Contest # 2 -The Best Customer Response

Aaron Dignan had a great idea for a contest. Thanks Aaron!

So, I've added to (co-created?) Aaron's idea and am ready to roll with it. So here are the rules:

1. You select the brand you think gives the best customer service. I will post your name and the brand you selected in the right column.

2. Send an honest and creative comment/complaint email to them. Send me the comment. The comments will be judged by other readers on a scale of one to ten.

3. Post the brand's responses and the response times here. Other readers can then rank each response, including response time and creativity on a scale of one to ten.

4. The person and brand combination with the best overall score in both categories wins a signed copy of Beyond the Brand. Scores will be posted to the right with the name of the brand and your name.

I hope that makes sense and doesn't get too complicated.

Good luck!

Comments

[Christopher Carfi]

John, I'm in. I just submitted this via JetBlue's website, through their feedback area:

"Dear JetBlue-

As I noted here:
http://www.socialcustomer.com/2005/03/liveblogging_lo.html

I was one of the passengers stranded in Boston as a result of the "weather event" earlier this week. Overall, have to give the JetBlue gate folks pretty solid marks for dealing with a great many number of rude, tired, short-tempered customers (demands to have JetBlue materialize a $50MM plane in the middle of a snowstorm, etc.).

The place where you fell down a little was on the communications aspects of the evolving situation. At one point in the evening, we were assured that since the inbound plane had arrived, everyone waiting at the gate would be able to get out when the airport opened, since "the plane is here and ready." However, when the flight was cancelled around midnight (how can it be cancelled...the plane is right there?), it was not communicated as clearly as possible that an entire new set of rules were in place,requiring a completely different set of actions other than "just wait" which was the M.O. of the first couple of hours of the saga.

A suggestion would be to have in place a FAQ, or decision tree, or the like clearly stating the different things that need to be done in each situation. This could be available for customers at the gate, perhaps as a printed document. For example, "if a flight is 'delayed,' here are your options as a passenger, and here's what JetBlue is allowed to do, and if the situation changes to 'cancelled,' here are your options as a passenger and here's what JetBlue is allowed to do," etc.

The issue was that JetBlue (and frankly, all airlines) have a number of arcane "rules of engagement" based on various situations, and passengers are unaware of them. Any light you could shed for us in the future would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Christopher Carfi"

[Christopher Carfi]

Ok, just got the automated response from JB. So far, so good. Let's see where they go from here.

"Thank you for contacting JetBlue Airways. This message is being sent to let you know we have received your email correspondence. It is our goal to respond to you within 24 hours. However, at this time you can expect a response within 24 - 48 hours due to an increased volume of email.

We value you as our customer and your satisfaction is important to us.

Sincerely,
JetBlue Customer Commitment Crew"

[John Winsor]

Thanks, Christopher. We have entry #1!

[Jake]

I'm working up my entry now. What's the deadline?

[John Winsor]

I haven't set a deadline. What do you think? April 1st?

[Aaron Dignan]

This just submitted through Whole Foods site:

Whole Foods,

I am a loyal daily customer at the Whole Foods here in Boulder, Colorado, which is very near my office. I often have a slice of pizza for lunch, and have noticed a trend.

The stone circles that the pizzas rest on after coming out of the oven are not very porous, and this causes the pizzas to condense water as they cool, moistening and sogging the pizza from beneath. I would say 4 out of every 5 slices I get are soggy and floppy to the point where I can rub the dough off with my finger.

I posted an in-store comment, but the reply just told me to ask for reheating. I think your customers deserve better.

Even a piece of cardboard under each pizza would reduce this condensation. What do you think?

Sincerely,

Aaron Dignan

[Lance]

Okay, I know I can't do this with my own company, so someone out there give little IZZE a question or two on the feedback form of our site and see what you get. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by not just response time, but originality. Here's a recent question posed to us from a young man named Michael:

Why isn't there a grape Izze? Your blueberry is mostly grape, but I want one that is entirely grape. Do what I ask. Right now.

Here is our Director of Corp Comm's response the next day:

Dear Michael,

Some people are so shy! And timid! When they speak, you can hardly hear what they're saying, and it's almost impossible to tell what they're thinking.
They shrink from attention, get lost in a crowd, live in fear of standing out and being heard. They would rather die that be noticed. They are comfortable in dark corners, unlit spaces, solitary little rooms where no one will see or hear them. Loud noises startle them, bold statements make them squirm with discomfort. All they want to do is blend, blend, blend.

You are obviously not one of these people!

Tell you what about the grape: we'll think about it.

Yours,

Madeleine

[Christopher Carfi]

JetBlue's back, and sorta-close-ish to their promised 48 window. Well, maybe closer to 72hrs.

"From: Dear JetBlue
To: Christopher Carfi
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 08:53:41 -0700 (MST)
Subject: JetBlue Airways Response
Re: email received Saturday,03/12/05 3:50 PM, Speak Up 952880

Hello Christopher,

Thank you for your email, and thank you for taking the time to let us know about your disappointment
with our communication to our customers. We sincerely apologize for this incident, and will share
your concerns and suggestions with our General Manager of the Boston Airport for review. Your idea
of a FAQ or decision tree is a excellent suggestion.

Our customers are our partners in this business and we are committed to serving them to the best of
our ability. Thank you for bringing this experience to our attention. We will endeavor to learn
from it and do our utmost to continue to improve as we grow.

We genuinely value your patronage and hope you will choose to fly JetBlue again. We look forward to
a new opportunity to serve you so that we may regain your confidence.

Best Regards,

Lisa
Customer Commitment Crew
JetBlue Airways
Crewmember 25867"

Points to JetBlue for the personalized response. A few off for the turnaround time vs. expectations, unless we give them a "it was a weekend" dispensation.

Hmmm. I think the next step is a note to JetBlue's Jim Celeste, the GM at Boston-Logan.
http://greaterboston.tv/features/gb_20040115_jetblue.html

Stay tuned.

[john winsor]

Christopher-

Thanks for posting Jet Blues response. I agree with you. Keep me up to speed with the response to Jim.

[Aaron Dignan]

48 hours and no response of any kind from Whole Foods. How can this be? My brand universe is spinning out of control.

[john winsor]

Wow! 48 hours for Whole Foods. I'm starting to see cracks, as well.

[Christopher Carfi]

Note just went into Jim Celeste, GM of Operations for JetBlue at Boston.

"Jim-

Would love your thoughts on the notions of better communication with customers during 'abnormal' situations such as the blizzard last month. I was one of the folks who ended up being affected, per the email thread below.

It's a way that JetBlue could really differentiate itself.

Best regards,
Christopher Carfi"

[jakob]

concerning the whole foods comment. let me explain how this works. if you submit a comment at the website, it is sent to the store leadership who get all, if any comments in a single email each day. at this point they decided what department needs to respond, and they forward it to the appropriate people. then, once the department receives the comment, they write a response within a day or two, but sometimes longer in certain cases. for example, the person has the day off and doesn't receive the email for 1-3 days. responses are then written, and copied to the store leadership. if a phone call is requested, one is made.

for the fastest response to a comment or complaint, ask to speak to a manager. there is always someone who can help, and try to address any concerns.

and concerning the pizza. to use cardboard would not only create a lot of waste (each pizza would require a fresh piece), but cardboard, while it may absorb some moisture, does not redirect it. the pizza would be sitting on a moist surface.

the best remedy to a soft slice is to ask for it to be reheated by the team member working at the pizza station. they will place it in the oven for 30-60 seconds, and the pizza stones heated to over 600 degrees with crispen the bottom of the slice.

another reason cardboard is not a good solution to this problem is the aesthetics. whole foods attempts to offer the freshest hand-crafted food that not only tastes good, but looks good; appetizing.

sorry that you have had bad experiences with the pizza in the past. if it continues to be a problem for you, let them know. they will do whatever is in their power to make your experience, and meal, as enjoyable as possible.

[Lorie]

Thanks for the read. I agree with the points you made. http://www.rapidmediafire.com also has peoples thoughts on the matter.

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