The Design Symphony Experience

Live Your Dream

Driving back to DC from New York the other night I came up behind this truck:

Why is it that the "punk, hippie, vandalizing, no-good, long-haired, truant, misfit kid" gets it when so many of us don't?

P.S. How wonderful when graffiti + philosophy + serendipity = me trying to take a photo while driving 75mph down the highway! Don't try this one at home kids...

The Max Experience

I visited the Bahamas last week and had the chance to reconnect with one of my favorite business owners in the world. Max is the ultimate entrepreneur - operating no fewer than five businesses (not counting his growing real estate holdings) and constantly working to develop new offerings.

Max owns the taxi company - and drives one of the vans every day so he can interact with his customers.

Max owns the auto-import business - and uses vehicles he imports as the fleet for his endeavors.

Max owns the building - and lives in one of the apartments so he understands what his tenants are experiencing.

Everywhere you go on New Providence island (population: 200,000+) people know Max. And everyone returns his signature smile when they see him.

Max is the experience because he participates in the experience. He knows first-hand what his customers and employees go through every day and he makes sure he is ready to respond and fill their every need.

Note: If you're ever headed to Nassau and need a driver, let me know and I'll put you in contact with Max.

Why Don't You Know?

If you're going to claim it will work, make sure it actually does.

Prior to my Bahamas trip last week I spent over three hours on the phone with various Verizon Wireless employees making sure my phone would work in the Bahamas.

I was told repeatedly that it was no problem and that for an additional $3.99/month I could sign up for a "value pack" that would reduce the costs of my calls while on the island by 86%. Needless to say I signed up and did all the necessary "reprogramming" and "updates" needed.

When I got off the plane in paradise, guess what?

My phone wouldn't work.

At all.

When I finally got through to Verizon in the U.S. (using a credit card call from a landline hotel phone) they explained that there was nothing I could do to make the phone work and that the various people I spoke to in the week leading up to my trip were wrong. Verizon phones just don't work in the Bahamas.

Why didn't any of the other employees know this?

I spoke to multiple people who assured me my phone would work in the Bahamas. If they would have told me it was impossible from the beginning I may have made other phone arrangements. At the very least, I wouldn't have wasted the many hours programming and reprogramming my phone.

I already thought of you as the "lesser of the evils" Verizon - now I trust you even less.

The Northwest Airlines Experience

Often the smallest gesture soothes the savage customer.

I got an email today that my flight home for Christmas that I booked back in August was cancelled. Instead, Northwest Airlines was putting me on a flight several hours later that day.

Normally this little annoyance would have been just that - a little annoyance.

With the Christmas rush at airports and the time I get to spend with my family over the holidays already limited, I found this more than a little annoying - especially given the fact that for once, I had purchased my ticket months in advance.

So I called Northwest.

I explained what happened and said, "normally I wouldn't even call - but this last minute change is disappointing - is there anything you can do?"

"Sorry," responded the agent. "All our flights are booked that day but I can give you 1,000 miles for the inconvience."

"That would be nice - thanks," I replied.

"You welcome - and again, my apologies for the inconvenience," the agent said.

Takeways:
1) Giving me 1,000 miles doesn't cost the airline anything - but it makes me feel "heard."
2) Offering the miles right away instead of just saying, "sorry it's not my problem" quickly resolves the situation.
3) Saying "my apologies for the inconvenience" instead of "we're sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused" shows that the representative was taking personal responsibility for my happiness - even though it wasn't her fault the flight got cancelled. It also shows that she understood it was an inconvenience to me.

It's quite simple really: personal responsibility + empathy = a positive customer experience.