I am so excited to show you our brand new product that we are releasing next week. If you haven’t signed up for our next webinar, I hope you’ll Sign Up Today. One lucky attendee will win the first copy of this great new comprehensive tool. I’ll show you all the great party planning ideas and sales tools that are included in this comprehensive guide. We plan to have a very interactive dialogue about how to make sure you book as many company parties as you possibly can this fall!

NOW back to my “Be First” title. This year has included a lot of firsts for me personally. Being first is all about winning or at least stepping out front to try something new. Repelling, zip lining, going to Costa Rica, paying the last child’s college bill, winning Biggest Loser at my gym, and working with many of you for the first time have all been exciting firsts for me this year.

I encourage you to look at some of your first time experiences of the year. As you gear up for the last 4 months of 2010, the end of a decade (seems like we were just talking about y2k yesterday), I encourage you to seek first time opportunities that you may not have considered in past years. Look at the people you would like to do business with and call them. Invite them into your center, and express your desire to do business with them. All they can tell you is, "No," and heck – that’s where you are today.

Be the first person at a networking event to walk up and shake hands with another. Be first in creating a training program that recognizes and rewards your staff. We can help if you don’t know where to start. Check out Fun Training Serious Results.

I’ll close this week by sharing a first time personal goal with you on my blog.

I want to publically commit that I am going to run my first half-marathon in December. If you know me, you know I love Las Vegas. December 5th is the Rock & Roll Marathon (I’m jogging/walking the half marathon). The interesting thing about this “first” time effort for me is that I’m not really good at running. I’m overweight but assume I’ll lose some of that weight during the training. I’ve been working on jogging for months and am up to about 20–25 minutes before I feel like I need to stop to breathe. That’s not really true. I’m struggling to breathe every single minute. I keep waiting and longing for the runner’s high, and, so far, all I know about is runner’s sweat. I’m sure that what I do can’t really be classified as running, and I know I won’t break any speed records. I do believe I can finish in the 4-hour time limit, and I think I could do that today. AND I’m pretty sure I don’t even like to run (yet).

So, why do it? Well, it’s a first for me. I’ve never run a half-marathon. It’s a challenge. I like challenges. I think it will be good thing in so many ways. I want to do it. Two of my children have done it, and I’d like to know how that sense of accomplishment feels. I want to do something that has meaning. Completing the race seems like a big win, and I like to win. I don’t have to win the race to win. I just have to show up and participate. Isn’t showing up half the battle? We say that all the time when we work with sales teams. The sales person who shows up gets the deal! I know how to do that, so how is that different than this race?

I just feel like there’s something in running this race that has meaning to the way we live. Everything we do in life, at work, and in relationships is not always easy. I don’t know that I try to take the easy way out, but I do think it’s easier to do the things that are easiest. HA! That’s profound. Anyway, I thought it would be good to publically commit to running this race. So if you clicked over, thank you for letting me share my current saga! I’d love to see you share business or personal goals you’ve set for the rest of this year. Will you finish this decade with a big win? Are you willing to commit to your first_________________ ? Do it here on the blog, and we can keep tabs on one another.

Remember – sign up for next week’s webinar and be FIRST to see our new Company Party Play Book!

This week’s newsletter includes our webinar schedule for the rest of the year. We invite you to put these dates on your calendar and join us for this great series.

September Webinar, Tuesday, 9/14/2010 (11:30 a.m. CDT) – Want to Know More?

Attend this webinar and win a brand new FREE TrainerTainment^® product. We are very excited to release the new COMPANY PARTY PLAYBOOK! You can be the first to see this great new tool. Join us live when we use the webinar venue as the format to roll out this new product. One lucky webinar attendee will win the 1^st copy of this complete guide to building great company products and selling them all the time to everyone!

October Webinar, Thursday, 10/14/2010 (11:30 a.m. CDT) – Make the Most of Your Holiday Season

From parties to stocking stuffers, the holidays give you a way to bring new business into your center all season long. Attend this webinar if you want to learn the top 10 ways to get people to spend more money at your family entertainment center this year!

November/December–End of Year Strategic Planning Webinar Series

The new year is a time to wipe the slate clean. Will you be in position to sell more than ever before? Participate in this 4–part series and know that you will begin 2011 planning to have the best year of sales that you’ve ever had! This series is a step–by–step process that is more than simple resolutions or goal setting. Join other FEC sales managers, GMs, owners, and front line team members. Together, we’ll create a strategic plan that is sure to blow the doors off of any sales goal you may have had in the past!

Tuesday, 11/9/2010 (11:30 a.m. CDT) – Strategically Plan Your Products for 2011

We’ll review what you sold in 2010. We’ll ask you to look at your most and least sold products. Are you priced for profit? What were your marketing efforts? Are your people product experts? We’ll help you strategically plan for products in 2011 that your customers will find irresistible!

Tuesday, 11/23 (11:30 a.m. CDT) – Strategic People Planning for 2011

Who do you have in your center that is focused on selling? Has your plan in the past been to have your cashier or the front desk employees managing incoming sales calls? Do you have a program that focuses on reaching out and bringing new people into your center? This webinar will help you strategically plan to put the right people in the right spot so that you can succeed with more sales in 2011!

Thursday, 12/9 (11:30 a.m. CDT) – Strategically Plan Promotions for 2011

Promotions are designed to peak your valleys and drive business into the center on a consistent basis. Attend this seminar led by Pam Weatherford and learn how to take a year–long look at promotional planning in a very simple way. Using a promotional strategy now is sure to keep you on track for ultimate success in 2011!

Thursday, 12/23 (11:30 a.m. CDT) – Strategically Plan Your Goals for 2011

We will help you strategically set your goals for the new year. You’ll want to prepare for this webinar by taking a look at your group sales and your birthday revenue for 2010 and 2009. We’ll look at benchmarks and set systems in place so that you and your team will know what the plan is for 2011. You’ll receive worksheets, systems, and targets that you can wrap your head around as your prepare to sell more than ever before in 2011!

That is the webinar line–up for the rest of 2010. I hope you’ll accept our sincere invitation to participate in these free training events. If you miss a webinar, you can have 24/7 access to it and our huge webinar library when you sign up for Xpress Training^TM. It’s only $29.95 per month or $299 for the entire year.

I’ll close with our 2^nd big announcement, and that is that we are going to hold a power–packed Sales Training Clinic in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area on November 11th & 12th of 2010. Superstar TrainerTainment Trainer, Pam Weatherford, my friend and training guru, Bill Carlson of U–Profit, and I will be teaching at this event.

Meet Lexi. You might guess by looking at her picture that she’s bright and probably does a great job answering the phone. I met Lexi first by phone and email. She works for one of the centers that we serve, and about 10 months ago, she was required to implement our birthday sales qualification process. The way our program works is that we provide remote coaching and a script to anyone who answers the phone. The goal is, with a “sales process” in place, we can take the incoming birthday inquiry and turn it into a sale 9 times out of 10. We have shoppers that call to book birthday parties and then send immediate feedback to the center that rates the quality of the call.

In the beginning, when Lexi was shopped, she made sure to follow back up with us when and if she didn’t score 112% (there are bonus points). I spent time encouraging and coaching Lexi. She was doing a good job and getting good scores, but I felt like she might be missing the point. I admired the fact that she wanted to get a perfect score every time, but the real goal was to use the system in order to book more parties.

Last week I got to visit with Lexi in person, and I was so motivated I had to share her comments with you, and how she has helped her facility to increase birthday revenue by 49% this year.

I happened to walk into the sales office last week when Lexi was handling a birthday call. She was so great with the customer on the phone. Our qualification process is simple – connect, qualify, and close. The connection part includes getting the child’s name. As I walked in on Lexi, she was talking to the parent and telling them how much they would enjoy having Zach at their facility.

In Lexi’s words, she says that today, with the sales qualification process, the call is more personal. Once she was finished with the call she was on, I was able to sit and visit with her about the program. She was very forthcoming and didn’t hold back at all. When I asked her about how she felt about the sales qualification program, she answered me with a blunt, “I hated it at first.” Although I was afraid of what might come next, I encouraged her to keep talking.

Lexi explained to me that she didn’t like the process in the beginning because she felt like she was doing a good job. She knew the party program and was giving good information to the customer. She believed she was booking parties and getting the job done.

That made sense to me, and I knew from her early reaction that scoring high on those shops was important to her and that she was frustrated by the process. So I asked Lexi if she adopted the program only to get the high score. She said, “Yes” at first and then added a “But”. Lexi said that when she made herself do it “my” way that she started booking more parties and groups.

In Lexi’s words, when she started making it a priority to use the child’s name, the call became more one–to–one with the customer on the phone. She said that before, when a guest called in, it was a lot more impersonal because she was just giving information about the party. Now it is all about helping plan that special event. Lexi said, “I know it’s the birthday child’s dream day, and now I’m personally involved in helping plan that day.”

I don’t know if you can ever know how to best influence or motivate a change in behavior. For Lexi, making sure her shopper scores were 112% was her initial motivation to adopt the birthday sales qualification process. As a direct result, she herself admits that she absolutely books more parties and actually enjoys the booking process because she is more one–to–one with the customer.

In summary, I encourage you all to “get Lexi’d”! In a world gone crazy with employees jumping out of airplane doors, I think it is awesome to meet someone like Lexi. She was asked to change something that she thought she was doing a good job with, suffered some not–so–perfect feedback as she perfected her skill, and, as a direct result, is enjoying the job more and succeeding at a really high level. A 49% increase in birthday parties is nothing to sneeze about in this economy! Congratulation to Lexi and the super team she works with. Thank you for taking the program to the highest level!

If you have a Lexi story at your facility, we would love to hear how you motivate your team.

I am in no way, shape, or form a social media whiz or a marketing guru, but I can share with you the "must haves" that I think have helped my business succeed, as well as the things that I think a family entertainment center must embrace in order to have a credible presence in the marketplace today.

The "Must Haves":

1. You must have a web site that doesn’t look like your brother–in–law created it in his spare time. Here is a partial list of the things that drive me crazy as a consumer and as a training company. When we go to a web site to check out a client, here are the common things that I see that scream, “They don’t know what they are doing!”
   1. Out of date events
   2. Too many words and not enough pictures
   3. Difficult to move around
   4. No easy way to find a phone number or an address

   The web site is a tool that gets the conversation going and plants the initial seed of your value. I’m no web expert, but I am a buyer, and I know what turns me on and off. Your web site is the front door for the young public you serve today. What are they seeing when they walk through the door? Do you have links to your Facebook fan page? Is it easy for the customer to leave you a comment? You don’t have to put the prices of your products on this site, but rather, "Call to book your event today." I guess we could do an entire article on the web site presence, but this is a good start. I recommend that you read a book call Broken Windows Broken Business, written by Michael Levine. Since your web site is often the first impression, you might never get a “real” chance to wow customers because they may decide to never come through the front door.

2. You must have the willingness to communicate with your customer and your staff. Gone are the days where the owner or manager can reign from the ivory castle. Customers want to feel like they can get to you. Does that leave you exposed as a manager or an owner? Yes it does. Does it mean that bad things may be said about you or your business and the world can see? Yes it does. Is that an excuse for not participating in things like Facebook or Twitter? It is, but it is not a good excuse. We have an incredible opportunity to create the kind of relationships with our customers that make them feel like our friends. If you don’t have a Facebook fan page or a Twitter account, I hope you’ll make signing up next thing on your “to do” list. Also, go to www.yelp.com and get your business registered and see if anyone has been talking about you.
3. You must ask your customer, “What did you think about our place? Your party? The experience? Will you refer is to all of your friends?” And, “When are you coming back?” Ask and you shall receive. Someone with a lot more insight than me wrote that quote more that 2000 years ago, and I think it is still relevant today. In a seminar setting, I will often ask the question, “How many of you are surveying your guests?” Many times, less than ½ of the audience will raise their hand. The feedback that we get is, “We used to do that" or "I’m not sure I want to know what the customer thinks.” Your customers will tell you what they like and don’t like. Incentivize them with a drawing each week to encourage them to fill out the questionnaire. Keep it short. Give them a place to write in additional comments. Here are 7 great questions that you may want to use to get started:

I hope you’ve found an idea or two to help you begin the conversation with your customer. Virtually speaking, we can’t afford not to communicate. Please share some of the success stories you’ve had or even scary posts or communication that you were able to turn into victories. It’s worse if guests choose to simply walk away. Give them the opportunity to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly!

I think they are passionate about what they are doing in the state of Michigan. I’ve always thought a lot of Roger Philipi, and it was neat on the night of the banquet and awards to watch every single recipient honestly give recognition to others as they received the attention they deserved. It was obvious to me that they are passionate about their association and that they “get it” that they are truly in service one to another!

We had good trade show time, and I was able to meet proprietors that I had not met before as well as other vendors. I love the opportunity to talk with other business owners. As a business owner myself, I feel like we all experience many of the same joys and challenges of ownership. I am particularly motivated when I meet someone who loves what they do. My friend, CEO of Bowling Music Network, Jim Juniper, is an extraordinary business owner from whom I’ve learned a lot. He introduced me to Abid Skeikh, who is the owner of a sock company. Expert Hosiery, LLC.

Jim, Abid, and I were visiting at the end of show the first day. I watched Abid tell me about his company. The more he spoke, the more I needed to have some of his socks. It cracked me up. He was so passionate about the work they are doing. He believes in the quality of the product he provides. He’s interested and motivated to grow his business. It’s amazing to watch people talk about what they love to do whether it is to run a company, play a sport, read a book, drive fast cars, or spend time with their family. When someone knows about something and loves it, their passion shows when they talk about it.

When we teach Sales 101, we ask people to pair up and talk to their partner about anything that they absolutely love. What happens when people really care about something is that they speak with passion about it. There’s no struggle for the words. Their eyes shine, they use their hands to demonstrate, you see animation in their faces and you hear it in their voices.

It may sound trite, but it is easy to do what you love to do. It’s more fun and gives the day more meaning. Have you felt the passion lately for what you do? Does your staff understand the mission so that they can feel and replicate that passion in their jobs? Have you given them a reason to be passionate about what they do? Passion moves people to places they can’t get to without that driving force. There’s no other explanation as to why we’ll work too many hours and get up in the middle of the night and write stuff down so we don’t forget it in the morning. We do crazy things that we thought we could or would never do in the name of passion. Or maybe it’s love. Or maybe they are so close to the same thing it just doesn’t matter. If you love what you do, you’ll have a passion to do it when others are busy doing nothing!

Yesterday I was at the end of a very long day. It was late and I was on the 4th leg of travel from Michigan to Chicago to DFW (changed airports – left my phone in the car), DFW to Houston, Houston to Panama City. Throw in, that I drove 1½ hours to get to the first flight and was looking forward to a 2 hour drive after I got on the ground in Panama City. I was tired to say the least. If you read my column, you know that I normally fly American Airlines. I was reminded why I make that choice as I was on my last leg last night.

I flew Southwest from DFW to Panama City. I admire the efficiency of this airline. Typically I love the crew. They are fun and funny. Not so much last night! I take that back…I think the flight attendant in question thought he was cute. I disagree. They came through to ask about soft drinks, or anything to drink for that matter. I ask a simple question – “What diet soft drinks do you have?” The flight attendant whipped out a menu from the seat back pocket and shoved it in my face. Come on now – a menu on Southwest Airlines? They serve peanuts (which I wasn’t offered any). I couldn’t get my light to work, the print was small enough, and in my tired state, my glasses wouldn’t work good enough for me to see. So I said, “just give me water.” He smirked. I got my water.

During the flight, I got the light working good enough to see that there was only Diet Coke. That really insulted me. There was one choice and he couldn’t provide enough service to give me a verbal answer. Since I am a customer service fanatic, I felt like I needed to say something to him. So on the way out, I shared with the flight attendant that I thought it was surprising that he couldn’t tell me that they have Diet Coke since that was the only diet soft drink on the actual menu. He pops up and says, “Oh we have Diet Sprite too.” I lost it and told him that I thought it was incredibly disrespectful that he couldn’t just tell me that when I asked him, and that he should think twice the next time he opts to shove a menu in someone’s face instead of respond to them directly.

He couldn’t’ know how tired I was, but he could see that I couldn’t get the light on, and was obviously struggling to read the menu. Southwest and a menu – give me a break.

I’m considering using my points and flying home from Tallahassee on American. I just don’t need the crappy service.

I went to Indianapolis in May to celebrate my niece’s high school graduation. In that part of the country, it’s customary for kids to host a graduation open house, which is usually like a big backyard barbeque. My two sisters and I were in charge of planning and implementation. That weekend, we went to Costco to get all of the supplies we needed: buns, deli meat, condiments, plates, silverware, fruit, chips, etc., etc., etc. By the time we were done shopping, we had completely filled two carts.

If you’ve ever been to a warehouse store like Costco, you know that the lines are usually long and that people tend to buy a lot of stuff. That day was no exception. We stood in line for quite a long time to wait for our turn. The payoff for waiting is that you get really great prices.

We got just about everything we needed, but there were a few items that Costco didn’t carry. So, the next day, we headed to Sam’s Club. Little did I know that we would encounter a Customer Service Superstar right there at Sam’s!

As I mentioned, we had bought just about everything we needed at Costco, so we only had 5 or 6 items in our cart when we got to the check–out line at Sam’s Club. And, as I mentioned, most people buy a lot of stuff at warehouse stores, so there is no such thing as an Express Check–Out Line. My sisters and I weren’t too excited about standing in line for just a few items, but we had to have them, so we had no choice.

We had waited just a few minutes when an employee approached us. He told us, “I can prescan your items for you so that when you get to the register, you won’t have to wait. You can just give them your receipt.” My sister, Tammy, was very impressed. “That is so cool!” she said. “Where were you yesterday when we were at Costco and had two carts full of stuff?”

“Oh, you don’t get this kind of service at Costco, Ma’am,” he replied. “You know why? Because I don’t work at Costco. I work at Sam’s. And you only get that kind of service from me.”

That struck a chord with me. When we train front–line employees, especially party hosts, we train them to become world–famous. We teach them to set themselves apart so that customers will want to return to them again and again and again. We didn’t need to train this guy. He is already on his way to becoming world–famous.

He then went on to show us all of the customer service pins and badges that he wears on his uniform, along with his Sam’s Club watch, which he also won for providing great customer service. And then I noticed his nametag: Rondello Awesome! Isn’t that –– awesome? I’m pretty sure that isn’t his real name. Maybe it is. Or maybe it’s a persona that he uses when he’s at work to remind himself to give awesome customer service.

If you had a name like Rondello Awesome, wouldn’t that just put you in a great mood every time you put your name tag on? What would that do for your employees if they could come up with their own “awesome” name? It reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Into the Wild. When Christopher McCandless left his home and family to set out for Alaska, he renamed himself Alexander Supertramp.It gave him the freedom to leave the past behind and become whomever he wanted to be. We encourage birthday party hosts to wear costumes and funny hats to create different personas. It’s hard to be grumpy or tired when you’re dressed like a fairy princess or wearing a hamburger or birthday cake hat on top of your head!

Now back to Rondello Awesome. Of course, I couldn’t let this Customer Service Superstar moment pass me by without getting a picture of him. Look at all the awards on his vest. Look at how proudly he holds his scanner gun. And check out that smile! If you’re ever in Indianapolis, go to the Sam’s Club on East 96th Street and visit my friend, Rondello Awesome. You’ll be glad you did!

We want to hear from you! Send us your Customer Service Superstar story! We’ll enter each story into our Customer Service Superstars Academy Awards contest. Next week, we’ll choose the best customer service story, and your center will win The Essential Training Suite of DVDs and written products. Submit your story via email to beth@trainertainment.net.

How do I love thee, Starbucks? Let me count the ways:

1. The environment. I love the paint colors they use at Starbucks. I love the overstuffed chairs and coffee tables, along with desks and chairs so that students and businesspeople can hang out and get their work done. I’ve moved my mobile office (a/k/a laptop) to Starbucks on many occasions just to get a change of scenery and foster creativity. I love the music they play and that they give you access to free music downloads and free wi-fi. They’re just cool that way.
2. The commitment. I love that Starbucks is committed to their communities and the environment. Did you know that when you buy their Ethos water, you’re helping to provide clean water to people around the globe who wouldn’t otherwise have it? Kind of makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it?
3. The consistency. I know that every time I order my iced grande soy no-whip mocha that it will be made the same way. The barista is going to take a grande-sized clear plastic cup, put in 4 pumps of chocolate, 2 shots of espresso, and fill it to the bottom line with soy milk. Then the barista will stir it up before adding ice and a lid. They’ll serve it to me with a straw, a smile, and a greeting that will brighten my day. And if, for some reason, they are out of the shorter green straws, they will take the longer, brown straw and cut it off for me so that it’s the length of the green straw. Yes, I’ve asked them to do that several times, and they don’t mind at all. I don’t know what it is about the longer straw, but it just doesn’t work for me!
4. The people. All of this wouldn’t matter if Starbucks didn’t hire the greatest people. And that leads me to a couple of stories about Customer Service Superstars.

I used to work for Bank of America, and my office was in downtown Dallas. My colleagues and I would go to the Starbucks in Renaissance Tower just about every morning for our caffeine jolt. One of the baristas there used to be a corporate trainer for Starbucks, so if anyone knows about their commitment to great customer service, it’s her! One day, I ordered my usual: iced grande soy no-whip mocha. She filled the cup with 4 pumps of chocolate and then brewed the 2 shots of espresso. She then poured the espresso out and brewed 2 more shots. Reviewing them carefully, she poured them out as well. Now, I’m no coffee expert, but I have learned that the espresso is supposed to be kind of caramel-colored and foamy on top, and apparently, that wasn’t happening that day. She apologized, explained that her espresso machine was acting up and that she couldn’t serve me a less-than-perfect drink, and asked if I had a few minutes to wait. “No problem,” I replied.

I wasn’t in a hurry, so I walked around to some of the nearby shops. I came back just a few minutes later, and my drink was sitting on the counter, ready for me. But it wasn’t just my drink sitting there. She had placed it on top of a coupon to get a beverage for free! The only thing better than Starbucks is FREE Starbucks!

She didn’t have to do that. I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t upset, and I didn’t even complain. But she knew that she hadn’t provided me with the best experience possible that day, and she wanted to make it up to me. It worked, and she made the list of Customer Service Superstars!

Since then, I’ve noticed this sign in almost every Starbucks I’ve been to:

That sets a pretty high standard, doesn’t it? Buc-ees, a chain of convenience stores in Texas, has a sign on their door that says “Please Report Great Service.” If you put a similar sign in your business, what would happen?

I experienced a Customer Service Superstar at the Starbucks in Lawton, Oklahoma. I traveled there several times to do some training for Laugh Out Loud, a fantastic family entertainment center that opened last year. I went to Starbucks one day, and the cashier was chatting it up with every person as he waited on them. It was clear that he knew a lot about his customers: their names, favorite drinks, the names of their kids and/or pets, where they worked, etc. He treated them more like his friends than his customers. I wondered what would happen when I got to the register. I happen to have grown up in Lawton, Oklahoma, but I haven’t lived there in over 20 years. How could this guy make me feel like a friend? Or did he reserve that for just his regular customers? Was he a true Customer Service Superstar?

I ordered my usual (you should know this by now): an iced grande soy no-whip mocha. And then came the superstar moment: “Oh, man! That sounds so good!” the cashier exclaimed. “Steve is our barista today, and he is going to make you the best iced grande soy no-whip mocha you’ve ever tasted! I can’t wait for you to get to the end of the counter so you can taste the fabulous drink he’s making for you!”

Well, I darn near tripped over myself getting to the end of that counter! I couldn’t wait to taste it either! I don’t think I have ever been so excited to taste a drink. And the cashier was right – it was a fabulous iced grande soy no–whip mocha. You could tell that Steve had put some heart, soul, and love into that drink. (My husband does the same thing when he makes my smoothie in the morning, so I know. You can taste the difference!) Both Steve and the cashier are Customer Service Superstars!

Stay tuned for next week’s article to learn about another Customer Service Superstar who is truly AWESOME!

We want to hear from you! Next week, we will conclude the Customer Service Superstars series. Send us your Customer Service Superstar story! We’ll enter each story into our Customer Service Superstars Academy Awards contest. At the end of the series, we’ll choose the best customer service story, and your center will win The Essential Training Suite of DVDs and written products. Submit your story via email to beth@trainertainment.net.

The first Customer Service Superstar is…(drum roll, please!)

Jimmy

I met Jimmy a couple of years ago in Las Vegas. I was at the Las Vegas Convention Center for a trade show and conference. To be exact, I believe I was in the North Hall. I managed to take a few minutes to grab lunch one day, and that’s when I met him. But let me back up a minute to set the stage. At the Las Vegas Convention Center, dining choices are limited. There are a few fast–food establishments and one food court. Let me repeat that for emphasis: a FEW fast–food establishments and ONE food court. And THOUSANDS of people attending the show. Needless to say, if you get there at lunch time, it is a madhouse.

  Long lines
+ impatient, hungry people
= a pretty stressful experience

I perused my choices and decided on the customized sandwich bar. I was expecting a decent sandwich…nothing more. I had no idea I was about to meet a Customer Service Superstar.

I stood in line for about 25 minutes to get my sandwich. For some reason, the sandwich line was longer than all the rest. (Could it be that this Customer Service Superstar attracts more customers than the average employee?) Finally, it was my turn. Here’s how it went down.

JIMMY: “Hi Pam! How are you today?”

ME: (Thinking to myself, “How did he know my name? Is this guy psychic? That’s scary. Oh, yeah, I’m wearing a name tag!”) “I’m doing well! How are you?”

JIMMY: “Great! I’m ready to make you a fantastic sandwich. What kind would you like?”

I told him my order, and while he quickly and perfectly made my sandwich, he continued the conversation:

JIMMY: “How’s the show going for you?”

ME: “Great! Thanks for asking!”

JIMMY: “Well, have a great time this week in Vegas, and enjoy the sandwich! I made it just for you!”

WOW! This guy is good. He gets it. He knows what it means to give great customer service and to make every customer feel special. I was pretty impressed. But the story doesn’t end there…

ONE YEAR LATER

I’m back in Vegas, and back at the Convention Center. This time, our convention was in the South Hall. It had been a year since I had seen Jimmy, and honestly, when I went to lunch that day, I wasn’t really thinking about him. As I wondered around the food court, trying to decide what to eat, I heard a familiar voice. What caught my attention was not the tone of the voice, but the sound of a Customer Service Superstar. This person was greeting people by name, asking them about their day and where they had traveled from, and assuring them that he was going to make them the best sandwich he could possibly make. I turned around, and there was Jimmy, working the burger and fry bar! I ran up to him and introduced myself.

ME: “Hi there! I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I was here about a year ago, and you were working at the sandwich bar in the North Hall.”

JIMMY: “Of course I remember you, Pam.” (Now, with the thousands of people Jimmy sees every week, there is no way he remembered me. But it sure made me feel special, anyway!)

ME: “You gave me such great customer service that day, and I noticed that you were giving your customers the same great service today. I work for TrainerTainment®, and we teach customer service classes all over the country. Would you mind if I took a picture of you and put it in my PowerPoint presentation so that I can tell them the story of your great customer service?”

JIMMY: “I’d be honored, Pam!”

Take a look at Jimmy’s picture. It’s special for several reasons. Look at the smile on his face. You can see the spring in his step. He’s proudly serving up those fries, in a way that makes you really want them. And he makes you want to come back for more.

Jimmy doesn’t see himself as someone who makes sandwiches and hands out fries. He doesn’t think of his profession as “just a job” or a “dead–end road” or an “entry level position”. He knows that he is making a difference, every day, to every person he comes in contact with.

I didn’t tell Jimmy to pose like that. I gave him no instructions at all. And this picture is no different from when he is serving fries to his customers. He just did what he always does.

What about you and your employees? Do you get it? Do you understand what great customer service is all about, whether your job title is owner, manager, fry cook, or toilet–scrubber? Do you have any Customer Service Superstars working in your business?

We want to hear from you! For the next 2 weeks, we will continue the Customer Service Superstars series. Send us your Customer Service Superstar story! We’ll enter each story into our Customer Service Superstars Academy Awards contest. At the end of the series, we’ll choose the best customer service story, and your center will win The Essential Training Suite of DVDs and written products. Submit your story via email to beth@trainertainment.net.

This week is filled with follow up. If you stopped by the booth, we’ll be calling you to follow up with a 20–minute FREE consultation. I will work with you and/or your team personally to address any specific sales, party, training, guest service, or leadership needs. If you didn’t stop by, then you are not on our call list, but please know that throughout the summer, I’ll be offering this 20–minute free consultation session to anyone that asks. All you need to do is call 817.886.4840 to set up a time.

I’ll keep the newsletter short and to the point today. Our real training focus this week is on how to hire the best outside sales person. I invite you to attend a mock interview WEBINAR on Thursday at 11:30 AM CST. This webinar will include a handout with the best interview questions to review with a potential outside sales candidate. Click here to sign up now.

I have found that, many times, sales candidates are great at selling themselves and not so good at selling your Family Entertainment Center. I believe that the interview questions that we’ve put together help to identify the best candidate for the job. I hope you’ll join us on Thursday. All attendees will receive the interview questions, and we’ll add these questions to the resources that anyone can grab if you are a member of Xpress Training.

I hope you had a fantastic 4th of July. It’s such a wonderful holiday – albeit very HOT here in Texas. I find that this holiday is the best opportunity to specifically take the time to reflect on why it is good to be an American. I thought of you all and because our readership is large I believe that there are many of you who have served our country or who have sons, daughters, spouses, or other family members that serve us all today. Thank you all so much for your sacrifice and commitment to our freedom. It means everything to me that your willingness to serve and put your family at risk makes it possible for my family and me to work and live free in the greatest country in the world.

We always appreciate your input and would enjoy discussing any problems or questions you might have on Outside Sales.