When On Time Isn't Enough
0 comments | 1061 reads Greetings. The Swedish National Railway--known as SJ--is a model of on-time performance. From our house in a small village of Vassviken on the west coast we can drive 20 kilometers to a train station in the village of Dingle (900 residents) to catch the 3:23 p.m. train. Then, twenty-six minutes later, we arrive in the city of Uddevalla (31,000 residents) with seven minutes to spare. Now we simply change tracks to take the hour-long train ride to the town of Herrljunga (3,800 residents) where we change once more for the high speed train to Stockholm (the capital and a metropolis of over 2,000,000 people).
The train arrives in Stockholm on schedule at precisely 7:46 p.m., four hours and twenty-three minutes after we left Dingle for the roughly 500 kilometer trip across Sweden.
Not bad at all--especially if your frame of reference is Amtrak.
Having said this, however, I should also note that it was almost impossible to get on any of these trains. Not because they were already full when we tried to make our reservation. Or because the price was too high. Or because we had no way to get to Dingle. No the set of reasons had nothing to do with the basics of taking a set of very timely trains and everything to do with SJ's total lack of understanding of customer service. A lack of understanding that began when we tried to make a reservation using our VISA card and then our American Express card and then our other VISA card. All of which were quickly rejected even though we had used them at probably a dozen other businesses in Sweden. And when we finally got through to the customer service agent--after being 39th in the queue--we were told that they were "no longer accepting foreign credit cards" because "they were too big a risk" and "there was nothing they were willing to do to accept ours." Instead we were given the option of paying in cash at an SJ ticket office. The main challenge with this option was the fact that SJ's nearest ticket office was almost 100 kilometers away. "That's just the way it is," we were told, and if we couldn't make this work we'd have to find another way to get to Stockholm.
Fortunately, we ended up using a relative's credit card to purchase the tickets a few hours later but by that time the price had increased ten percent and in a follow-up call to SJ to request the earlier price we were told that it was not possible because "that's just the way it is."
We win in business and in life when our trains run on time. And when we make it easy for customers to buy a ticket when and how they want to.
Cheers and have a great week ahead!
Alan Gregerman
- About Alan Gregerman |
Connect:
- 1061 reads
0 comments »
Join the conversation!
MarketPlace
Boost Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty at SCORE 2013
[May 29-31, Boston] Customer experience management (CEM) strategy meets customer operations at SCORE Conference 2013. Topics include driving customer satisfaction and loyalty, employee engagement, customer retention, call center technology and big data analytics. CustomerThink members save $700 off the regular registration fee.
Digital vs. Human Banking Experiences: Can This Be a Happy Marriage?
[June 6] It's time for banking leaders to rethink how to nurture and grow customer relationships in an increasingly digital world. Get the results of a new study that revealed the CX practices of top performing banks. Learn how digital Innovations can enable more personal service.
[June 10-13, Chicago] If you are responsible for the results of your company’s website, social media, ecommerce, web intelligence, data strategy, audience research and/or measurement, then mark your calendar. Customerthink members save 15% off full conference passes with code CTKTO15.
[June 10-13, Chicago] PAW's program will feature over 40 sessions with case studies so you can witness how predictive analytics is applied at leading enterprises. Customerthink members save 15% off full conference passes with code CTKTO15.
Confirmit’s Community Conference ’13 – London and Las Vegas
[June 19-21, London; June 26-28, Las Vegas] Attending CCC ‘13 gives you an unrivaled opportunity to understand and address rapid industry changes and discover new techniques that can drive your business forward. Create a tailored agenda that explains how to overcome the challenges your business faces. Take advantage of excellent networking opportunities and face-to-face discussions with thought leaders.
Global Customer Experience Management (CEM) Certification Program
[Sept 19-20, Amsterdam; Sept 24-25, Sao Paulo; Nov 12-13, San Francisco] An internationally recognized program with proven track record of success - being run for 40 times in 17 cities with attendees from 58 countries, the program is developed based on the U.S. patent-pending Branded CEM Method which aims to drive customer loyalty and brand differentiation with quantifiable business results. Limited offer: USD300 early bird discount.
Customer Experience Certification
[Sept 24-26, London] If you’re developing a customer experience program or want to review your current approach, join other customer experience leaders for this intensive 2.5-day certification. Presented by Medallia, the global leader in customer experience management. Enter code ‘Cthink’ to save$300/£200.
Voice of Customer 2.0: Creating Change Your Customers and Employees Can Believe In
[Recorded April 25] Despite good intentions, in the majority of companies Voice of Customer programs contribute little to business success. Join us to learn the secrets to capitalize on Customer Experience feedback, so you can drive organization actions that will unlock profitable growth.
Get your event or resource listed in the MarketPlace, reaching 200,000 business leaders monthly.
For more information, contact
CustomerThink advertising sales.
Follow CustomerThink
The Future of Work - Please Give Your Input
CustomerThink is collaborating with Chess Media Group in a study about "The Future of Work" including the use of social/collaborative tools. Please take a few minutes to share your input. As thanks for your time, you'll receive a complimentary copy of the report.
Featured Resources
