All projects: Gel, Jobs, Gootodo, Games, Uncle Mark, Goovite, Blog, Bit Literacy
USAA gets customer service kudos
Mar 3, 2007
Business Week has named USAA #1 in customer service. From USAA: Soldiering On In Insurance:
Many companies give lip service to listening to the "voice of the customer." At USAA, that voice is transformed into what it calls "surround sound"--a comprehensive approach to training its employees to empathize with its customers' unique needs. "We want to cover the light moments, the heart-wrenching moments, what it's like to be bored in the field," says Elizabeth D. Conklyn, USAA's executive vice-president for people services. "We try to develop empathy, not only for our members but also for the family side."
I think USAA is richly deserving of their ranking, by the way.
But lower on BusinessWeek's list, note Ritz-Carlton at #11. Brings to mind what Danny Meyer says about Ritz-Carlton's customer service, as opposed to a focus on customer experience.
See also: Customer service is not customer experience
As a USAA member, I can vouch for this. I called once to find out about insurance, and they went through verifying my info. I mentioned I had a little one on the way (my wife was seven months pregnant at the time). We received within the week a HAND-WRITTEN note congratulating us. No offers, no plugs, just a note of kindness.
Yeah RIGHT! The customer service is a joke! I am moving all my accounts out of there ASAP! All they care about is the bottom dollar It's a WIN and you LOSE situation with them
Insurance in British Columbia is offered through only one company, ICBC. Moving here, it was a really hard decision to know that I'd give up USAA's great insurance -- even though I still do banking through them. How many people would list "insurance company" in the "PRO" column when they're deciding whether or not to move somewhere -- with USAA's customer service, I did.