by Tech Support | Aug 25, 2012 | Guest Services
My friend Mary posted on facebook this week that her mom and parents-in-law were in line at a buffet. When it came time to pay, the cashier explained that the person ahead of them had already paid for their meals. WOW-everyone was so happy. They located the stranger and there were hugs all around. No explanation, just one of those random acts of kindness!
I saw a lady stop and help a mom with a baby load her stuff on to the TSA screening belt. I know it seems like moms ought to grow extra arms with each baby. Maybe they do by having random strangers help them in a time of need.
An employee in a big FEC noticed that a child seemed lost and playfully jumped in and helped the little girl find her lost mom! I thought that was a cool way to spin what could have been a very scary moment for that frightened child. The child wasn’t lost, the mom was.
When Mary posted her story, others came back and told similar ones. I was so happy to see that reaction. It is so easy to tell the horror stories that happen every day. However, it feels so much better to KNOW the good ones. If you are interested, Kent Nerburn posts a wonderful story about A Cab Ride that He’ll Never Forget…It’s worth the read. http://www.zenmoments.org/the-cab-ride-ill-never-forget/
Finally I’ll close this week with one of my favorite feel good moments. I hope you’ll click on the blog and share yours. You know I’m in the airport a lot. One day, while waiting on my flight the most amazing thing happened. The plane that I was to board arrived and begin to deplane. A military person dressed in their gear stepped through the door of the jet-way and was followed by maybe 10 others. One man sitting in the waiting area sprung to his feet and started clapping and then so did everyone else. And the clapping just grew and grew as this brave entourage of military men and women made their way through the airport. I was so moved. This was such a simple way to express the gratitude for these brave young men and women who put their lives on the line for my family every day.
I hope you’ll make today the day that you thank someone, or tell another human being how important they are to you, or do something kind for someone else for no reason at all.
Thanks Mary for a great article idea this week-I’m looking forward to the rest of your stories.
Thank you and have a great week,
Beth
You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
~ John Wooden
by Tech Support | Aug 15, 2012 | Sales
I was amazed at the number of responses and the amount of conversation that the Avis article created last week.
EXCEPT-there was no response from Avis.
I personally would rather write about a GREAT GUEST moment. However, it seems like we all identify with those terrible moments so much more easily than the good ones. If you didn’t get a chance to see some of the thoughtful replies from last weeks article, check out the blog and see the follow up. Plenty of other people were quick to share their awful experiences with Avis. Avis on the other hand has not been quick to respond. As a matter of fact, I’ve heard nothing from them at all. To me, that just crushes their “We try harder” motto. Those are empty words for sure.
Fortunately because I do travel so much I have the opportunity to experience service at a lot of levels. And to be honest, many times I receive adequate service. Even if people aren’t overly friendly, they typically seem to be motivated to get the job done. I try to be friendly first. That’s my rule. I do believe you get what you give (most of the time).
Hmm I just read back over that last paragraph and am thinking that “just getting the job done” or adequate service would not work for me as a business owner. People ask me all the time, “How do I motivate my employees?” I don’t know that there’s a good answer for that question. My gut reaction is to say, “Only hire people who are self-motivated.” I think that’s a great place to start.
Great questions to ask during the interview would be:
1. What do you do when there’s nothing to do?
2. Tell me about a time when you had a project that was due and you didn’t really want to do it…how did you handle that?
3. How would you define self-motivation?
If you get a chance to interview anyone this week I would love to hear some of the answers you get. As a matter of fact these 3 questions might be cool questions to ask your current employees.
So-running here and there does have great value. I recognize that what I believe is great guest service. I’m vocal with those who deliver great service. The way my brain works is that when I tell someone what a great job they are doing that they will do it more!
I guess evaluation of service can be very different for different people. My husband, who is much more laid back than I am, is probably calmer about his standards. I’m a service fanatic and really believe that great service is born of being nice to others. I think that is so easy.
I hope you are considering spending September 25th & 26thwith us in the DFW metroplex as we work together on delivering GREAT GUEST SERVICE. On Tuesday the 21st (next Tuesday-@ 2pm CST) we are having a sneak peak webinar that features some of the topics we’ll be covering at that Summit. I hope to see you there.
Have a good rest of the week and thanks for reading,
Beth
by Tech Support | Aug 7, 2012 | Guest Services
An Open Letter – Hoping Someone Listens:
I was unable to find access to Avis CEO Mr. Ronald L. Nelson. I did find a customer comment email on their website and sent the note below. As of this printing, I have not heard back from anyone. I thought that if I put this letter on our blog this week that potentially Mr. Nelson would see the note. I know that anyone who owns a business or is the leader of a team or organization would want to know why a customer goes away.
Dear (CEO) Mr. Nelson,
I am a frequent traveler and have rented cars from Avis often. This past Tuesday night, 7/31, I arrived late in Atlanta. One of the customer service agents was visibly mad that she was still on duty. There was one other agent at the desk who asked if I was preferred, and I said, “I didn’t think so, I had rented through Priceline”. Her reply was, “Ok then you need to just wait”. This agent was not waiting on a customer. The angry agent had a renter that she finished up with and then called me to the counter.
She complained to me that she had a lot of paperwork to do and needed to go so if anyone else came to the counter I should tell them that she was closed. (REALLY?) Upon receiving my confirmation number she insisted my rental was cancelled. I had rented through Priceline, had confirmation of the rental in my hand, and had already paid for the car. This Avis representative was rude, rude, rude. She insisted that she could not give me a car. Now I’m sure there were cars in the lot to rent. She gave me directions as to how to get back to the airport and catch a cab.
I was exhausted from a full day of work and travel. I left that Avis counter and won’t be back to another. This agent knows nothing about service and unfortunately for Avis she represents your company culture. I don’t need anything… I just need someone to know this happened.
This was Tuesday night Wednesday morning 7/31-8/1; and I was at the Atlanta airport. There were only 2 ladies on duty and they were equally unwilling to rent me a car. Fortunately, Priceline refunded me the cost of the rental. The cab ride was $100; and I was without a car for 3 days. This was a situation that breaks down any confidence I have in using Avis in the future. There are too many other choices for me to risk this kind of service again.
Sincerely,
Beth Standlee
CEO TrainerTainment
PS. My company specializes in training teams to deliver great guest service. We believe that we are all in service to one another. I also know that people are selling or un-selling your product with very move they make. If we can be of service to you in a training capacity, my direct line is 817.999.7521.
As an update, I did call the Avis counter in Atlanta last Friday. They escalated me to a manager right away. The manager could not have been more apologetic and assured me that this was not the normal service that I could expect from the Avis provider at the Atlanta airport. She promised to look into the matter; and I believe her. She appreciated the fact that I called. Avis has a motto of “We try harder”…this night, they didn’t try at all. I know this is about 2 employees and not about the company. For me, this is the lesson: Your worst employee is the best representation of your company. How do you justify keeping “C” level players that care nothing about servicing your customer?
Please feel free to leave your comments, ideas or thoughts! We would love to hear what you think!
~Beth Standlee
CEO
