The Value of Repeated Communications

In order to live its promise of the "Love Airline," Southwest puts a high priority on hiring attitudes when recruiting. The airline, therefore, reiterates its values every time it hires someone. In its recruitment process, for example, prospective employees are likely to be tested for their ability to make fun of themselves. To measure altruism, a typical interview question might be to recall a moment when they felt proud about something they did. If candidates answer with a story about selflessness or giving to others, they are likely to be considered a good fit. Such stories being passed around the organization have become part of the lore of Southwest.

ASB Bank (NZ) believes branded customer service has to be more than skin-deep. The bank has grown from a modest-sized regional savings bank to a front-runner, both in terms of market share and performance. For a number of years, it has consistently rated highest in customer satisfaction among full-service New Zealand banks. ^[7]

ASB expands its customer brand promise, "One Step Ahead," to its internal culture with the slogan "One Step Ahead—Through Our People." ASB places a strong emphasis upon repeatedly supporting and recognizing staff and committing to the skills and personal development of both its leadership and general staff.

"One Step Ahead" is a strong promise in the banking industry, but it is fair to say that ASB lives it consistently. ASB participated in TMI's international complaint management research survey. The study spanned fourteen countries and involved over two hundred organizations. ASB not only topped New Zealand ratings, but it also achieved the best results in the world.

What was even more telling (and surely a little unnerving for its competitors) was the way ASB reacted to receiving these results. Following a presentation at which the results were announced, the ASB general manager for personal banking told a group of senior managers, "Congratulations, everyone. That's great." Then he added, "Now what can we do to improve further? We have fifteen minutes before we are scheduled to finish this meeting, so let's brainstorm some ideas."

In many organizations, such an announcement would have occasioned high fives and self-congratulations. Most staff probably would have concluded this was an area not requiring much future effort. Instead, it spurred ASB to further action. A short time later, ASB initiated new complaint-handling training interventions. When the research was repeated the following year, the result was a 23 percent improvement and a position on top of the list worldwide again. And once more, a similar reaction was heard: "So how are we going to keep one step ahead? And a big step at that."

Are ASB management and staff intellectually superior to their competitors? Not in our view. Their distinction is that virtually everyone has a clear and consistent view about what they stand for and their individual role in delivering it. Staff members also share a sense of belief and emotional connection to the brand and each other. It shows on their faces when you meet them in person, and this brand belief is typically delivered in their customer interactions.

^[7]For the fifth consecutive year, ASB Bank was rated New Zealand's number one major bank in terms of customer satisfaction in the highly respected University of Auckland survey of residential bank customers. It was also rated number one business bank for the third consecutive year in the university's business banking customer survey.