Tag Archive for Customer Service

Stay Strong with Basic Values at ETCO

David Dunn, Chairman

ETCO Incorporated was founded in 1947 as Electric Terminal Corporation.  The original company produced wall plug blades in strip form for attachment by the customer on a patented air operated machine.  ETCO still produces wall plug blades, although the production speeds have increased from 175 parts per minute to as fast as 3,000 parts per minute.

As the years went by, the company expanded the product line into thousands of different products, both catalog and custom-designed products tooled for their customers’ individual needs.   The proprietary products now represent approximately half of their sales.  Later, the company was divided into several divisions representing distinct product areas.   The reason for the divisional structure was to allow the divisions to act as responsively to customer needs as would a smaller manufacturer with the resources of a larger manufacturer. This formula has worked well and it is still the management’s philosophy.

At ETCO we believe that old values and customer service should still be the rule. The mergers of today seem to have created companies that operate as if their needs supersede those of the customers.

  • At ETCO no one will put you into voicemail unless you request it.
  • At ETCO you will not be put on hold for more than 15 seconds without  our checking back with you.
  • At ETCO we won’t take an order unless we can guarantee on time delivery and exact conformance to your requirements.
  • At ETCO all managers, (including the Chairman, himself) are accessible and will call you back.

The founders of ETCO had very basic values based on integrity. Today we still live by those values.  Please feel free to call us if you have a question; we promise you–a human will answer.

Use Stories to Improve Customer Service

 

The lion and crown Ritz-Carlton logo is a combination of the British Royal Seal (the crown) and the logo of a financial backer (the lion).  This logo was created by Cesar Ritz.

The legacy of The Ritz-Carlton begins with the celebrated hotelier Cesar Ritz, the “king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings.”  His philosophy of service and innovations redefined the luxury hotel experience in Europe through his management of “The Ritz” Paris and “The Carlton” in London. 

At the Ritz Carlton it started with first-rate customer service and it is still today the top item on the list.  Their motto is “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.”

How do they do it?  Every morning, each department at all the Ritz Hotels around the world gathers for a 15-minute meeting to share “Wow stories.” These are true stories that go above and beyond conventional customer service expectation.  This accomplished two goals, one it creates employee recognition (public recognition & local fame) and second it provides motivation for everybody to do their best.

The Ritz Carlton mystique is created by anticipating the guests’ unasked questions.  For example, if housekeeping notices a bottle of champagne in a bucket of melted ice, they will replace it before they are asked to do so.  Why do they do it?  “It offers a personal touch that shows we care.”

The three steps of service at the Ritz Carlton are:

  • A warm and sincere greeting
  • Anticipation and fulfillment of each guest’s needs.
  • Fond farewell. Give a warm good-by and use the guest’s name.

When doing the math on 2 x 15 minutes in telling “wow stories” across 74 hotels, 365 days a year, you can figure out how many hours of training they offer to their employees.  No amount of training would be effective, however, without making an emotional and memorable connection with trainees.

 

                      

                  

 

 

 

Lobby at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton                         

Some Key points to take away

  • Innovate & Improve
  • Compliment & Motivate
  • Never stop learning
  • Be engaged – stand for yourself
  • Anticipate

As Nancy Bouffingny-Enmeier ended her presentation at the YES941 meeting, she shared a quote from the book called “Leading Mind” (Howard Gardner)

“Stories speak to both parts of the human mind, its reason and emotion”

Take a cue from the Ritz Carlton and use stories to improve your customer service. 

A few figures about the Ritz Carlton:

Customer Base world-wide – 800,000 1999 revenue – $1.5 Billion, a 40% increase over the past 5 years No. of employees – 32,000 world-wide The Ritz Carlton is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott Intl. 74 properties located in 23 countries world-wide

                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

The Ritz Carlton, Sarasota, Florida