THE MARKETOUR
A MARKETING GUIDE FROM THE
WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
June-July 2002
In this issue:
Building a culture of customer service
Nationally-known customer service consultant Lisa Ford presented a keynote address to participants at the 2002 Governor's Conference on Tourism. Drawing from her best-selling videotapes and books on the subject, Ford shared numerous suggestions for building what she refers to as "a culture of customer service" within an organization. Here are highlights from her presentation.
Never Underestimate the Power of Perception
Today's customers are more demanding than ever before, Ford noted, and less forgiving of even small irregularities or mistakes. Therefore, it is extremely important for an organization - be it a restaurant, hotel or attraction - to make a good first impression. Small blemishes or mistakes, even seemingly minor gaffes such as coffee stains on the dining room carpet, may give customers a negative perception regarding the quality of the entire establishment. "If I see coffee stains or crumbs in the dining room it makes me wonder how clean the kitchen is," says Ford. "Once that seed of doubt takes root, it isn't a big jump from there to the point of deciding to dine somewhere else."
Ford urges managers, particularly those in service industries such as tourism, to see service through the eyes of their customers. Any number of verbal or visual cues - from a broken bulb on a sign, to a sloppily dressed employee, to a bored-sounding receptionist - can make the customer feel poorly serviced and negative toward the establishment. Ford suggests that managers continually "spy" on their own operations, posing as a customer to get a true sense of the level of service being offered.
Exceeding Expectations
Merely providing an acceptable level of service is no longer enough to build customer loyalty, Ford asserts. For that, she feels, organizations must deliver on the "Wow" factor - a level of service that exceeds customer expectations and distinguishes the company from its competitors. Ford cited several personal examples of "Wow" experiences in both the public and private sector. Among the most unusual were stories of Phoenix Fire Department emergency medical technicians laying cement on a driveway (after the contractor had suffered a stroke while pouring it) or delivering a pizza (after rescuing a delivery driver from a crashed vehicle). Ford also gave a number of examples more pertinent to the travel/hospitality industry, ranging from hotel employees escorting guests to a far-off bathroom, to the pick-up and delivery of prescription drugs from a late-night pharmacy.
Recovering Customer Loyalty
Ford also tackled the subject of how to regain customer loyalty after it has been lost. Noting that customers whose loyalty has been recovered are often more loyal than those whose loyalty was never lost, Ford recommends a three-step "recovery" approach. The first thing organizations must do, she says, is to apologize sincerely. Then they must concentrate on fixing the problem, rather than fixing the blame. "Nothing is more irritating to me than someone explaining how the mistake was made, rather than fixing it," she noted. Finally, the organization must do something extra to get the customer back. Since even the most diligent organizations will occasionally suffer miscues in customer service, it is imperative that they have systems in place to help deal with these mistakes and regain lost customer loyalty. Ford cited a temporary employment agency's "headache package" (flowers and aspirin) as a simple, humorous and effective way of saying "sorry" to clients - and recovering them.
Creating a Culture of Customer Service
Perhaps the most important thing that top management can do, in Ford's opinion, is to create a culture of customer service within the organization. The starting point for this is to recognize and reward employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. These rewards need not be elaborate, but they must be visible and specific. Repeating her mantra of "what gets rewarded, gets repeated," Ford elaborated on several specific reward systems and also urged managers to inject an air of accountability into their departments. For example, she suggests documenting the dollar amount needed to correct a customer service mistake, so the employee who made the mistake has a realistic understanding of the financial setback he or she caused the company. Ford also suggests reexamining any company policies that set the stage for poor customer service, citing the example of a local restaurant that wouldn't put lemon in her iced tea because "we only get lemons on Tuesdays." Finally, Ford urged employers to empower their staff members to develop and submit their own ideas for customer service procedures, pointing to examples at MBN&A and other major national corporations where similar programs had led to dramatic increases in both customer loyalty and employee retention.
For more information about Lisa Ford's presentation or to order her best-selling videotapes, audiotapes and books, visit her Web site, www.lisaford.com, or call 770/394-4860.
The Economic Impact of Leisure Travel in Wisconsin
Tourism is among the state's three largest industries and has a vital role in Wisconsin's economic growth. To evaluate the impact travel has on the state's economy, the Department conducts an annual study of paid lodging facilities throughout the state and collects information on travelers who stay with family and friends. In addition, market researchers intercept travelers to get expenditure information by category of goods as well as by type of overnight lodging used.
Research Procedures
Each season of 2001, 1,400 - 1,500 lodging facilities complete a survey questionnaire. Annually, 1,000 Wisconsin residents are surveyed by phone to collect information on leisure travelers who were staying with family and friends. Lastly, more than 2,000 travelers are intercepted to get trip-related expenditure information by category of goods and services.
Leisure Travelers
The leisure travel market is Wisconsin's largest segment, accounting for 70 percent of all travel expenditures. Here is a summary of the Department's most recent economic impact research findings for leisure travelers, which covers December 2000 through November 2001:
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Leisure travelers spent $8 billion in Wisconsin in 2001.
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Leisure travelers spent $252 per second or $21.7 million per day in Wisconsin.
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During the summer months, Wisconsin's leisure travelers spent $3.9 billion. Snow accumulation during the winter of 2000-2001 was ideal for winter recreation travelers, who spent $2.2 billion from December through April. During the fall months of September through November, leisure travelers spent $1.8 billion.
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Leisure travel spending generated 265,226 full-time-equivalent jobs, which generated $4.4 billion in resident wages and proprietary income.
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As a result of leisure expenditures, state government collected $735 million and local governments collected $515 million -- a total of $1.2 billion.
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Without the positive impact of leisure travel expenditures on the state's economy, each Wisconsin tax-paying household would face an average of $650 in additional state and local taxes to maintain the existing level of government services.
See the full 2002 Economic Impact of Expenditures by Travelers on Wisconsin report on-line, or contact Sue Hamilton at 608/266-6792 or David Scheler at 608/261-8187.
Travel Tracker appears as a regular feature in Tourism Today and Marketour, and as a monthly electronic bulletin. Click here to subscribe.
Web Tips
Make Your Web Site Search Engine Friendly
Web site technology and design has come a long way over the past decade, and today's Internet destinations are filled with useful information and entertainment. However, with millions of Web sites filling the electronic playground, it is more important than ever to optimize your own site, so it can be easily found by popular search engines.
For the most part, search engines fall into two major categories: human-powered and crawler-based. Human-powered search engines, including well-known services like Yahoo and Ask Jeeves, search a short description submitted by the Web site designer to match users with Web sites. In contrast, crawler-based search engines, including Alta Vista and Google, "crawl" through the Web, searching for key phrases in the content of the page itself. Both are valuable search tools, but must be approached differently.
When it comes to human-powered search engines, the most important thing to focus on is making the description that is submitted to the search engine as concise as possible. Most engines only allow 25 words, so stick to a "just the facts" description. For example, a clothing store in Milwaukee may want to use a description like:
"Milwaukee, Wisconsin discount store sells designer clothing for men and women including shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, suits, shoes and clothing accessories."
Things get a little trickier when it comes to crawler-based search engines. The most important thing to remember is that key phrases, not keywords, are crucial. A person looking for information on where they can buy a car close to home is much more likely to search for "car dealers in Eau Claire, Wisconsin" than "car dealer."
Designers should also be concerned with the placement of key phrases on the page. Web crawlers will, on average, rate a site higher in the results if the key phrases appear early and often on the Web page. Use key phrases in the headline if at all possible. Although a witty headline may make a user laugh once they are on the site, it won't help them find it, so stick to a simple headline like "Vacation at an Authentic Northwoods Wisconsin Lodge."
One final tip when it comes to optimizing Web sites, avoid using tricks like hiding keywords hundreds of times in the background, also known as "spamming" search engines. Most popular search engines will now ban sites from their results for using these tactics.
For more information on optimizing your Web site to make it search engine friendly, check out www.searchenginewatch.com and www.selfpromotion.com.
10-second writing clinic
Between vs. Among
Use between when referring to two items; use among when referencing more than two.
Examples: The husband and wife were able to divide the frequent-flier miles between them. The teacher divided the tickets among all of the fourth-grade students.
Exception: Use between when describing the relationships of three or more items that must be considered one pair at a time.
Example: Negotiations on reciprocal agreements were conducted between Wisconsin and the neighboring states of Illinois and Minnesota.
Quick Tips
Media Leads: A variety of travel magazines throughout the country are getting into the summer mode and looking for great travel opportunities this month.
Thoughts of summer cycling adventures are hot on the minds of the editors at Bicycling. The nation's largest cycling publication, covering the worlds of both on- and off-road riding, is looking for unique travel destinations to appeal to its audience. Information can be sent to Bert Strickland, Executive Editor, 33 East Minor Street, Emmaus, PA 18098.
The editors of Ohio Magazine are launching a new travel publication called Long Weekends. Travel stories will focus on destinations within the Great Lakes region and will include information on hotels, B&Bs, events and unique attractions. Editor Richard Osborne can be reached at 1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 730, Cleveland, OH 44115.
PR'S Greatest Hits
From Madison to the Apostle Islands, Wisconsin destinations have been filling the pages of some of the country's largest magazines recently.
Working moms took a moment out of their day and dreamed of paddling through nature as the April issue of Working Mother magazine took to the road for an article on top summer road trips. The article, "Hit the Road," featured the picturesque Apostle Islands shoreline and the quaint setting of Bayfield.
Madison's scenic lakefront setting and hip atmosphere took center stage as Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel visited the capital city as part of its "Vacationing in a College Town" series. Madison's cycling-friendly attitude, lively arts scene and variety of attractions were just a few of the things the editors found to love about the city.
