Learning about Customer Service from Geeks
- Image by Scurzuzu via Flickr
I am often surprised that the most remarkable inspiration comes from some of the most unlikely places. In a recent article posted on the Harvard Business Publish blog called “A Geek’s Guide to Great Service” Bill Taylor discussed how Geek Squad teaches there employees to provide extraordinary support.
At first glance I was always unimpressed with the idea of Geek Squad since I just saw the relationship with Best Buy as an outsource opportunity for Best Buy to provide support without the human resource risk. Certainly this view is jaded at the very least and based on my inexperience with either company and also based upon misunderstanding of the relationship between Geek Squad and Best Buy.
As I read the article I was impressed with Robert Stephens, the founder of Geek Squad, approach to placing the customers experience ahead of all else. He focus his 15,000 agents on a disciplined approach and recognizing, “curiosity, ethics, and drive…are things we can’t teach.” Geek Squads best employees are passionate about the technology they support and will use their deep product discounts (50-60%) to provide themselves training in the product they will support on the job.
There operating manual, referred to as The Little Orange Book, provide the employees a six-point lesson in how to provide extraordinary support to their customer:
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- Never violate the trust of my clients or disrespect their property.
- Never say, “I don’t know.” Instead, say, “I’ll find out.”
- Always understand that my clients’ time is more valuable than my own.
- Assume every problem is my fault, unless proven otherwise.
- Consider my job done only when my client is completely overwhelmed with joy. And instead of assuming they’re happy, I’ll ask them.
- Keep every promise I make. Including this one.
As I read the goals I am impressed by their simplicity and relevance. I can defiantly see their application within my organization (both my department and the company as a whole) and they appear to be a good start to any “Customer First” initiative.
What would happen if every organization recognized the importance of their customer needs? What would happen if we truly knew how happy our customers are? What would happen if we ask and they told us? What would happen if we were accountable to the promises we made?
Geek Squad has a fourteen year track record of success showing that these lessons will support an organizations success with their customers.
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What is amazing is that there is nothing new in this level of service – no big secret
It used to be standard common sense and the way service was done
You took care of the customer simple as that and showed honesty , integrity and proper concern for the customer who after all was providing for your livelihood
It shows how low customer service levels have gotten in these days of the mc donalds interchangeable worker / service
and such debacles as worldcom