| The A.C.E.S. model of exceptional customer service is | | | | was empowered with wealth of technical resources |
| a simple pneumonic and diagnostic tool that will help | | | | close at hand. But he could not fix my problem in a |
| you evaluate your company's ability to deliver service | | | | timely manner. In the end, it took 2 hours to solve a |
| to the customer. Once you have your diagnosis, you | | | | problem that a more competent person could have |
| then know where to apply corrective measures if | | | | solved in 20 minutes . I have been a loyal customer |
| needed.A.C.E.S. helps employees focus on the three | | | | of Dell largely because of their tech support, but their |
| component parts of customer service. This model | | | | competence is deteriorating, and I am beginning to |
| complements my 4 (and 7) laws of exceptional | | | | re-evaluate this position.If the employee is new, it |
| customer service.The ACES model is a simple formula | | | | may just be a matter of training. If training has been |
| Attitude + Competence + Empowerment = | | | | supplied and the employee is not becoming more |
| (exceptional) ServiceThe first component, Attitude, | | | | competent, it is most likely a poor fit with the |
| contains the attitudes and beliefs that are required to | | | | job.Position 3 is common with people who are often |
| provide excellent customer service. These include the | | | | labeled as having low emotional intelligence. In fiction, |
| basic imperative of providing service to others (as | | | | this is often the crotchety engineer who can fix |
| oppose to oneself), of improving the customer's | | | | anything, just keep him away from other people. A |
| condition, that problems are opportunities to excel, | | | | person who is often in this position may not be the |
| that positive energy and good humor are essential, | | | | most appropriate person for customer service. This |
| and so on. The attitude factor can be assessed at | | | | type of person may benefit from personal coaching |
| macro and micro levels including: the corporate | | | | to help shift his or her attitude about the importance |
| culture, the overall workforce, the general tendency | | | | of Attitude. When someone is stressed and having a |
| of a given person, or the specific communications | | | | "bad day" they are often in position 3 for a brief |
| during an interaction.The second component is | | | | period of time.On a macro level, position 3 describes |
| Competence. A positive attitude is only a consolation | | | | a company that values competence and empowers |
| prize when competence is low. Many decades ago I | | | | its people to succeed, but does not value customer |
| was a new waiter at an upscale restaurant. A patron | | | | service enough for people to experience Exceptional |
| asked me if there was mayonnaise in the Caesar | | | | Customer Service. Now many companies talk about |
| salad dressing. I checked with the chef and was told | | | | the importance of customer service, but go no |
| there was no mayonnaise in the dressing. He ordered | | | | further than platitudes. A colleague of mine worked |
| it and proceeded to have a tremendous allergic | | | | at a major metropolitan hospital. There were many |
| reaction. I had a great attitude, but I was less than | | | | signs around the building touting the importance of |
| fully competent. The dressing was made from | | | | the patient and the how the hospital was committed |
| scratch. No mayonnaise was added, but it was made | | | | to delivering the highest quality of service. |
| with the same ingredients, eggs and oil! A competent | | | | Unfortunately this was often an empty promise. For |
| food server would have known better. For that | | | | instance, on the oncology unit the doctors were |
| matter the chef should have known better as | | | | rarely forthright with patients. Nurses had to go |
| well.Employee competence is largely derived from | | | | around doctors' backs to communicate more openly |
| intimate knowledge with all aspects of the product | | | | with patients and family. There was little teamwork |
| and/or services being offered. I live in Pennsylvania | | | | and so on. Hardly the state-of-the-art in care.Finally |
| where you can only buy wine in state-owned liquor | | | | only at position 4 do we really attain high quality |
| stores. While it has gotten somewhat better in | | | | customer service. On a personal level, each individual |
| recent years, most sales people in these stores could | | | | must empower themselves to cultivate a positive |
| not describe the difference between a Chardonnay | | | | attitude of service and competence. Empowerment |
| and Ripple! I therefore do most of my wine shopping | | | | also means being willing to take a few judicious risks. |
| in another state.In certain jobs, competence in the | | | | The flight attendant I mentioned earlier |
| job also requires the ability to handle people. I was on | | | | demonstrated a personal use of all three |
| a USAirways flight that was fully booked. A man a | | | | dimensions.At the macro level, position 4 describes an |
| few rows behind was angrily attempting to jam his | | | | organization with a true cultural attitude of |
| suitcase into the overhead bin. He was so aggressive, | | | | service-to-others. It often requires significant |
| that it looked like he was going to destroy the door. | | | | corporate courage to move into this level. It requires |
| The other passengers watching him began to look a | | | | facing the truth about how the organization is not |
| little nervous. The flight attendant arrived and, in the | | | | implementing important values. IT requires spending |
| most perfect tone of voice (combining humor and | | | | near term money for longer term goals. The |
| boundary setting) said, "Are you trying to break my | | | | organization makes sure its staff and systems have |
| airplane?" The man immediately stopped and allowed | | | | the competence to act on the attitude, and that |
| her to take care of his suitcase. Not wanting to miss | | | | people are actually empowered to use their |
| an opportunity at friendly jousting with such an | | | | competence. Furthermore, the interaction effect of |
| obviously talented person, I said, "Excuse me, but are | | | | the convergence of these factors is highly |
| your planes that easy to break?" She smiled and | | | | self-reinforcing. Working in such an environment |
| retorted, "Don't worry honey. They give us lots of | | | | cultivates an even more positive attitude. Employees |
| duct tape. You can use duct tape for everything." | | | | are motivated from within. Company morale is high. |
| (short pause) They even use it at the Miss America | | | | Companies that inculcate and empower their |
| Pageant." Now THAT is competence in handling | | | | employees usually raise the bar of competence to |
| people.On a more macro level, it is important that the | | | | higher and higher levels. Companies that would be |
| systems and procedures of a company are | | | | examples of this are Disney World Theme Parks, |
| competently designed to provide the exceptional | | | | Costco, and Enterprise rental car (see my article on |
| service. Netflix is an example of an incredibly | | | | comparing and contrasting recent experiences with |
| competent system for renting DVDs. You do not | | | | Enterprise and Sears)If customer service levels are |
| have to leave your house. They come in the mail | | | | not at the desired goals, the A.C.E.S. analysis provides |
| they are returned in the mail. If there is any problem, | | | | a rapid way to zero in on the problem. You can ask |
| you simply contact Netflix on-line and it is taken care | | | | yourself, "Where am I on this chart most of the |
| of (at their expense). The system is designed so | | | | time?" Do I need to update my competence in |
| that the incentive to get the most for your money | | | | something? Have i gotten so focused on making the |
| actually supports the efficient returning of the | | | | sale to make money that I am no longer focusing on |
| DVDs.The final component of A.C.E.S. is | | | | the customer relationship? Do I feel dis-empowered |
| Empowerment. Generally this is a structural issue | | | | to provide great service. The manager or leader can |
| within the company. Employees must be empowered | | | | ask, "Where is my sales force most of the time?" |
| in terms of proper training as well as actual power to | | | | What has changed in the ACES model that accounts |
| solve problems. The main question to answer here is, | | | | for the drop in customer service in the XYZ |
| in what ways are employees able to resolve | | | | department? Is there a change in the market place |
| problems on the spot so that the customer feels like | | | | so that people are no longer competent? Is there a |
| his or her needs come first (Dr Bob's 2nd law of | | | | new manager that is dis-empowering people? Did we |
| exceptional customer service). Any employee at the | | | | have a huge turnover of people so that now 34% of |
| Ritz Carlton is empowered to spend up to $2500 to | | | | the department has not had the company training? |
| solve a guest's problems. The result is that a guest | | | | Do we talk about an attitude of taking excellent care |
| feels like he or she is a queen.As shown in the | | | | of our customers, but fail to take excellent care of |
| diagram on the right, there three possible situations | | | | our employees so the corporate attitude of |
| where a person or company has only one quality. | | | | excellence of customer service is not manifested in |
| There are three possible intersections of two | | | | its employment practices? Customer Service is not |
| qualities, and one point where all three qualities | | | | rocket science. But, it is not necessarily easy to |
| intersect. The single quality points are | | | | execute at high levels. It takes courage and honesty |
| self-explanatory. So, I will not describe them here. At | | | | to look at where you are. And, once you know |
| intersection 1 we have a good attitude plus | | | | where the problem is you are halfway to a |
| competence, but not empowerment. Here an | | | | solution.Dr Robert Schwarz is a consultant coach and |
| employee knows how to do something and has a | | | | speaker. He is passionate about improving the |
| great attitude, but somehow is not empowered to | | | | performance of individuals and companies. His mission |
| do it. This situation can exist when there is a poor | | | | is to sponsor and promote the creative potential and |
| manager in charge of competent, motivated people. | | | | generative powers of individuals and organizations to |
| It is often depicted in movies of the hero who wants | | | | maximize sustainable performance and well-being. |
| to do it, can do it, but is prevented from doing it by | | | | CEOs, managers, business owners and line workers |
| the system. In real life, this is the situation we have | | | | who are inspired perform better. Organizations and |
| all faced when a service person says, "You are | | | | individuals that perform up to their true potential in |
| completely right, this is not fair, but the computer | | | | providing value and service to others are more |
| system will not let me fix your problem for you." If it | | | | fulfilled and more profitable.With 24 years of |
| is a chronic problem, people in position 1 generally | | | | experience as a businessman, psychologist, consultant |
| become demoralized. Another scenario is more | | | | and coach working with thousands of people, Bob |
| personal. An employee may not be assertive | | | | brings a wealth of experience in improving human |
| (self-empowered) enough or willing to take an | | | | performance. His trainings are full of energy, humor |
| appropriate risk, even if he or she really does have | | | | and thought provoking content for immediate use |
| the competence and authority to do so.Position 2 is a | | | | and long-term sustainable growth. He presents |
| situation where an employee has a great attitude and | | | | trainings internationally on topics including, leadership, |
| the system actually does empower him or her, but | | | | creativity and gender communication differences, |
| the employee is not sufficiently competent. My | | | | customer service, advanced approaches to stress |
| recent tech support call to Dell is a good example. | | | | management and work life balance to government |
| The tech had a wonderfully pleasant attitude and | | | | agencies, businesses, and associations. |