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Category: Customer service
The most important part of a vision
We’ve heard the expression, “I’m living a dream”. Having an exciting vision and making it happen can keep our spirit alive. One characteristic I have always found in a great vision: The fulfillment of a great vision leaves the world a better place.
In 1949 (the year I was born), Gerry Lerner invented “Mr. Potato Head”. Before you could play with Mr. Potato head, you needed to buy a real potato. It was a popular toy, and the kids liked it. Parents didn’t like it as much. You see, playing with real potatoes is a mess!
In 1964, someone came up with the idea of making the torso of Mr. Potato Head out of plastic instead of a real potato. Hygiene and child safety were key issues. The change to plastic was a success, and sales increased dramatically.
Fast forward to two weeks ago. My wife and I were playing with our grandchildren (ages 1-5). The activity was each person designing their own Mr. Potato Head. The kids imagination went wild. We role played. We laughed. It was silly fun and we were so connected with the little ones. Playing with Mr. Potato Head is our favorite activity with the grandchildren. 77 years ago Gerry Lerner had a vision. 62 years ago someone improved on his vision. Today, Mr. Potato Head lives on, and without a mess to clean up!
Whatever your vision or purpose, think in terms of what you will leave behind. Knowing and believing in our legacy can give us more energy, enthusiasm, and desire to stick with it. We can live with a daily sense of purpose and make a difference!
“Clean” your way to success
As a child growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, my favorite place for fun was Riverview Amusement Park at Belmont and Western in Chicago. The great genie welcomed you into the fun castle and the roller coaster (The “Fireball”) was the ultimate adventure. We kids loved going. The only problem was we only went to Riverview twice in the three years we lived in Chicago. After the second time, Mom refused to go back. When asked why, she replied, “Because it is filthy”. As kids, we were able to look past the filth and find the fun. Adults weren’t so gracious, and the park was torn down in 1967 after 63 years of operation. By that time, Disney and Six Flags Park had taken over. It was a new era and the word “clean” was a big deal. The parks were absolutely immaculate. Even though the majority of Americans smoked cigarettes, you wouldn’t find a cigarette butt on the ground. To this day, families enjoy these parks, and the cleanliness leaves each guest with a good feeling.
Think about the psychology of the word “clean”. If you stay at a dirty hotel, you won’t be back. If you ride in a dirty limo, you probably will find another service. If you need to place your parents in a nursing home, you first look for cleanliness. We can think about any service or product we buy, and we will remember how clean and organized the store or office was.
“Clean” is also a source of energy. If you grab your coffee in the morning and walk into a cluttered office, that affects your mental energy. If you walk into an immaculate office with your most important task setting cleanly on your desk, you are off to the races! Just think about how our state of mind and profitability can be helped by applying the word “clean”
Clean your way to success!
Use emailing and texting wisely
Growing up, I remember my father’s toolbox. My favorite tool was the vice grip. It was a powerful tool that could get off any nut or bolt no matter how beat up or rusted it was. Although the vice grip was my favorite, I learned to be careful how I used it. It would usually damage whatever I was trying to get off. If I wanted to re-use the nut or bolt, I would use a gentler tool like a box wrench.
Today we have many communication tools we did not have in my youth. Texts and emails are the most common advancements that come to mind. Like any tools, we need to use the “right tool for the right job”. If not, we can do damage. Here is an example:
Several weeks ago, one of my coaching clients received an email that was not of a friendly tone. It also contained judgment and insults. My client (Pam), emailed her back in response. Very quickly, she received a response email that was even more acerbic. At this point, Pam stopped, went down the hallway, and talked with the other person one-on-one. With a good conversation, they came to common ground.
In my working with teams, I find that texting and sending emails can be a good idea or a bad one. Electronic communication tends to work well when the message is transactional. You can confirm schedules, send attachments or even give a few instant “Pats on the back”. On the other hand, if you receive a nasty email, I recommend you respond with “Jane…let’s talk”. Doing so can help keep small conflicts small.
A sure-fire way to have effective team communication
In my decades of team coaching experience, one of the most important capabilities of a highly productive team is clear and timely communication. The good news is that there is something we can do to have near-perfect team communication and it will only cost us $15. Permit me to explain:
Last Saturday morning I bought a dozen donuts and took them to the shop that does my car repairs. They had just completed working on my car, and the job they did was above and beyond. I wanted to show my appreciation so I bought the service team donuts. The service manager smiled, thanked me, and simply took the box of donuts and put them on the desk behind him. Within two minutes, I saw this large group of team members moving towards the office area. I thought management must have called an important meeting. Nope. The group was headed in a beeline straight for the box of donuts. How did this happen? I hadn’t observed any texting or phone activity. The information spread quickly and was communicated with resounding accuracy.
I am not suggesting we can build our team communication on a solid flow of fresh donuts. Not only is that impractical, it would probably be unhealthy. My questions is: “What can we do (feasibly) that will create the quality and the clarity of the communication generated by that box of donuts?” If we can answer that question, we can save our company those costly errors caused by poor communication.
The power of punctuality
Nearly 40 years ago I was viewing a session on time management and I saw a demonstration I’ll never forget: The speaker asked the audience of 80 people, “How many of you have been on time for every appointment you have had in the last year?” Only three raised their hand. Since that day all those years ago, I can count the number of times I have been late on one hand. Being on time is my non-negotiable standard.
Unfortunately, one of those “non-punctual” times happened this past weekend. My wife and I were scheduled to visit our son and grandchildren. We said we would be there between 9:30 – 10:00am. We didn’t arrive until 10:15. As a result our son had to reschedule some activities to compensate.
My son is 38, and this was my first time being late. I knew he must be thinking it was my wife’s fault. It wasn’t. It was mine! The reason was poor planning. I made it very clear that it was my fault and I apologized for not respecting his time. No excuses. No blame. I suppose I could have brushed it off and said in a dispassionate tone, “Sorry I’m late”. I couldn’t do that. This was a big deal. When we say we will be somewhere at a certain time, that is a commitment. It is a promise. It is our reputation. It shows we respect the most valuable thing we have…our time.
I conclude with the speaker’s follow up question: He asked the 3 “on-timers” who raised their hands how they did it. They all had the same answer, and I’ll bet you know what it is: LEAVE EARLY! Be punctual. Be a person who can be counted on.