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The Word of Mouth Epidemic
In 1990, just after Lexus first introduced its line of luxury cars in the United States, the company realized that it had two minor problems with the LS400 line that required a recall. Lexus had decided from the beginning to build its reputation around quality workmanship and reliability. Now, within a little more than a year of the brand’s launch, the company was being forced to admit to problems with its flagship model. Most recalls are handled by making a public announcement via TV, radio, letters to owners, fax or media publication. Lexus decided to make a special effort by getting the message out on the recall to the customers in the most personal and direct manner. And so, Lexus decided to call each owner individually on the telephone the day the recall was announced. When the owners picked up their cars at the dealership after repair work was completed, each car had been washed and the tank filled with gas. If an owner lived more than 100 miles from a dealership, the dealer sent a mechanic to his or her home. In one instance, a technician flew from Los Angeles to Anchorage, Alaska to make the necessary repairs. The company emerged from what could have been a disaster, with a reputation for customer service that continues to this day. One automotive publication later called it “the perfect recall.” By going the extra mile, Lexus successfully kick-started a word of mouth epidemic about the quality of its customer service, a message that would have been lost in a letter, fax or media broadcast. I find cogent parallel with the importance of the theme of this issue of NotaBene, the value of communication. The effectiveness of our message as instructors or how effectively we communicate with our colleagues, business partners and customers can depend more on how the message is delivered than the message itself! Do you take the easy, least resistant way to communicate your message? Have you become addicted to e-mail, whereby you are much more comfortable sending e-mails than meeting face-to-face? Do you prefer to leave a message on one-sided voice mail instead of engaging in a two-way telephone conversation? Do you reflexively draft memos to colleagues outlining an idea or concept, rather than calling a meeting or walking down the hallway for a brief discussion? We live in a world of instantaneous information where we demand immediate responses to all our questions and needs. We find a way to get what we need when we need it. Thus, we have dehumanized the value of looking someone in the eye, observing their body language and assessing a positive or negative reaction to our message. Gone are the days when the variation of a person’s voice is a good indicator of their acknowledgement or acceptance of our point of view or idea. Today, you have to literally read between the lines, imagine what the words really mean, hoping against hope that there is truth behind the written word How are you communicating your message? I urge you to ponder this question and reevaluate the manner in which you communicate and the effectiveness of your message.
Benjamin Ola. Akande Dean |
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