Positively Outrageous Service

https://youtu.be/m-aoucfhEKE The behavior you get is the behavior you reward.  Or put the other way around, the behavior you reward is the behavior you get.  Here are a few examples; if you reward someone for being late to a meeting they aren’t going to be on time. Think about it, if you are last to arrive at the meeting you don’t have to wait on someone else to get the meeting started. Show up last and the instant you walk through the door the meeting starts. You are the center of attention and the meeting begins as soon as you finish telling the other attendees how bad traffic was in your neighborhood. Or how about the college age son or daughter who routinely bounces checks or over-draws the credit card. If mommy or daddy keep writing checks to cover the over-draft fees why would careless spending ever stop? You would have to be stupid to act responsibly. If you reward stupid… you get more stupid.  Here’s a slightly more subtle take on the concept: The behavior you get is the behavior you measure and celebrate. The things an organization measures and celebrates are the things that get done. My dad used to say, “people respect what you inspect.” Okay, the rhyme may be a bit forced but you get the idea. What do you celebrate? That’s the question of the day. Because the things you measure and celebrate are the things that get done. If you want to be a great service organization, you have to get good at measuring and celebrating great customer service.  If the only thing that gets celebrated in your workplace are birthdays the only thing you are likely to get is old. Need help creating a culture of Positively Outrageous Service contact us at 803.792.5555!

https://youtu.be/xNA95PqRuts Is it me or does almost everyone have a story about awful airline service? Relax. You’re probably not the guilty one.  Airline stories are abundant because the consequences of an airline screw-up can be so awful… missed flights can mean lost sales, ruined vacations… you get the point. Andrew was running late for his Virgin America flight, and yes, it was his fault. So who would blame the gate agents for closing the flight after Andrew had failed to either show-up or answer several attempts to contact him? There stood poor Andrew, nose pressed against the window, begging to be an exception to the rule. You know the rule, don’t you Andrew? We all know the rules about no boarding within ten minutes of departure time or once the aircraft door has been shut. But that’s thing about rules… employees can choose to bend them, break them, of God forbid, follow them exactly. The truth be told we usually end up getting the service we deserve.  Occasionally, a customer might attempt a little advanced schmoozing in the hope that a minor amount of groveling and touch of puppy dog whimpering will win over the gate agent and get himself invited to board. More likely the results won’t begin to measure up and customers fall back on their usual poor behavior. “I’ll have your job. I’m a personal friend of your company president. You’ll be sorry.” Just about anyone can manage at least a hint of service that is at least borderline acceptable. But it takes special people working in special organizations to get service that is truly Positively Outrageous Service! Mr. Szabo? You can board now. Mr. Szabo? Sir?  Sir you can take your nose off the glass. We’re going to let you board! We may be stretching the truth just a little but certainly not by much. Boarding a plane that by all rights should have left the gate without you, well, that’s Positively Outrageous! Do your policies or procedures prevent you from providing Positively Outrageous Service? Need help creating a culture of Positively Outrageous Service contact us at 803.792.5555!

  Slogans don’t provide service.  People do. If you don't want to read it, listen to the podcast above or watch it on YouTube here! Have you ever noticed that airlines have some of the best slogans to describe some of the worst service?  There was Delta is ready when you are and if you are really old you will remember when Continental was the proud bird with the golden tail.  Airlines are really good at making up slogans.  But they could use some help when it comes to providing a positively outrageous service experience.  Here’s why. Slogans don’t provide service.  People do.  (< Tweet this) A terrific service person, we call them service naturals, working for crummy airline is still going to at least try to give you great customer service. Not long ago Michael grabbed an early morning flight and spent most of the air time setting up a new table computer. Everything on the computer seemed to work but it wasn’t until Michael was halfway to his destination when he made an amazing technological discovery: computers don’t work so well if you leave them on the plane! The good news is that one of those service naturals we mentioned a few seconds ago was working the flight that Michael had just deplaned. In spite of bumper to bumper traffic Michael was making pretty good time. The trip was off to a pretty good start when the phone rang. Michael used his hands-free technology to catch the call. “Mr. Hoffman? This is Mary. I was working your in-bound flight. By any chance did you leave anything on the plane?” Michael instantly began taking inventory and it only took a mid-frisk for him to discover that his new computer had every gee-whiz feature except maybe a tube of Gorilla glue to keep man and computer from unexpected separation. Mary gave Michael shortcut instructions back to the airport as well as her cell phone number so he could call her when he arrived and they could meet without Michael having to park. Mary is what you would call a service natural and that’s what we call Positively Outrageous Service. Some people love to fly and it shows! Don't just make service a slogan create a tangible customer experience! (< Tweet this) Call us today at (830) 792-5555 to deliver Positively Outrageous Service!          

  The best customer service is given freely by people who care enough to anticipate on behalf of their customers If you don't want to read it, listen to the podcast above or watch it on YouTube here! I wanted to write about anticipating customer needs.  That’s a pretty simple topic at least on the surface.  But as I thought about it I came to realize that anticipation is not such a simple matter.  We anticipate customer needs. But at the same time the customer or patient or family member is anticipating how things are going to turn out for them. Then there’s the anticipation of your first kiss. Definitely a good kind of anticipation. Two old Folks who have been friends and lovers for 50 years of marriage must feel a different kind of anticipation thinking about that sad moment when they will share their last kiss and say good-by.  For me Christmas was the sweetest anticipation: weeks of my gran giving hints…yes, it’s made mostly of metal yes you can use it outdoors I swear I could hear reindeer on the rooftop as I lay their wide awake in anticipation of our tree loaded with goodies. Sometimes anticipation can get in the way. The philosopher Ram Das cautions us to be here now. He’s telling us to anticipate nothing and just be in the moment. That kind of advice doesn’t always come from bearded philosophers. Jay leno advised his guests to “Just be glad you are here.” Cool! There are all kinds of anticipation they are all about something that is going to happen or least might happen.  The best customer service is given freely by people who care enough to anticipate on behalf of their customers.  Last night I brought my wife her robe because I thought she might be chilly. At lunch our favorite waitress Maria brought my mom a to-go cup for her iced tea. Got any idea why Maria is our favorite waitress? A few years ago I had the misfortune to be a guest in the intensive care unit. Just about the time I felt I couldn’t live another minute laying on my left side an angel would appear and help me move to a new, less uncomfortable position on my right. If you are waiting for an industrial strength definition of anticipation, it is the art of recognizing customer needs and meeting them without being asked. That was it. Hope you didn’t miss it. Now just for fun another definition of anticipation. Anticipation is wanting to be hopeful about the future. Anticipating is how we love someone, even perfect strangers by letting them know through our actions that we are here for them and that everything is going to be all right.   Anticipate your customers’ needs and deliver them Positively Outrageous Service! Call us today at (830) 792-5555!