A cultural transformation is underway at DirectBuy, and improving member services is our focal point. The challenge was how to effectively prioritize the member experience when each Club in our franchise-based system runs somewhat independently. I knew we were on the right track when I received this message from one of our members. He wisely stated, “The service you provide today will be the success of your company tomorrow.” I couldn’t agree more!
Centralized support was our first undertaking, but the journey to develop the right type of service began with studying industry leaders. Experienced leaders understand you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to succeed. However, they also understand that from time to time it’s imperative to reshape or even customize that wheel. This is a story about how I customized the service wheel at DirectBuy and the results that followed. So far the trip has been relatively smooth, but getting to this point was bumpy. Road metaphors aside, if you’re facing an internal overhaul that will affect your customers, these tips are for you.
The Top Tip for Reaching the Tip Top: Identify Your Priority
I have a ritual each time I board a one of my favorite airlines’ planes. I immediately reach for the inflight magazine and turn to the letter from the CEO. I’ll give you a few clues about this particular airline. Clue #1: Even before you get to the gate, you’ve saved money by getting to check your first two bags for free. Clue #2: You might be treated to a rapping flight attendant giving a shout-out to your fellow travelers while reviewing the mandatory safety instructions. If you’re lucky enough to be in a territory it serves, I’m sure you’ve guessed I’m talking about Southwest Airlines. If not, seek this company out. From this favorable description, you can see I am a fan and a loyal customer of Southwest. However, when you take a deeper look at the often-elusive “why,” the answer might surprise you. Southwest has a corporate culture that has been heavily lauded. From its countless awards and reputation as one of America’s most admired companies, it all started at the top, under the direction of its co-founder and chairman emeritus, Herb Kelleher. He offered this little gem, and it really hit home.
“When someone comes to me with a cost-saving idea, I don’t immediately jump up and say, ‘Yes.’ I ask: What’s the effect on the customer?”
I want to learn from the best and, therefore, closely follow what current Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly has to say to his customers each month. Even the title of his column, “Gary’s Greetings,” speaks to me. In each reference to the customer, the “c” is capitalized, and that’s no accident.
What I’ve learned from Southwest Airlines is that the customer should be at the forefront of everything you do. The proof is in their words and in the way I am treated each time I fly.
Customer Service on Steroids: Take Time to Make Things Right
Another company I admire is Zappos. Its commitment to customer service is epic—and I’m sure it would appreciate that description given that its employees self-admittedly go to “insane” lengths to please their customers. There are the now-legendary stories of Zappos reps moving mountains to help their customers, but I have studied the company to learn more about its commitment to the personalized attention of the customer and training for its representatives.
The following was written about Zappos in Forbes Magazine.
While Zappos uses technology to make the customer experience easy and hassle-free, they recognize that there are just some things that technology can’t do. Nothing can replace the human touch especially when that person is empowered to go to just about any lengths to help the customer. They understand that the customer experience is not singular, but it’s in each of those singular moments when interacting with the customer that loyalty is forged or lost.
This statement touches on what we at DirectBuy have done to reshape our service wheel. It involved our leadership team recognizing (and verbalizing) that members were our top priority and empowering a team to go to just about any lengths to help them.
You Say You Want a Revolution: Empowerment and Training
I will be the first to admit that what we implemented is not revolutionary, but the results have been transformational, and in the world of customer service, that is what matters most.
Implementing an entire team was essential to our company’s rededication to our members. We chose to call our team of representatives the “Member Care Advocacy Team” as it signifies our mission and rightly identifies our customer service representatives as the Member Advocates they are.
In my role as VP of Member Experience at DirectBuy, I have the unique challenge of providing centralized support to our near 100 franchise-owned and operated stores across North America. Prior to the implementation of the Member Care Advocacy Team, the centralized aspect of member support was just not where it needed to be in order for us to truly make our members’ experience a priority—two key areas that my role models got right.
We identified our areas of weakness and worked hard to reimagine them into areas of strength. To truly understand everything DirectBuy has to offer, we knew our Member Advocates needed to be highly trained and empowered.
The first step was to put together our core team, many of whom hold decades-long tenure with the company and are DirectBuy members themselves. The second was to design and put the team through a rigorous two-week training course. Typical member resolutions include processing membership renewals, updating contact information, resetting passwords, and resolving members’ questions pertaining to orders or membership. There are mandatory weekly refresher training sessions, including new product immersion seminars that feature role-playing. The third was to make certain the team was empowered to resolve any and all issues within a timely manner. CEO Mike Bornhorst outlined his member experience philosophy as “Building collective strength by always having empowered associates available to satisfy members.” We accomplished this by centralizing our support so we can offer effective one-stop customer service to all members, as well as provide after-hours coverage.
The Member Care Advocacy Team already has made great strides—the time to resolve issues has dramatically shrunk. The mandate is to resolve any issues on the first call, and 90 percent of the time, the member will either reach the Member Care Advocate or be called back within the hour.
Our members are getting the attention and experience they deserve, and our Member Care Advocates take pride in their roles. The process is ongoing and the reshaping will continue, but for now, the hard work is paying off.
Dylan Astle is the vice president of Member Experience for DirectBuy. His primary goal is to enhance DirectBuy’s customer service and member engagement. His passion and experience working with Wal-Mart and Restoration Hardware in previous capacities make him an ideal candidate to help lead DirectBuy’s Member Care Advocacy Team.
