Moments of Truth,

Misery & Magic…..

 It's all about creating Moments of Magic!
 What is a Moment of Magic and where did it
come from ?
• In 1986, Jan Carlzon, the former President of
Scandinavian Airlines wrote a book,
Moments of Truth.  
In his book, Carlzon defines the moment of
truth in business as this:
“Anytime a customer comes into contact
with any aspect of a business, however
remote, is an opportunity to form an
impression.”

• No…it’s not learning how to do MAGIC

tricks, but rather, how to make your
customers’ experiences with you so
MAGICAL that they want to come back to
• you for more.
For instance, turn your MOMENTS OF TRUTH into a MOMENT OF
MAGIC. A MOMENT OF TRUTH is any time someone comes into
contact with you and forms an impression depending on the
interaction. And remember, FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT. It can
be good, it can be bad, or it can be just average (“OK” or just
“Satisfactory”).

Example: Disney has taken the small moments of truth

to an even higher level.  They understand the importance
that these small moments of truth have on their customers.
 They train their cast members (Disney’s term
for employees) to acknowledge the guest (Disney’s term for a
customer) with a smile or facial expression if within ten feet.
 If the cast member gets within five feet of the guest, they
are to acknowledge them verbally.  All of the little moments
of truth, combined with the major ones, with the
addition of the product or service your organization is selling,
add up to the overall level of a customer’s
satisfaction.
A MOMENT OF MAGIC is anything that is better than just
“OK”. Sometimes, it’s even amazing and includes great
experiences that keep customers coming back for more!

On the other hand, a MOMENT OF MISERY is a MOMENT OF

TRUTH gone badly. In such a case, the customer has had a bad
experience. However, it need not lead to complaints. Sometimes,
it is an opportunity to help someone or to solve a problem.
 We should aim to create great MOMENTS OF
MAGIC, even if they start out to be MOMENTS
OF MISERY by practicing good customer service.
By understanding the following four simple
concepts, we will be well on our way to creating
more MOMENTS OF MAGIC for our customers.
• 1.COMMON SENSE - This means doing what is obvious and
logical. It is treating your customers the way they want to
be treated. Understand that what you would expect might
be different from what your customer might expect.
• Eg: A bellhop may work at a very expensive hotel but he will
probably never stay at a hotel like the one in which he
works. Hence, he would never demand the same level of
service and attention that the hotel’s guests’ demand, but
he still understands what they want and desire, and he
delivers it to them.
 2.Flexibility
• Rules and policies are nothing more than guidelines.
• Don’t let “company policy” stand in the way of making a
customer happy. Yes, the customer is not always right.
But, they are always the customer.
• So, be flexible. If they are wrong, let them be wrong
with dignity.
• Do what you can, within reason, to see that your
customer is always happy.
 3.Solving Problems
• There are two types of problems to solve -
business and non-business.
• Business problems include taking care of
complaints and meeting customers’ needs.
These customers are coming to you to either
satisfy a complaint or have you help them with
a problem, and you need to be there to help
them.
• Non-business problems that have nothing to
do with what you and your company do on a
day-to-day basis. Solving non-business
problems is a potential way of generating good
public relations.
• Eg.A man whose car has a flat tire across the
street from your company comes to you for
help. How do you react? Do you tell him to call
for help, or do you help him by picking up the
phone and calling for a tow truck? Go on,
create that Moment of Magic!
 4.Service Recovery
• You can have a long-term satisfied customer for years. As
soon as something bad happens, you have to recover. It is
that recovery that will be that customer’s final judgment
on just how good you really are.
• Studies have proven it is much less expensive to keep an
existing customer than to get a new one. Sometimes this
means going beyond just fixing a problem. You also need
to give customers a reason to want to come back and
continue to do business with you again. So one can see,
MOMENTS OF MISERY can be opportunities for us to
show how good we are and to renew the confidence of our
customers.
• Eg. A restaurant that had a problem with a
guest’s meal might not just remake the dinner,
but also give a complimentary appetizer the
next time the guest comes back. Not only did
the restaurant resolve the complaint, but also
gave an incentive for the guest to remain a
customer.
Types of service laps
Any service lapse,
regardless of who caused
the service breakdown
Minor service lapse with
non-critical consequence
(eg. miscommunication or
delay in returning calls)
Service lapse that resulted
in cost or much
inconvenience to the
customer (eg. registration
into the wrong programme
or delay in refund
Serious service lapse that
put ITE’s reputation and
credibility at stake (eg.
poor training delivery or
error in exam paper)
Levels of empowerment Who
Apologize on behalf of ITE All staff
for inconvenience caused.
(Caution: Acknowledge
alleged mistake only after
ascertaining the facts)
Send a card to be signed All staff &
by a supervisory staff to supervisors
acknowledge the lapse and Managers
to thank the customer for
feedback
Present a suitable gift of Managers
value between $10 and $20
as a gesture of apology
Present a suitable gift of Managers
value between $20 and $30
as a gesture of apology; or
where appropriate, offer a
fee waiver or fee refund.
Example: At times these moments of misery may not
even be our fault.  The customer may just be having a
terrible day.  For example, a customer may be checking
into a hotel.  This person may have had three flights
delayed and he or she is in a very bad mood.  It is not
the hotel’s fault the customer is unhappy due to
the airline’s delayed flights.  But, it is the person who is
checking in this irate customer who has the
opportunity to start to turn the customer’s mood
around.  It is an opportunity to take someone else’s
moment of misery and turn it into the hotel’s moment
of magic.
 Conclusion
• So, manage your moments of truth.
 Seize every one of them, even if
they are moments of misery, as
opportunities to show how good you
and your organization is. This will go
a long way in building long-
term customer loyalty and total
customer satisfaction.
Submitted by : Chandni kundel

Msc( sim )