Below is an Autogenerated Transcript

Read this question out loud with me. Ready, go!

Where and when can we take new action to create more value? Is it something that we do face to face? Is it on the phone? Is it in an email? Is it at the beginning? Is it at the end? Do we do it in our staff meeting? Do we do it over the counter? Is this something that happens? Where and when specifically do we take that action that results in more value? 

Because it’s one thing to say, “Oh, we need to improve our primary product” or we need a better service mindset or demonstrate greater ongoing relationship concern”, but it’s another to say, “You know what, after that type of transaction, then we should reach out within three days, either by email or by phone call, depending upon how they communicated with us or what they prefer. We should thank them once again and ask them if there’s a follow up.” 

You get my point? To answer this question, we need another principle. This is called a service transaction. It’s the idea that service has a beginning and a middle, and then it comes to an end. All along the way, there will be multiple points. Some of them face to face, some of them over the phone, some of them on paperwork, some of them on a screen, some of them at a website, some of them in a follow up, some of them at the beginning, some of them in the sales conversation. Some of them… Each one of those points can be evaluated on the six levels of service. Each point. 

I’ll give you an example. Changi International Airport, rated number one airport on the planet. How do they do that? An airport is a very complex location.There’s a lot going on. Well, they came to me many, many years ago and they said we want to be known as the best and the friendliest airport in the world. Best airport in the world is evaluated using certain criteria like speed, accuracy, efficiency, productivity, security and safety. 

Singapore is pretty good in every one of those categories.

But the friendliest airport in the world is not a matter of productivity, Efficiency, speed, or accuracy, right? Friendliness is more of a feeling that people get from the way you serve them. 

In that area, Singapore is…it’s not so native. For example, if you go to Thailand, you’ll get this kind of service. “Sawadika.” Very gentle, very kind, very personal. Why are they like that? It’s in the culture. If you go to Japan, Very formal, very respectful. Why are people like that? It’s in the culture. Go down to Australia. “Good day, mate. No worries. Come on in. Have a beer.” Why are Australians so gregarious and outgoing like that? It’s in the Beer and the beer is in the culture big time.

Now you go to Singapore and you get “Aya! Why are you so like that?” Very, tatatata. It’s kind of a primarily Chinese trading transactionally focused. In the culture it’s not warm and friendly. We’ve been working on it for a long time, but it’s not native. You with me? Okay. 

So Changi Airport said, “Well, we know that that’s the problem, how are we going to solve it?” And I said, “I’ll tell you what, let me have everybody in the whole airport learn these two things”. Just like we’re starting here with Al Ansari right here. Let’s have every single person understand these two things. Number one, there are six levels of service and the stairs are slipping down. Number two, every transaction has multiple perception points. 

Each point can be evaluated on the six levels.