Engineering customer service: Good people skills can engineer success

An organization’s success relies on people at all levels –process operators, retail checkout people, wait staff, and CEOs. My winter train trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks reminded me that engineers who provide automation systems can learn a lot from organizations that provide good customer service. Engineers are often one or more steps removed from the ultimate customer. Anyone interacting directly with end customers needs to pay attention to people skills as they provide friendly backup for failed computer and automation systems, if they are able to bypass those systems. (Photo 1: Engineers - the ones who drive the train)

Many corporations proclaim, “People are our most important asset,” then restrict the ability of the people to act in the best interest of the company and discount and discard their most important assets to make short-term financial goals. This damages the company infrastructure; how long does it take and how much does it cost to develop the “most important asset”? It seems to me that many corporations force their most important assets, their people, needed for long-term success, to become insensitive to the well being of a company and its customers by restricting their ability to meet the customers needs, under any circumstances. (Photo 2: Mountains across open water)

When computers and systems fail, real thinking people need to do what is right for the customer. When people do not rapidly correct (and prevent) system glitches, customers are lost, and companies fail. Far too many times, I’ve heard “Yes, you’re right, the situation should be changed, but we are sorry, we can’t do anything because the computer system won’t let us.” At this point, many customers give their business to another company. Ultimately, capable people need to be empowered to provide a back up for computers and software systems when these systems fail. Many once great corporations that have lost sight of their customers needs exist now only as a failed footnote in history. (Photo 3: Through a forest with mountains reflected in the train car)

Here in Fairbanks it is a balmy -25 degrees Fahrenheit (-31.6 degrees Celsius) and everything is flocked in white. That might sound cold but it is not unpleasant. Locals say it doesn’t get cold till -40 (same in both Fahrenheit and Celsius), which we may see during our stay. My wife Marilyn and I decided to fly to Anchorage and take the Alaska Railroad’s Aurora train to Fairbanks this year to have Thanksgiving dinner with our son. What an incredible adventure. It was like moving through a living Christmas card; the photos only hint at the grandeur. (Photo 4: Mount McKinley, up close and personal)

In my dealings with the ARR, it was impressive how every interaction was pleasant. Each person went out of the way to ensure our experience was more than expected. From the first contact when I purchased our tickets in May to the actual trip in November all the front line employees of ARR demonstrated a desire to excel, and they sure did. When we arrived at the train station and checked in, we discovered that our boarding passes had us only traveling to Talkeetna, far short of our final destination of Fairbanks. (Photo 5: Conductor Steve delivers news to locals living along the line - that little extra touch!)

The station ticketing manager and the baggage manager, after deciding it was a computer glitch, took pen, altered the ticket, bypassed the computer, and told us not to worry, “we’ll make it right.” During the journey, the conductor and chef continued to “make it right,” ensuring we were well taken care of and entertained, making the 13 hour trip seem short. (Photo 6: The views never end.)

I wish more companies would really behave like the ARR where they seem to believe that “People are their most important asset” and empower them to do what is necessary to succeed in meeting their customers’ needs. Stay warm! (Photo 7, below: Dusk is still bright, as I look were we’ve been.)