An Insatiable Desire for Nothing

“I don’t care.” 

I hear this said so often that I can’t help but consider what lies beneath such apathy.

In some cases, it seems that people really don’t care.  They don’t care if the customer is satisfied.  They don’t care if a colleague, or supervisor is disappointed.  They don’t care if a friend or loved one is hurt.  They don’t care if they personally fail. 

Seemingly, they are not impacted by potential consequences.  They may have discovered that they will not be held accountable, there are no consequences or the potential consequences are of no concern.  But it can also have an impact on their feelings.  They feel no pain, grief or discontent when things go wrong or end badly.  They have no fear of the future.  Such apathy can offer a safe and comfortable euphoria.    

Then there are those who say it in an effort to try to convince themselves that it’s true.  This is sometimes used when things have gone wrong and they are trying not to feel the consequential sting.  It can also be used in advance of outcomes to reduce the fear of facing negative consequences or feelings.

Apathy is like a drug - an insatiable desire for nothing.  It numbs us to the potentially negative feelings associated with outcomes.  If we don’t care then the outcomes don’t matter. 

 

But outcomes should matter.  They are a part of our life and numbing ourselves to outcomes is like disconnecting from life.  We then also become numb to potential joy, pride and triumph.

 

Pain is a frequent, normal and natural consequence of caring.  So is ecstasy.

Who Really Needs Help?

It seems that every time I interact with a business as a customer I get a gift.  Either I get a good experience or I get a lesson in how not to act with or around my customers.

I needed a few things for a project I was working on today and went to a local store to get them.  At checkout, the line was a bit long and it was obvious that the cashier was a bit overloaded.  A male employee came up to that part of the store and asked her if she need help (keen sense of the obvious).

She said she did and I thought he was going to help out.  Nope!  While standing amongst the customers, he yelled out, “We need help up front.”  Then he shook his head in disgust and walked off to do something else.

How would you guess this might have impacted me and the other customers in line?  One might wonder about how the people in this store get along.  One might wonder if he can expect to be treated the way the employees treat each other.  One might wonder if the disgust was an indication that others are lazy, indifferent or negligent.  And if that is the case, how might that impact my customer experience at other times.

Could he have handled that differently?  What would you have done in his shoes?

The way people perceive us, is the way they perceive our business.  That perception will always be based on our behavior – not just toward the customer but toward the world in general.  Most important, whether you are the owner, a manager or an employee at any level, the perception customers have of the business impacts your potential for success.

The Good, the Bad and the Customer

Interaction opportunities abound when traveling by air. It's also a great chance to review how the airlines interact with their customers. I had the luxury of participating in both on my most recent flight to California.

As we were ready to pull away from the gate for take off, the pilot announced that someone noticed fluid on the wing of the plane and there would be a short delay while it was investigated. A few moments later he came back on to tell us they had not yet determined the problem and it would be a little longer. He added that, to keep us informed, he would come back on every 15 minutes to provide updated information or advise us that nothing had changed.

Here is where it starts to get interesting.  Sitting next to me was Kathy Nolfo, a wonderful sales professional with Concur Technologies.  She had an app of theirs called Tripit. It consolidated all itinerary information and provided updates whenever anything changed.  She opened it and started getting updates on the flight status with revised departure times. 

As we talked about her business, she kept me posted each time the departure was delayed a bit further.  After some time, the pilot came through the cabin to tell us that nothing had changed and they had no updates.  It was nice of him to do this but it was significantly longer than the promised "every 15 minute" update.  When Kathy asked about the delay in getting back to us, he quickly dismissed her by saying she was wrong in her estimation of the lapsed time and moved on.  

A few minutes later, Kathy got information through her app that this fight was, in fact, being cancelled.  It provided the new departure time and gate details.  A few minutes after that, the pilot addressed us through the intercom announcing to all passengers that we would be deplaning and giving the new departure gate and time. Of course this was the same information Kathy and I has at least 15 minutes earlier. 

Any lessons here?

I want to compliment the airline for spotting the fluid, investigating the problem and keeping us safe. I would also point out that the two hour delay provided some excellent opportunities to strengthen the airline's relationship with its passengers.  

A bit of creativity might have made the wait more tolerable.  Moreover, some missteps actually lowered the airline's image regarding customer care. First, the pilot reached out with concern but failed to meet the expectations he established (updates every 15 minutes). Second, rather than acknowledging that and apologizing, he rudely corrected and dismissed the passenger that pointed it out.  Finally, and perhaps most important, accurate and available information was delayed in its journey from source to pilot to passengers.

How often does your rumor mill get out in front of the truth. How do delays in getting out information impact the image of your organization or the opinion employees have of management.  When this happens you may, in the best case, look inept or negligent. In the worst case you may look devious or inconsiderate. 

Providing timely and accurate information to those you serve will always show concern for them and for your relationship with them.  This can apply to everything from product recalls to the service tech's arrival time to preparation time on a meal.  Just remember that your image depends on meeting any expectations you establish. 

The pilot put an excellent spin on the event by pointing out how well the airline performed in "doing the right thing" regarding the leak and keeping us safe.  Somehow, I just didn't feel any better about the airline's real concern for me as a customer. 

Thanks to Kathy for a great conversation, accurate information, and a blog worthy interaction.