In Innovation, it is about the little things as well
Scientists say that we humans share approximately 98% of our DNA with Monkeys. If one analyzes every human feature one would also discover that the differences between us are very small and consists of hyper small variations on the same theme. We are very much alike; a little more length here, a little broader there, bigger eyes here, smaller eye lids there, a little darker, a little whiter, and on and on. Further, the differences in facial features are characterized by even smaller variations, really.
And so it is in business.
Excellence in service delivery is characterized by the very small things. I am of the opinion that if one really wants to make a difference in the innovation front one needs to make sure- first and foremost- that the basics are taking care of in the delivery of products and services for the simple reason that this is where the majority of service differentiators can happen. It is not enough to have an innovative service or product without innovative service delivery (be it a revolutionary way of delivering it, or simply through service-delivery excellence).
One incident not long ago made this point very clear to me. It involved the very routine engagement with a rental car company. Upon returning the car to the airport in Tampa Bay, FL I was going through the motions of returning the car, a scene I am sure replicated millions of times across the USA every day. What made this occasion different was that the mobile printout machine that prints the receipt on the spot was not working. Faced with this service delivery touch point, the attendant decided to “de-enhance” the service by telling me to walk to the office- which was a distance away – to get a printout of the receipt. When I got there, I had to wait extra time and had to ask for my receipt. I also had to wait behind some other people waiting for their receipt.
Now, please understand, walking was not the issue and neither was the extra time that I had to wait. The upcoming flight-time was to be long and I always make it a habit of being plenty early to airports. The point is that the car-rental attendant missed an opportunity to make a difference during a small, but yet critical, engagement with this customer.
Now, why was that touch point with this customer important? Because by making that occasion exceptional it would have had the effect of leaving a positive impression of superior service leading to an accumulation of service credit in this customer mind that would have been stored for the next engagement. As it happens, the next time I rented a car from this company the experience was not smooth and was further negatively impacted by my lower expectations from the last encounter. On the second occasion, the car had not been properly serviced and did not have windshield washer liquid and the low-air-tire indicator light was on the entire time I drove the car.
Now, with two consecutive bad experiences, I have a very low expectation of this company and its ability to deliver exceptional service. Had the attendant in the first occasion provided me with a superior experience, I would have attributed my last experience as a one-off.
Will I continue to rent from this car company? Yes, but not if I can have a superior and exceptional experience with another car rental company. Would I be impressed with an innovative new way of delivering a product and/or service from this company? Just Maybe.
It is about the small things, people say; indeed they are.
And so it is in business.
Excellence in service delivery is characterized by the very small things. I am of the opinion that if one really wants to make a difference in the innovation front one needs to make sure- first and foremost- that the basics are taking care of in the delivery of products and services for the simple reason that this is where the majority of service differentiators can happen. It is not enough to have an innovative service or product without innovative service delivery (be it a revolutionary way of delivering it, or simply through service-delivery excellence).
One incident not long ago made this point very clear to me. It involved the very routine engagement with a rental car company. Upon returning the car to the airport in Tampa Bay, FL I was going through the motions of returning the car, a scene I am sure replicated millions of times across the USA every day. What made this occasion different was that the mobile printout machine that prints the receipt on the spot was not working. Faced with this service delivery touch point, the attendant decided to “de-enhance” the service by telling me to walk to the office- which was a distance away – to get a printout of the receipt. When I got there, I had to wait extra time and had to ask for my receipt. I also had to wait behind some other people waiting for their receipt.
Now, please understand, walking was not the issue and neither was the extra time that I had to wait. The upcoming flight-time was to be long and I always make it a habit of being plenty early to airports. The point is that the car-rental attendant missed an opportunity to make a difference during a small, but yet critical, engagement with this customer.
Now, why was that touch point with this customer important? Because by making that occasion exceptional it would have had the effect of leaving a positive impression of superior service leading to an accumulation of service credit in this customer mind that would have been stored for the next engagement. As it happens, the next time I rented a car from this company the experience was not smooth and was further negatively impacted by my lower expectations from the last encounter. On the second occasion, the car had not been properly serviced and did not have windshield washer liquid and the low-air-tire indicator light was on the entire time I drove the car.
Now, with two consecutive bad experiences, I have a very low expectation of this company and its ability to deliver exceptional service. Had the attendant in the first occasion provided me with a superior experience, I would have attributed my last experience as a one-off.
Will I continue to rent from this car company? Yes, but not if I can have a superior and exceptional experience with another car rental company. Would I be impressed with an innovative new way of delivering a product and/or service from this company? Just Maybe.
It is about the small things, people say; indeed they are.
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