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September 1, 2005 23:22 - Customer Service - The Little Things
I've been there before; there's a great little Cafe Rouge in Farnham. So I made a beeline when I was visiting a client. They are always very friendly and let me sit where I want to, suffer my newspaper spread all over the table and generally give great service.
I order a glass of the house red as well as water and decide on the Plat de Charcuterie, the Tarte Paysanne and then set myself up for the Creme Brulee (which I remembered from the last time!).
The first course is quick and spot on as I'm reading the paper and since I'm enjoying myself, I wait. And wait and wait and wait! It takes around 20 minutes of waiting before I ask about my second course and by then I'm pretty fed up waiting.
So, in a huff, I forego the Creme Brulee and ask for a comments form which I fill in. Up to now, Cafe Rouge in Farnham has been on of my favourite places to eat - and eat again there I probably will. But this time I'm disappointed really, not just about the service this time, but also that my judgement has been found wanting...
Customer service is measured by fickle people who are rarely satisfied. It is as fragile as poppy petals in the breeze.
And you know, you can't afford to let any part of your service levels slide - or, unfair as it may seem, it can be critical to your business health.
September 2, 2005 23:08 - Round the (next) Bend
Do you ever give up? Is there a time when you decide that this is not working and it's time to stop, maybe to try something else?
In photographer Charlie Waite's new book "Landscape" he mentions that he sometimes perseveres until he goes 'just a little bit longer along the road' and often that's just where that extraspecial photograph lurks.
It is easy to get disheartened on a project. Whether it be in a personal goal, or one in business, there sometimes seems to be the moment when it is time to give up and change directions.
Yet all that hard work will go to nothing.
I'm reminded (regularly!) by a friend and colleague who was about to wrap up his business as it had become too much a struggle, with little to show for the efforts he had put in over quite a time.
So for them, 'just a little longer along the road' was literally just the difference between success and failure and going back to the beginning.
Starting again.
It's a quirky thing, the difference between success and seeming failure - and again it can be that a change of direction is also meant to be, There are no hard and fast rule - except when you see the whole thing. The big picture. Then maybe 'just a little longer along the rod' is a life thing - not a 'narrow' thing at all.
Perseverence along a bigger road maybe is what it's all about. Another chapter, leading to more exploration and 'adventure', with new challenges; new opportunities for different successes round the next corner - of that bigger road!
September 4, 2005 23:07 - The Path of Least Resistance
Sheep!
If you look across a windswept hillside, you will see criss-crossing it the tracks of sheep. The tracks meander, avoiding the most difficult ways, because the sheep have an inbuilt, inherent mechanism for making their way the easiest.
Management can be this way too. Whilst we may draw negative connotations from linking ourselves to sheep(!), learning from the ways of nature that there are easier ways is very valuable.
So, what to do...
So, what are the paths of least resistance? How can you make the most of them and how do you recognise them?
Try the reverse logic - where are you most stressed out and find things ultra-challenging?
These areas are your clues to the tough areas to find workarounds. These areas are where the sheep have learned not to tread - they are the 'paths of most resistance'.
and then
Make it easier for you - easier for your people by meandering your route, ever so slightly, as you aim for your clear goal or outcome.
You can deliver the focused outcomes you need - just make it easy!
Looking for an easy but very rewarding life? Then read, as I have done this week, the "The Lazy Way To Success", by Fred Gratzon, a great little e-book all about how less is so much more in your life, your business and your career! At $27.95, this is a snip!
September 6, 2005 19:21 - Coaching is Just...
There is a lot of mystique about what my own coach Andrea Lee calls 'Big C' coaching. The stuff that hits the papers and other media. It's as described by Thomas Leonard, aka 'the father of coaching' akin to being a 'snake-oil salesman', harking back to the Wild West quack doctors of the mid- to late-19C.
But for me, the 'Big C' coaching is hyped up, way beyond the real nitty-gritty of coaching.
The 'little c' coaching as Andrea describes it.
'little c' coaching harks back to my childhood.
I was born onto a northern council estate. My parents were delighted to be there, where, after the war they were lucky to have a nice council sponsored home, just newly married themselves.
On those estates there was a real sense of community - everyone knew erach other and there was the original 'open-door policy'!
Everyone was popping in for the proverbial 'cup of sugar'! Your door wasn't locked and everyone trusted one another (a bit surreal compared with today!).
Our next door neighbour was called Eleanor, or 'Aunty Eleanor' as we called her. And Aunty Eleanor would come to our house for a cup of tea and a chat - or my mother would go next door to her place. It was all uninvited and there was no ceremony nor the need to book!
I am convinced that in those conversations, they 'little c' coached each other. Solutions were found through the common supportive and also challenging dialogue of conversation.
Fast forward to today, where, in business, we are all tied up in the workplace in Performance Management and Development Reviews - time has been lost for the 'conversations' where the true coaching gets done.
Whilst there is a place for bringing 'Big C' coaches in to help, there is a lot that can be achieved by building relationships through informal conversations - and that takes so little time and effort that it seems as if that nothing is being acheived - but it is...
You can sign up for a free e-course that starts off this 'informal conversations' idea as part of Succession Planning right here
September 9, 2005 22:20 - Tipping Point
"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell is a fine example of observation. In it he spots a number of situations where change in behaviour has happened due to the actions of a particular set of people involved with something.
It is about how key individuals who network well, are 'trendy' or influence others especially well, can make a huge shift in perceptions and change others behaviours.
Yet "The Tipping Point" can mean more. What, for example is the 'straw that breaks the camel's back', in certain circumstances? What happens to create or destroy relationships in businesses?
Managers play a particular role in 'tipping points'. They have a clear responsibility to spend enough time in 'conversation' with their people to develop the intelligence to intercept problems early on.
By being aware, it truly is possible to generate harmonious & constructive business relationships. This then will mean that your 'tipping point' is upwards to more success.
September 10, 2005 19:59 - An Eye for Detail
As a retailer (once a retailer, always a retailer!), I prided myself in my attention to small detail. For me it was as vital to be alert to every missing item on a shelf, as it was that my people wore badges and were sensitive to that most valuable commodity in our business, the customers.
Through my attention to detail, modelling the behaviours necessary in the business to others, I was able to ensure that what I expected from others was consistent with what they saw in me.
In the little book "Be Our Guest", I've been reading about Walt Disney World, where behaviours from top to bottom are paramount, with you being as likely to see Michael Eisner, as well as the most recent new-join, picking up a piece of litter as they passed.
Your people will behave how they see you behave. The model you present to them they will, without doubt, mirror in how they do their stuff too.
Expecting them to do what you don't is an unlikely scenario. Thus the performance of your people and their eye for detail is most likely a reflection of who you are, more even than a true statement of who they are.
Your people, your business, will always be closely identified with your personal behaviours in the workplace.
And that isn't just about shops!
September 11, 2005 14:33 - The Value of Coaching
People often ask me what coaching is all about.
Indeed there are dozens of descriptions of what it is and what it does.
At the moment, I haven't got a 'testimonials' page on the website - it's not that I haven't got any, it's just that it rather slipped my mind as I was creating the content.
I'm in the process of collating the best 10 or 20 of them right now and I'll be sure to let you know when they are up there (as I'm also creating a new format for my newsletter, which will, as likely as not, kick off in October, after my vacation - more later).
As I've been pulling together some of my testimonials, a recent client who I worked with for 18 months or so, sent this in, which I want to share with you, so that the value of coaching can be described clearly for what it does rather than what it is:-"I found Martin's coaching to be invaluable over the last 18 months. If I had been told then what I was going to achieve in those months - both on a work and personal basis - I would never have believed I could travel so far! Martin's style is just the right blend of supportive and challenging.
Had he not been coaching me, I can honestly say there are at least four big opportunities that would have passed me by.
He encouraged me to reach outside my comfort zone and grab those opportunities with both hands! I feel I am a much stronger, braver person now, and Martin has played a big role in helping me achieve that." This client was a great client, but no greater than each of you are. As for her coach, (me!), yes, I worked closely in partnership with her. We had a great relationship where we both celebrated her successes.
There was great value for her in the work we did and the tools she experienced will be with her forever, enabling an ongoing growth she can expect. The value for me was the wonderful experience I have in helping others achieve what they already have within them.
Are you ready to make the leap?
September 13, 2005 22:16 - It's ASDA Price...
I'm not sure whether this is a good or bad experience. A positive or a negative. But I thought I'd share it with you nonetheless.
I was shopping in ASDA earlier this week. The tills weren't that busy and as I stepped up to pay, the assistant in the till across needed some change. My assistant threw some over, but it fell - at my feet.
So I picked it up and passed it across. I then got on and paid for my shopping. The receiving assistant then attempted to pass a £20 note across, but she couldn't reach!
So I passed it across!
In these days of high security and the misery of pilferage, I felt quite appreciated by ASDA. Other organisations in this field I know would be holding high level investigations right now.
And instead of being realistic, they would be getting all hot and bothered about a customer handling their cash. Heads might even roll!
Time for a dose of realism and trust - which is what ASDA showed to me this week - with a smile and a thank you. We are now firm buddies!
September 14, 2005 10:45 - Customer Service - The Disney Way
The customer service at Walt Disney World in Florida had always been exemplary. Yet on this occasion, as the new millennium began, there was something wrong...We had been there a number of times. Ever since our first trip there in 1980 - quite an adventure... (Read Article)
September 17, 2005 05:45 - Cheating is Good!
Hey, how about this.
Cheating on the job is good!
No, no, no - not if you cheat to anyone's disadvantage or harm or illegal sort of stuff. But if you beat the system to, for example:-
- Make a customers day
- Make something really effective
- Build a business relationship
- Surprise someone positively
- Make life easier
- Bend a rule even!
See it as another way to be pro-active and creative around the business you are in - it's not just OK, it's positively fabulous!
You see, organisational systems are not meant to help those most important in a business - the customers or clients. They are usually to protect profits for shareholders. Unless this is worked in perfectly - and it rarely is - systems tend to get in the way of great customer service, especially the most vital one of all, building relationships with them. In fact, beating an internal system and sharing that with your customer is a wonderful partnership (so don't forget to tell them what you're doing!)
If you are a manager, cheating the system; bending the rules; or simply doing a favour for one of your own people, the employees (or 'colleagues' as they all seem to be described nowadays - ever seen a till display saying anything more ridiculous than 'a colleague will help you soon'? - I digress!), is a brilliant way to partner better. After all, are your own people not another example of a most important customer - the internal one?
I'm not, as I said at the beginning imploring you to breach laid down rules, just tweak' them a bit - to everyone's advantage!
So, today, go for it - where can you 'cheat' in your work a bit today, and make a real effective and relationship-building difference - to all your clients or customers - including your very own?
September 17, 2005 05:59 - Dolland and Aitchison, Gloucester - You're OK!
I've been visually challenged for most of my adult life, shifting occasionally into contact lenses, but for the most part wearing glasses.
Over the years, they seem to have become more and more expensive and somehow there is always a sting in the tail from the price you see - half-price almost always become full price, and more.
Most of the time I availed myself of the staff discount I got from the high street retailer who were also opticians, but the service was always poor, even reducing my wife to tears of frustration on several occasions.
Last year, I decided to go to a local private opticians - sad to say they were even worse, with a bill for just one pair of glasses reaching £350! So I looked around as these really were poor and had become far more scratched than I ever expected in such a short time. There were many so called 'special offers'.
Eventually, I settled on Dolland and Aitchison. After visiting one of their stores and receiving unexpectedly friendly help I checked in an appointment online (an extra 10% discount!) and received a courtesy call to confirm within an hour.
In their Gloucester branch, I was dealt with efficiently and courteously by the manager, Neil Jenkins and met Jane Woodward, my optician , who tested me with a very friendly manner, explaining to me that contact lenses had changed a lot in the five years since I'd tried them before.
I was then passed back downstairs again, this time to Rakhee Shah (hope I got that right!) to select my new glasses - again very efficient and friendly and unique in the opticians business in my experience, there were no unexpected cost bolt-ons. Two pairs of glasses, one of them varifocals and one sunglasses were a very reasonable £170. When she checked about a scratch-resistant coating for the half-price sunglasses, I thought 'here it comes', but no, it was included!
The contact lenses arrived within two days and the glasses three days earlier than quoted (note the underpromising and overdelivering), which worked very well for me.
Ongoing help with my contact lenses as well as my glasses was just as good. To top it all, when there was a bit of a problem with my contact lens monthly direct debit, I got a call to say that not only would they be free for a month to compensate me (and I didn't even know there had been a problem), but that Penny Barton was ordering a new pair for me that day and would drop them off to my house (which she has done already!) to ensure that I got them in time for my holiday.
Now, why can't all service be like this - a big well done to the Neil Jenkins and the Dolland and Aitchison Gloucester team - I suspect that their corporate culture has something to do with it too - it would be interesting to know how they do it. Maybe someone in their organisation will let me know - and I can post it on here when I get back - or better still, they can post it themselves!
A lesson to us all in the service business and yes, I will go back there again, and I have bought contact lenses as well as glasses. Those of you who read this blog frequently will know how picky I am with customer service. This was, well yes, actually faultless and a pleasure.
September 18, 2005 18:30 - Talk Differently
I met a friend last week I hadn't seen for a while. She has a very accomplished daughter and a great son, who is a little younger. She fears a little for her 17-year old son, because he doesn't know where exactly he wants to go with his life. Yet he has such a wonderful character.
Several times through the evening, she told me that he is 'very, very immature'. Because of the fact that she went on about this so much, I took the time to give her a bit of feedback.
You see, the more she talked about him this way, the more he will sense from her that she feels this way about him and that's how he'll behave.
So I told her what I'd heard her say - as well as what my impression was of him - a lot of fun, a great 'people' person and pretty chilled about his life right now (see last week!).
So What's This Got To Do With Business?
How many impressions of others have you tested? Or, how often are your evaluations of your people based on hearsay or rare actions?
Because you may just be understimating the potential of your people - and missing out on some great possibilities.
Even if you have true experience of people and that gives you the evidence, what efforts have you taked to assess their true potential and sought to utilise that, rather than leave them as a square peg in a round hole?
Because Sometimes...
By studying your own responses - even the way you talk to others about some people - can actually be making them behave the way they think they are seen, rather than the way they are.
OK everyone - it's my vacation time.
I'm having a long awaited break for a couple of weeks, so this won't be updated.
I've prided myself that this blog isn't going to be one that gets updated once a blue moon, but the time has come to lie by a pool, read some trashy novels, sleep and eat a lot and generally chill.
So visiting here over the next few days won't find much new - or will it?
I've been writing this blog for almost a year now and many of you won't have seen some of the original stuff - and it isn't archived with a link from here either (though those archives do have loads of good stuff too!).
So the links to the original blog are listed here for you to dig into and see what you can find right here. All the other blog entries after that are to be found at the link the archive.
Rather scarily, you might find a change in style and content - even more scarily, you might find you like it better - it's a risk I take.
And as Vera Lynn would say, 'we'll meet again', early in October!
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