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So, United has their problems, but they're not bad enough to risk a change.

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Saw this quote in an exchange on Church of the Customer. It's a pretty sad state when it comes down to this. But, many companies plan to operate in exactly this place...good enough and safe. Works well when there is little or no viable choice and no one else is doing anything extraordinary. Problem is...both of those dynamics always, always shift. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.

Once the airline gets bad enough, even the  most inconvenient of options will be better than enduring their good enough strategy. Even at $5 per gallon, driving might be a better play. 

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I Had A Boss Who Often Said...

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It's important to be a business person first, and a hotelier second. This SWA story at Church of the Customer reminds me why I thought he was such an idiot. Of course, we all know the truth...service comes first, no matter what business you're in...something he obviously cold never comprehend.

Swa_birthday

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Hostess and PBX Operator jobs should be replaced

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with positions designed to care, build relationships and to do something remarkable...not to hand-out menus and answer the phone.

Consider these are the first and last people your guests encounter. Consider they (and other front liners like them) have more face time with your customers than anyone else. So, why do we spend the least amount of time hiring and training them, why do we spend so little time cultivating them and why do we worry about an additional 25 cents per hour? Most importantly though, why do we teach them to function first and to care second? I guess we don't understand or don't want to believe that it's at this function-oriented, front-line level that we have the greatest opportunity to surprise people. This is where customers least expect someone to know the answer or take care of problems, let alone create any magic. This is also the place that gets remembered the most...the first and last impression. All in all, it's your sweet spot, the place where you can hit it the farthest, and the longest.

Answering the phone efficiently doesn't improve occupancy. Smiles and intelligence do. Greeters handing out menus while placing callers on hold doesn't increase the average check. Recognizing and engaging repeat clientèle do.

Caring always wins out over speed, systems and programs. Having someone at post is meaningless if there's no smile, hello, thank you or thoughtfulness attached. 

Job descriptions are incomplete if they don't include:

  • smile
  • hello
  • recognize
  • care
  • build relationships
  • pick-up clues and hand-off
  • thank you
  • do something remarkable

Replace function with care at all costs.

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The Jeff Widman Effect

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Back in March, after a long recruiting stretch, I wrote about re-engineering the resume. My attempt was to nudge people to rethink the way they present themselves, especially when looking for a new career opportunity. Seth Godin  wrote about it too...and, as usual, explained it perfectly.

Job search, like any other marketing activity, takes one of three paths:

1. You're remarkable- sure to land you the best job with the best people. Or,

2. You're average- rarely gets you noticed, almost never lands you an interview for the job you really want and makes you forgettable if you happen to get past initial screening. Or,

3. You're lucky- what you need copious amounts of if you're average.

Notwithstanding it's almost certain outcome, most people don't choose remarkable...because it's too hard. It requires too much time, too much thought, too much risk, too much energy, too much money...just too much. Contrarily, most people are willing to gamble by doing the easy, average thing, the thing that feels safe and then hope (and pray) for the best outcome.

Jeff Widman is clearly not average. I've never met him. Chances are, you haven't either. Good news, you don't need to...take a quick look at his website and handy work and you'll understand his brand almost immediately. He's a thinker, and a thought provoker. He's imaginative, humble and passionate. He knows exactly what he wants, understands what it takes to get there and works hard at it. And, best of all, he gets results. Interestingly, I learned all this without a resume, no boring intro letter, no phone interview and no reference checks. Just a quick e-mail thanking me for my post and inviting me to take a closer look. That's marketing. Great content, personally delivered in a meaningful way. I learned more about Jeff with a few clicks than I could have with a folder full of paperwork.

Jeff's last job application took fifty hours to develop...that in itself is remarkable. If you're looking for inspiration, I recommend you contact Jeff. Personally, I hope I get the chance to meet him someday.

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If You Approached Every New Customer With The Hope They Might Become a Friend...

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  • You would take the time to learn things about them, treat them like individuals and show that you care
  • You would ask permission to keep in touch, and only with relevant information
  • You would personally ask for their feedback...and you would do something with their ideas
  • You would make sure everyone in  your organization understood the importance of making them feel special, and you would train everyone how to do it

And, after you made a new friend, you wouldn't do anything to lose their trust, knowing that would lead to the death of your organization.

Now apply all of the above to your employees...they're more important than your customer.

Cold Calls Don't Work

Two gentleman representing a major and well known insurance company stopped by to sell me their product today.  Problem is...from the get go, they didn't stand a chance. They didn't bother making an appointment. They weren't forthcoming about what they wanted. They asked me for fifteen minutes of my time. And, when I said how about now, they said they couldn't. When I asked them for a business card, they didn't have one (I had to write their contact info on my own notepad...I'm guessing they didn't have one of those either). This was a clear example of a salesperson making a call just so they could say they did it, so they could complete their weekly call sheet to prove they did some work. They had no expectation to really get in the door. And, when they did, they weren't even slightly prepared.

The whole process was about them...and not at all about me. They hadn't taken the time to learn anything about me or my company, hadn't asked for permission to make a pitch...heck, they didn't even have a good reason to make a pitch. They were so busy trying to make the sale, they forgot the most important thing...to invest time to make a friend, to earn trust...to develop a meaningful relationship.

My guess is that this sort of failure starts with a company which is focused on the wrong things...a company which measures interruptive activity instead of relationships.

Stop worrying about the number of calls and e-mail lists you can generate and spend more time on what you can do to improve your value to each person on those lists. What are you doing to help move their organization forward? Can you help them achieve objectives that don't benefit you directly? Imagine my reaction if two insurance salesmen made an appointment to discuss ideas about solving my staffing problems, or how to get an insurance meeting held at the hotel next year. Imagine if they cared enough to ask whether or not I had any interest in a new insurance product?

Cold calls don't work because they put people on the defensive...they're insensitive, interruptive and presumptive....not exactly a formula for making friends.

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Experience Isn't That Important

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What's the first thing most people look for in an applicant? Experience. What's the bulk of the content on a resume? Experience. Considering how fast the world is changing, how mediocre doesn't cut it, how radically marketing concepts are changing, how function is being replaced by meaningful experience, etc., it's likely that the  "most experienced"  candidate may no longer the best selection...especially if the majority of that learning took place over the last six years...times have been so good that you could basically sleepwalk your way to success.  If you've built your organization to be remarkable and have committed to building long lasting relationships with both customers and employees, you'll probably spend too much time deprogramming someone if you focus on the experience side of their resume. Contrarily, dig into much more challenging territory like personality, communications and the ability to think...find out if  people who are willing to learn, show passion for something, can demonstrate the ability to adapt, and are interested in doing some "open field running" vs. bringing the play book from their last job.

Your only chance for long-term success is to build a team of passionate, hair on fire, values oriented players..who can admit defeat, adapt, think their way through problems and push the edge at every turn. Anything less will result in a futile endeavor.

How's Your Banwidth?

Complimentary WiFi is no longer a nice to have...it's a standard. If you don't have it, better get it. But, with the proliferation of both notebook computer users and their appetite for user generated content, music and video your  next problem is likely to be how "long it takes to download anything". Check your speeds in various locations. Be sure to check at peak usage periods. High-speed "Broadband" is currently defined by the FCC (USA) as a minimum download time of 768 kbit/s. If you aren't achieving that, it might be the router, the actual pipe coming into the building (T-1, DSL, etc.), the amount of usage or a combination of all three. Broadband connections are quickly becoming standard in the home and office. So, it's sure to be noticed if not provided in a hotel.

A couple of places to check your speed:

Speedtest.net
Toast.net (try downloading the space shuttle image)

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Personal Notes

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One of the most powerful things you can do to show someone you care is to write them a personal note. Not a form letter with their name dropped in, but an honest to goodness personalized message...relevant, friendly and timely communication.

Doing this takes extra time, attention and thought. But, in our fast paced, electronic world, that's exactly what makes it so special.

Doing this in a small inn is normal. Doing this in a large hotel is completely unexpected and a really nice way to say both "hello" and "thank you". I urge you to give it a try.

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Following Instructions

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I've been going to the same dry cleaner for quite some time. They should know I don't like starch in my shirts.  On my ticket, there's a box that I've always checked "no". My shirts have always come back with no starch, just as instructed. Yesterday, I forgot to check the box. I'll give you one guess what happened...my shirts were loaded with starch.

Yes, the cleaner was right. Yes, it was my fault for being in a hurry and not checking the box. But, my loyalty isn't based on who's right. It's based on which company pays attention (to me)...one who demonstrates that I actually matter to them.

They could have phoned, sent a quick e-mail or attached a personal note, "Mr. Chaffin, we noticed you didn't check a box today. Based on your service history, we went with no starch. Let us know if that's not what you prefer." That would have taken a few extra minutes, cost a few pennies, and maybe felt a little risky. But, it would have proven that they actually take the time to listen...and to learn. That's remarkable.

Blindly following directions is the safe thing to do. But, it isn't going to get people to become raving fans. Safe is average.