Red ribbon? – Not here
Some years ago, I had to go to the Singapore Immigration and Customs Authority to receive my public relations stamp in my German passport. The process was quite fast and the service very pleasant. I was about to leave the building when I saw a sign saying “Get your access card now.” Since it seems to be fashionable to have a card for almost everything, I stopped at the sign and read the fine print. My conclusion was: “If you travel a lot you can make your life easier with an Access Card”. I turned around to ask a friendly officer for the keycard counter.
Upon reaching the second floor, I approached the counter. “Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?” After I explained my interest in the card, the lady behind the counter asked me with a smile, “Do you have your passport?” “Yes” “A passport photograph?” “Yes” “Any money?” “Yes” “Your thumb?” “Yes” “Then we can continue.” Being used to typical government processes, I envisioned receiving my application form and being asked to fill it out, then submitting it, and returning a few weeks later to collect my Access Card. I had no illusions that this process would take less than a month.
The first surprise: this nice lady at the counter did not ask me to fill out an application form. She did it for me! I do not recall any encounter with a German government employee who would have done this. After signing my application form, he asked me to take a seat. About 15 minutes later, he called me back to the counter, presenting my plastic chip key card and my photo at the top: “Sir, this is your key card. Please test in the simulator there if it works “. I tried. It worked, of course.
He couldn’t believe what he had just experienced. From not knowing that there is an Access Card to having my personal card in my hands – with embedded programmed chip and photo printed on plastic – they spend less than 30 minutes in Singapore. Impossible! Amazing! This is what I call Process Excellence for Customer Satisfaction, or better: Customer Delight. You wouldn’t even expect this kind of performance from a private company, much less from a government agency.
Thank you ICA!
conclusion
Only outstanding products or services can get customers to notice your business, talk about it, and recommend it to their business partners and friends. It is not enough to deliver what customers ask for. Customers wouldn’t ask for a keycard delivered in 30 minutes because, for most of them, this is beyond their wildest dreams, as it was for me. This type of solution requires a creative mindset and an innovative organization. Please note: Impossible is nothing.