Snow Day
January 27, 2011
I’m back. Sorry to have been away for so long, but these past few months have been quite busy. In addition to hosting my Customer Service seminars I have been working quite hard on finishing my book. It is currently being edited and I expect to have a publication date very soon. Writing about my experiences and how they relate to Customer Service has been quite fulfilling. The feedback from my editors and business associates has been outstanding. In the coming weeks I will provide excerpts on my website. I have also begun working on my next book which will tell the whimsical tale of two business owners who, when faced with a changing business landscape, make all the wrong choices in an attempt to save their business and their reputations. This book is being written as a comedy and will include illustrations designed to take the reader on a farcical journey into boardrooms and corner offices. We’ll peek into a few office cubicles as well.
Now that I’ve brought you up to date on some of my upcoming projects, I want to share a story that I heard today. Let me begin by providing you with some background. A few months ago I was contracted to hold a series of Customer Service seminars at a long-term healthcare facility. The administrator of this facility wanted to create a customer service platform upon which she and her team could build a Culture of Service. This ended up being a fantastic project. At first I was met with some skepticism (which is usual for consultants) but as the seminars progressed, a collaborative energy emerged. At the beginning of each seminar I asked some of the attendees to share their personal customer service experiences. Some of these customer experiences were so awful they were comical. Some of the stories exhibited levels of compassion so profound that you could hear the proverbial pin drop when the story ended (remember these seminars were being held in a healthcare facility). By the time the seminars were completed the attendees were determined to create an environment committed to exceeding customer expectations.
Now, back to today’s story. I received a call this morning from the administrator of that same healthcare facility. She told me that in today’s staff meeting one of her department heads told an interesting customer service story that had happened to her this morning. There was a major snow storm last night and on her way to work this person stopped at her local Starbucks just as she does every morning. Only this morning, due to the mounds of snow, the parking lot had very few available spots. In trying to negotiate her way around the lot her car got stuck and she began spinning her wheels. Within a few minutes a Starbucks employee emerged carrying this women’s regular order (a venti latte) and a shovel. I’m sure you can guess the rest. She was shoveled out and on her way, with her latte…..no charge. A great customer service story ,but for me it was something more. I told the administrator that I was thrilled that her staff was still tuned in to recognizing above and beyond customer experiences. Here’s where it gets better. She told me that these types of stories were being shared on a regular basis. What a great foundation on which to build a Culture of Service.
I am scheduled to hold follow up seminars at this facility in a couple of weeks. My guess is that this team has many of the building blocks already in place. I will you update you on this project in upcoming blogs. Perhaps you should be sharing customer service experiences with your team. By encouraging people to share their experiences you will improve morale while at the same time, put a focus on creating memorable customer experiences.
Over the next few months I will be sharing stories and observations which I hope will assist you in developing your own Culture of Service. These may be difficult times, but difficult times are usually laden with opportunity. This is a period in our history where people of strong moral fiber will emerge as leaders. It is also a time where we will witness acts of desperation and cowardice. Once the tide goes out, we can see who’s been skinny-dipping (remember Bernie Madoff?). It is precisely because of such negative news that we, as business leaders must lead with determination and personal resolve. Your team is looking to you for direction. While your competitors look for ways to compromise service and reduce costs, you should be looking for ways to WOW your customers. Creating memorable customer experiences doesn’t cost a cent, yet the results are priceless. Do you and your team recognize the opportunities where you can exceed customer expectations? The young Starbucks barista certainly did!
