement,
etc.

24. Personnel
ü Evaluate
ü Infuse
customer
service
into
the
criteria
for
evaluaQng
staff
ü This
is
a
tough
one…
ü No
goals
and
objecQves,
no
firm
ground
for
evaluaQng
ü No
surveying,
no
firm
ground
for
evaluaQng
ü No
clear
examples
to
site,
no
firm
ground
for
evaluaQng
ü This
must
remain
OBJECTIVE
from
the
supervisory
standpoint.

25. Personnel
ü Recognize
and
Reward
ü Total
Team,
Departments
and
Individuals
ü Monetary
rewards
ü PTO
rewards
ü Luncheons,
dinners
or
an
aUernoon/evening
out
as
a
team
or
department
ü GiU
cerQficates
ü Professional
development
ü Employee
excellence
award

26. Be
Trapeze
ArQsts
ü The
success
of
the
overall
effort
requires
a
a
well
rehearsed
and
executed
plan
ü Training
ü Cross
Training
ü PerfecQon
ü Safety
Nets

27. Quality
Assurance
ü Empowerment
ü Surveying
ü Innovate

28. Quality
Assurance
ü Empowerment
ü Remember…72%
blame
customer
service
on
having
to
explain
their
problems
to
mulQple
people
ü Remember…69%
say
good
services
is
equal
to
quick
resoluQon
ü Cross-­‐training
helps
with
resoluQon
ü Ritz
Carlton
policy

29. Quality
Assurance
SURVEYING
Do
you
do
it?
Do
you
do
it
but
don’t
use
it?
Do
you
just
not
do
it?

30. Quality
Assurance
ü Ask
quesQons
in
a
non-­‐biased
and
efficient
manner
ü Avoid
selling
in
the
survey
ü Our
Chefs
are
the
industry’s
best
and
they
make
very
aZempt
to
make
your
dining
experience
excepQonal.
How
would
you
rate
our
success
in
this
area?
ü Instead…
ü How
would
you
rate
your
overall
dining
experience
at
XYZ
Conference
Center?

31. Quality
Assurance
ü Neutrality
VS
Forced
Choice
ü Neutrality
in
general
quesQoning
ü Forced
choice
in
specifics
ü EXAMPLE
ü How
would
you
rate
your
overall
dining
experience
at
XYZ
Conference
Center?
ü Neutrality
is
acceptable
ü How
would
you
rate
the
food
selecQon
offered
at
lunch?
ü Forced
choice
is
preferred

32. Quality
Assurance
ü Ask
comparaQve
quesQons
ü How
do
you
rate
against
your
compeQtors?
ü How
do
you
rate
your
catering
experience
here
compared
to
other
conference
centers?
ü What
conference
center(s)
have
provided
a
beZer
catering
experience?

33. Quality
Assurance
ü Gather
Demographic
InformaQon
ü Ability
to
analyze
segments
and
subsets
of
your
customers
ü Geung
Responses
ü 10-­‐15%
acceptable
rates
ü Methods
ü Onsite
surveying
ü IncenQves
ü Email
surveys
and
reminders

34. Quality
Assurance
ü Take
AcQon
ü Review
survey
results
following
each
group
ü Review
by
group
and
overall
ü Share
results
ü AcQon
Plans
ü Communicate
changes
ü Thank
the
evaluators

35. Quality
Assurance
ü Innovate
ü A
Comprehensive
Approach
to
Involvement
ü Generate
unique
ideas
ü Ask
everyone
ü Customers
ü Employees
ü Implement
ideas
ü Don’t
ask
for
the
sake
of
asking
ü CounterproducQve
ü Acknowledge
and
reward
ideas

36. Thank
You!
Chuck
Salem,
President
Unique
Venues
chuck@uniquevenues.com