"If I were trapped on a deserted island, I'd be fine – as long as I had the sushi chefs from Sono." - Andrew Curtis, One of My Life Mantras

That statement may be irrational, but it brings me a level of comfort and confidence that I am prepared to accept. During the 14 years that I've been a loyal patron at Sono, these chefs have helped me define a decision making process that I am able to apply to every significant purchase and decision I've made over that period. A simple act – where to eat my favorite meal – has helped build the foundation I rely on when making evaluations and critical choices.

For me, it starts with the product. I have a series of key requirements that must be met or exceeded in order to believe in the product I am purchasing. I spent a good amount of time trying to nail down those important factors. At Sono, the ingredients are always fresh, they're healthy, and they're quite tasty. Sifting through the bells & whistles of extras – I neither like nor need (a deep fried spicy tuna roll... come on) – was a worthwhile investment. The critical part of this stage in my evaluation process is realistically outlining what I need in order to be satisfied with my purchase and identifying what would be nice to have against what I don’t want.

Unfortunately, I'm not yet at the point that cost isn't a factor in my decision-making process (I hope my boss is reading this). I’m aware of my budget constraints and I am able to factor that into my strategy. I’ve found that I tend to shy away from the low-budget shops I pass each day. As tempting as one-dollar sushi pieces seem, I find myself concerned about the freshness and the quality of ingredients. In a simple decision, like ‘where to eat lunch every day’, the possible consequences shouldn’t be too much to overcome. When making a deeper investment, as with electronics or a car, the potential impact is much higher and carries more weight. With this in mind, eating at Nobu or Sasabune (top-of-the-line sushi restaurants) more than once a week could prevent me from completing other important events, like paying rent and affording clothes. While the experience at the higher-end of the cost spectrum may be appealing, it may exceed my actual need. Throughout this stage of the consideration process I keep cost in mind, but make a point to validate the value I am able to find with offerings between the low-end & the high-end.

The final factor for me in wanting to have these chefs on my deserted island, is the personal experience they create for me when I walk in and grab my usual seat at the sushi bar (I enjoy feeling like a King). They’ve taken the time to get to know me, they understand my preferences, they make recommendations and suggestions, and they always deliver. I’ve noticed that this particular level of customer service is a common occurrence among the products and services I use and enjoy. Exceptional customer service is vital! And, although I initially always expect this type of service; I’m still impressed and pleased when I consistently receive it every time. While it’s not always easy to determine the level of service I’m going to get, I use multiple resources to help guide me. I have found the internet to be pretty helpful, recommendations from friends and acquaintances to be informative, and publications about the specific product or service to be useful.

I put down a monster lunch at Sono yesterday and continue to be impressed by the overall package they’ve executed since ’96. I look for the same track record anytime I review or make a decision regarding an organization. I hope these are the same qualities my team and I bring to the table for the people we work with and support.

Now, if I could just relax and wait for my Itamae to hand me fresh yellow-tail & fluke sashimi while stranded on a sandy beach – that would truly be “the life”.

It would be nearly impossible for a rock star or movie star to have any fame in this world without giving back to the fans.  Whether it is signing autographs, giving concerts, or just saying "thank you", the rich and famous know that in order to keep their status, they must care for the people who keep them popular.

Why should businesses be any different? In this competitive age, consumers have many options. As such, they find themselves plagued with the same old question...Why choose your product? And, with the economy as it is today, fewer customers are buying, period.

So, what can your business do to differentiate? CARE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS!  Customer support and client appreciation can be the keys to success for organizations around the globe.  Be a leader in total service satisfaction! Listen to your clients, help them, and make them feel important - because they are.  They are your fans. They keep you singing and touring; and they keep you in business!

How effective is your customer service? Being accessible to your clients and developing customer relationships are essential to any organization's long-term success and fame. It's easy! By implementing 24-hour customer support or assigning them their very own customer service representative, clients get the service they need, when they need it.

It's all about experience.  Nobody buys an album or attends a performance to bore themselves or become frustrated.  Fans need to be satisfied in order to remain fans.  Here at iCIMS, we focus on delivering a positive customer experience every time. Can you say that about your company?

So, for all businesses out there - just like the biggest stars on the planet - care for your customers!  After all, if it weren't for them, you couldn't possibly shine in this competitive world.

I would like to take this time to thank all of iCIMS' 800 fans and counting.

Last week, I called my bank to see if a specific check had cleared.  After spending a few minutes unsuccessfully navigating through the menu, I still didn’t have the information I needed.  No matter what option I hit, I couldn’t get a live person on the phone.  I hung up, redialed, and hit multiple menu options in the hopes of getting a live person.  Finally, I was speaking to someone…someone in the wrong department.  They politely offered to transfer me to the right department.    Great…After a few more minutes on hold, yet another person picked up the line.  Oops, wrong department again.  Another polite request to transfer and then the magic click…I had been disconnected.  Third time was a charm, right?  Well, it was.  I was able to connect with a live person, the right person, and yes, my check had cleared.  A simple task which should have taken maybe one or two minutes ended up consisting of three phone calls and about 30 minutes of wasted time. Let’s just say, that I was less than impressed with the service I received from this institution.

So, how good is your customer service?  Many companies tout world class, superior customer service, but do you really know how good their customer service is?  Most people find out how good (or bad) a company’s customer service is only when you need it.  And usually when you need it, it’s a time sensitive issue. 

In a previous life, I was part of company that adopted an Applicant Tracking System to facilitate our application process.  All of the companies talked in great detail of their superior client support.  The HR technology we selected mentioned on many occasions throughout the vetting process that their site was easy to use and changes could be made quickly.  We felt as if we’d made the right decision with our selection; however, they never truly defined what “quickly” meant in making changes or what “superior customer service” entailed.   I quickly found out.

It was a Friday afternoon around 4:30pm and I was having trouble running an important report. I called the provider’s help center and was told that I did not have the appropriate contract level to talk to a customer service agent.  All communication and questions needed to be directed to an agent via email.  That email would be ticketed and responded to within 24 hours. 

I was flabbergasted.   Seriously, I can’t talk to a person in order to resolve this???  I had to communicate via email only???  And my ticket would be responded to within 24 hours???  It was Friday at 4:30pm and I needed to get the report done.  Unbelievable!  Though frustrated and slightly ticked off, I complied and sent the email.  Afterward, I promptly told my partners of the situation with this vendor – all of whom were dismayed. 

We regrouped on Monday and contacted our sales representative to hash out the situation.  It was explained to us that our Service Agreement did not include personal customer service and/or access to a live person.  For that, we would have to pay an additional cost – on top of our monthly fees.  I’d never heard of such a thing.  Moreover, the information I was trying to gather was crucial to closing a business deal.  Fast-forward to contract renewal time - it wasn’t going to happen.   The reason was simply, when we needed help, the vendor wasn’t there for us.

So just how good IS your customer service?  Do you talk a good talk or are you proactive about your customer support?

When evaluating services, systems or even banks, make sure to ask the “post sale” questions.  What if I need to call you at 3:00am – will someone answer?  What if I need help at 6:00pm on a Friday, can I talk to an expert?  Will there be a fee for asking for help?

In a world of increased technological speed, go back to the basics to ensure that your needs are being addressed now, three months from now – a year from now.  Make your service providers earn your business down the line.  For me, poor customer service will always be a deal breaker!

Today's blog post comes to you from Jonathan Hyland, Client Relationship Director at iCIMS and an emerging thought-leader in his own right within the human capital management industry. You can follow him on Twitter at @JHyland_iCIMS.

In 2009, the term ‘price conscious’ took on a new meaning: ‘price paranoid’. Beyond looking for a great deal, consumers and businesses alike wanted what they needed, when they needed it, and at the lowest cost to them.  In another phrase: they needed something of value at a low price. Here’s how these buyers are thinking: price = value.

The ‘price = value’ equation will get you far when it comes to food and clothing, but when it comes to purchasing a tool that will drive critical business processes, it doesn’t. Certain business tools are cheaper than others for a good reason: less value. Whether it’s awesome requisition functionality at the expense of easy-to-use portals for your candidates, or great searching and poor usability, the ultimate ‘cost’ of the cheaper tool amounts to far more if you’d invested just a smidge more with the better tool.

Sometimes, though, it’s not even the actual tool; it’s the support that comes with it.

For example, all iCIMS clients have a dedicated Client Relationship Director, in addition to 24x5 access to our Subject Matter Experts. But iCIMS goes a step farther. We have Implementation Managers who closely work with our clients to get their iCIMS system live; and there’s also our Project Engineering team, professionals who work with clients on specific, long-term projects after implementation.

That’s right. iCIMS has four distinct departments dedicated to client service, and our clients have access to these departments at no extra cost. That’s a far cry from other companies, with tiered service agreements, no account managers, or worse, having to purchase consulting time.

Before you make a decision based solely on how much the upfront monetary cost is to you, take a step back and ask your provider the hard questions: how do you support your tool? In addition to your tool, what am I getting with it? The answers might surprise you.