Examining a master class in customer service in a hard bid world

By Gregg Schoppman, FMI Corp.

I fly a great deal. That isn’t bragging as anyone who has ever travelled in a Post 9-11, Post COVID world knows, air travel isn’t quite the pleasure cruise it once was. That being said, there was recently an interesting experience that had me rethinking the basics of customer service. It is a safe assumption to think that air travel is predicated on “low bid.” While it is frightening to think that our lives are based on low bid, most of us travel by finding the lowest cost flight. There are always standards that some travelers will hold as sacred, whether it is paying for every bag (as if we would travel without clothing?) and even choosing the middle seat (does it have the hump in the middle like those car rides as a kid?). As some airlines are famous for saying, “We know you all have a choice,” and for most destinations, that choice is based on the lowest price. This reminds me of another industry, but I’m just having trouble identifying that sector…

During a recent flight, there were two instances of “knock it out of the park” service. The first was when I boarded. I sat in my chair only to find I was sitting on a card within an envelope. I immediately thought the passenger before me left something behind, only to see it said, “Mr. Gregg Schoppman.” The inside of the card was simple –

Dear Mr. Schoppman,

We know you fly a lot and we also know you have choices. It means so much to me and our team at BRAND X AIRLINE that you would trust us with your flight. We have families too and we really appreciate you as a loyal customer.

Thank you! Jane, Joe, Mary and Steve

I barely get hand written letters in the mail so getting one on a flight was pretty astounding. Secondly, I had seen those same flight attendants board about 10 minutes before I did. I looked at the other seats around me and each of us – regardless of status – had a card.

Secondly, as I deplaned that flight, the flight attendant came by and said, “Gregg, once again, I just wanted to thank you. Have a safe trip to Anywhereville today.” It was good he reminded me of the city I was going to since I am prone to forget where I am headed. More importantly, he knew my name. I know that he had the manifest and this wasn’t some herculean task, but he knew me as Gregg, not Passenger in 4D.

There are plenty of perks that come with being an EXTREMELY frequent flier. I’ve had the service that drives you to your next gate in a luxury automobile, which is exceptionally handy on those flights where you have four minutes to get to the next gate which is about 1.5 miles away (not sure why airlines think I can become an Olympic sprinter at 52). Family members tease me about being carted around like some celebrity – my wife teased me until she received that treatment on a flight with me and all joking ceased. My point is this – those accoutrements are great marketing tools and rewards for being a loyal customer. What happened in the story above was basic, simplistic, and most importantly the most genius example of customer service. Most of all it cost NOTHING.

Let’s bring this back down to the ground, no pun intended. When was the last time your team had driven exceptional customer service? It is important to be clear about the definition of customer service. Below are some of the rules to consider:

• Expectation – Customer service can’t be for something you were expected to do. For instance, it is common to hear the refrains:

o “We finished our project on time…” – Wasn’t that the plan to begin with?

o “We were safe…” – We realize construction is a risky business, but being safe is an expectation not some “Gold Star Moment” worthy of recognition.

• Marketing – Too often, customer service is confused for marketing. Marketing might be taking a client to lunch, a ballgame, handing out cool swag, etc. Customer service should not have a price tag.

Now, consider the question again – when was the last time your team drove exceptional customer service? How many people on your team make this a common occurrence? There are several litmus tests that will help validate your approach and also determine if your organization is doing the right thing. For instance, consider the following:

Does your organization’s vision/mission statement reference the customer/client in any way? The last thing as leaders we would want to do is look like a hypocrite. However, many organizations talk about the customer/client but don’t have a way to replicate superior customer service, reward associates that demonstrate that service or continually reinvent themselves to drive customer service 2.0.

How well do you really know your customer? Short of where they work, could you list 4-5 things about your customer/decision maker/point of contact? We certainly can’t issue a “Preconstruction Client ‘Get to Know Ya’” questionnaire so most of the intelligence gathered about a customer will require strong conversation. When you REALLY know a customer – personality, personal drivers, style, etc.– it is much easier to engage in a customer-centric strategy.

There are certainly interesting contrarian views about the notion of customer service. “But Gregg, this customer service thing is great for those contractors that do negotiated work with repeat clients in a warm and fluffy market, etc. This doesn’t apply to us…” Let’s go back to our airline example. I can assure you that my ticket was pretty affordable because as I said, they were the “low bid airline” in the Gregg Flight Project. Think about what your clients are looking for. Most are looking for great service, done well, on or ahead of budget. Sure, many of these things meet the definition of “Expectations” which we touched on, but we all know there are many ways to the endgame. Project execution can be done in a proactive fashion that is fair, consistent and quality driven. In fact, the customer expectations dovetail nicely to the contractor’s list of “successful project variables.” Notice that there is no mention of taking the client golfing, wining and dining, or even fancy polo shirts with your logo on it. Good old fashioned customer service is grounded in the basics and maybe even knowing your client’s name.

About the Author

As a principal with FMI, Gregg specializes in the areas of productivity and project management. He also leads FMI’s project management consulting practice. He has completed complex and sophisticated construction projects in several different niches and geographic markets. He has also worked as a construction manager and managed direct labor. FMI is a unique and fast-growing firm of professionals passionate about creating a better future for engineering and construction, infrastructure and the built environment throughout North America and around the world. For more information on FMI, please visit www.fminet.com or contact Schoppman by email at gschoppman@fminet.com.