RETRIBUTION OR REWARD

I recently was talking with a person who works for a large grocery store chain which is a competitor of Publix Supermarkets, one of my clients. As anyone in the Southeastern part of the country knows, Publix is famous for its customer service and also for its focus on its employees. In fact, the mantra of the founder, Mr. George, is “Publix will be a little better place or not quite as good because of you.” Each employee is encouraged to take ownership and pride in his or her work in the stores.

On the other hand, this person shared with me that when the competitive chain was recently holding town hall meetings to determine a change in brand, the employees suggested “service” could be their differentiator. The answer from corporate was, “Oh, no, we can’t do that. Publix already has that nailed!” Can you imagine – a grocery chain that does not care about service?

In our conversation I also found out that, at least according to this management employee, the chain does not care much about its people either. She said that if anyone is caught “grazing” or taking anything from stock, they are immediately fired or fined, so there are constant threats and surveillance and fear throughout the store.

Publix, on the other hand, gives a quarterly bonus to every employee based on shrinkage or inventory control. The lower the loss, the higher the bonus. Notice the difference: One organization watches for someone doing something wrong while the other rewards those who are doing something right! Which one do you believe motivates employees to do their best?

For more interesting observations and answers to your workplace questions, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/questions.

It was nearly midnight when I walked in the door to my condo on the beach, feeling totally exhausted and completely burned out. I had flown all over the country speaking-32 flights in six weeks, with a total of only about 6 days at home during that whole time. Although I love my job and the mission of my speaking, this time it just seemed “too much.” Most of my friends have retired, and I had just found out that two of my kids were out of work, and here I was beating myself up, both mentally and physically, traveling and working!

I remember thinking, “OK, Lord, I know this is a gift You have given me, and I know I have asked You to put me where You want me to be, but how much longer do You want me to keep doing this? I am tired and I want a ‘real’ life like everyone else. Am I REALLY making a difference?”

As always, I came home to at least 3 feet of mail, 2000+ emails, and piles everywhere in my condo since I am never here to sort through and straighten out! As I began going through the interminable piles of mail about 1:00 am, I came across a padded envelope in the stack. I opened it and found a book titled, “The Good Grief Club – A True Story About the Power of Friendship and French Toast” by Monica Novak. I was curious – I did not remember knowing anyone named Monica Novak.

As I opened the book, I saw a handwritten inscription that said, “In loving memory of Gavin Ward Glanz.” Gavin was our second child who died at birth, and rarely does anyone ever mention him. Below that was another inscription:

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Featured Product

Customer Service Month Special

Special on “The Simple Truths of Service — Inspired by Johnny the Bagger(TM)”

As a “thank you” to all our customers and friends who are focusing on creating workplaces of joy and special memories for their customers, we are offering the following special:

NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 31– Purchase “The Simple Truths of Service–Inspired by Johnny the Bagger” for $10.00 each (retail $15.95) or $13.00 for the book and special 3-minute DVD (retail $19.95). Also to reinforce the message, you can order an audio CD of Barbara reading the book for a special price of $8.00 (retail $15.00):

Book $10.00
Book and DVD $13.00
Audio CD $8.00

This is the time to order a copy for EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM or for your best customers to help them achieve extraordinary customer service in their own organizations.

We want to share with you the Introduction from Ken Blanchard, excerpted from “The Simple Truths of Service–Inspired by Johnny the Bagger” by Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz:

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FOUR THINGS ALL CUSTOMERS WANT

A study first done by British Airways in 1973 has been replicated many times since, and always we find that there are four things all customers want:

FRIENDLY, CARING SERVICE – “Friendly” is to have a smile and to thank a customer and that is good; however, “caring” means to connect with someone as a human being , to really see them as a person and not “just another customer.” I had an experience in the Atlanta Airport today demonstrating this. I stopped into one of the airport bookstores and asked for the book, “The Schack.” Instead of just pointing me in a direction, the young man walked over with me and found the book. Then, as I was checking out, the lovely person at the cash register asked if there was anything else I needed. I just happened to remember that my son-in-law had called and told me that my little grandson, Owen, had a small airplane that lit up and made noise, and it had fallen out of the car and had gotten run over, so would I try to find another one in the airport. When I asked her if they had them, she said, “Just wait here a minute -I think we have some in the back of the store.” She soon returned with two-a Delta jet and a model of Airforce One. Then she said, “I think you should get Airforce One for him since it will teach him something about history.” Then, as she rang it up, she said, “That little guy is a mighty lucky grandson!” That is caring customer service!

FLEXIBILITY-All customers want us to “jiggle the system” for them. When I am speaking on service, I ask my audiences, “How many of you bend the rules for your customers?” Unfortunately, very few hands go up. Then I go on to explain this concept to them. Customers, us included, do not care how much you have done for anyone else. They only want to know what you will do for them. Organizations that have rigid rules will never be customer-focused for this reason. However, there are different kinds of rules in every organization – Red rules and Blue rules. Red rules are laws, and we must follow those. But every other rule in an organization is a blue rule, a policy or procedure that someone decided at some time was a good idea, and these can all be “bent..” The important task for a company is to begin looking at all their policies and procedures because in many organizations, the blue rules have become red! And even more importantly, if they are constantly bending the same rules for customers, then if they are truly going to be customer-focused, those rules need to be changed. How many times have you been upset by a “dumb” rule that an employee is unwilling (or unable) to bend?

PROBLEM SOLVING – Customers want their problems solved AND they want it done by the FIRST PERSON they talk to. They do not want to be transferred or to have to talk to a supervisor or manager, so it becomes important for organizations to empower their employees to do whatever it takes to solve the customer’s problem. Interestingly, it may not even be a problem associated with the company, but it may simply be a flat tire in the parking lot!

RECOVERY -When you goof up, (and as long as you have human beings working for you, that will happen), it is critically important to recover from that mistake as soon as possible (within 72 hours is most effective) and then to think of some creative ways to “atone” for the goof. There are three steps in this process:
!. Apologize sincerely.
2. Fix it.
3. Do something extra.
What is most amazing about this process is that it should be viewed as an OPPORTUNITY–an opportunity to learn what is really going on as well as an opportunity to create a more loyal customer. Research has shown that if you recover quickly and if you recover in a way that surprises and delights your customer, they will be a more loyal customer than someone who has just had his/her business taken care of. It is powerfully reassuring that even though there will be times that people goof up, if we realize the opportunity for loyalty and learning, we will handle those mistakes in a very different and powerful way. One of the suggestions I have when I consult with organizations on service is to create a standard Recovery Process (a list of things anyone can do for the customer depending on the seriousness of the mistake), so that every employee is empowered to delight a disgruntled customer quickly and creatively.

Now, the challenge for each of you readers is to think about your own experience as a customer. Are these the four things YOU want as a customer? When has an organization recovered with you in a way that “knocked your socks off?” Are you a loyal customer as a result?

To learn more about Barbara’s work in customer service, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/programs.

SPECIAL! SPECIAL! SPECIAL!

SPECIAL ON THE 17-MINUTE DRAMATIZATION of “Johnny the Bagger”

You will love this wonderful 17-minute movie. It is very realistic, and you will probably recognize some of the people in your own organization — the cynic, the skeptic, and the manager who doesn’t really know what is going on. You will laugh, cry, and be inspired to see that just one person, no matter what their job may be, can truly change a whole organization – and that person can be YOU! Please enjoy this amazing special while it is available.

Blessings,

Barbara

“Johnny the BaggerTM: A True Story of Customer Service,” celebrates the incomparable power of customer service delivered from the heart. This inspiring program features the true story of “Johnny,” a young man with Down syndrome who made a positive choice about his personal responsibility to provide from-the-heart service and changed the culture of an entire organization.

“Johnny the BaggerTM” will help motivate your employees to take personal responsibility for creating a positive, memorable experience for internal or external customers — the kind of experience needed to generate customer loyalty, improve employee retention and strengthen team morale.

Regular price is $895.

Special price of $497.50 plus shipping.

Special includes the DVD or VHS only. Print materials, trainer support tools and online resources are not included in this special.

Order now, before the sale ends!

To order this DVD, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/johnny.

NEW YORK FROM A NATIVE’S PERSPECTIVE

My friend, Peter, grew up in New York City but had not been back for many years, the last time being when his father died. Since he is a “dyed in the wool” Yankees fan, however, he decided he MUST go back to “his” city to experience one of the last games in Yankee Stadium before it was torn down. He asked if I would like to come with him, so it was a fun few days to see the city again from one who knew it so well.

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ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS LOVE!

A friend just wrote to me this week about how much a story I had told her meant to her when she found herself in a difficult situation with people who were less than hospitable to her, a new person in the community. This is the story I had told her about Nancy.

Nancy was a student in my very first English class, and while I could see that she had writing talent, Nancy was by far the most difficult student I had in that class. Not a day went by that she did not interrupt me, challenge me, or in some way try to make my life miserable. As a new young and idealistic teacher, I decided at the beginning of the year, I was simply going to LOVE Nancy, no matter what she did or how she treated me.

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Featured Product

Back-to-school special!

Balancing Acts — More Than 250 Guiltfree, Creative Ideas to Blend Your Work and Your Life. Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2003.

Quit trying to balance your life – there is a better way! In this quick-read, “how-to” book, Barbara suggests dozens of easy, effective, healthy ways to BLEND other areas of your life – Family, Friends, Health, Spirit, and Service – into your Work life. Each chapter is divided into:

*Ideas that INDIVIDUALS can adopt to add more peace and joy to their lives.

*Ideas that ORGANIZATIONS can promote and champion in their work/life programs, management styles, and policies and procedures to reduce stress and create employee loyalty.

Not only will it help banish guilt, but it is a great resource for both employees and employers alike.

Purchase Balancing Acts at the discounted price of $10, no limit, now through September 15. No coupon necessary, while supplies last.

www.barbaraglanz.com/products/books.php3.

I have just finished reading Jodi Picoult’s book, “Second Glance,” and I was struck by this passage:

“Heroes didn’t leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand; they didn’t wear boots and capes. They bled, and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening, or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else’s. And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back.”

I thought of all the “Johnny’s” in this world who are making a difference in workplaces every single day by connecting with people on the human level and making them feel special. Ken Blanchard and I wrote about these very kind of heroes in our book, “The Simple Truths of Service Inspired by Johnny the Bagger,” and the stories of these ordinary people have brought hope to folks all over the world. It doesn’t matter what your job is, how much change is going on around you, what your boss is doing, or what your co-workers are doing — YOU have a CHOICE in every interaction you have to listen and love.

And as you recognize that person as a living, breathing human being, perhaps you have begun to untangle some of the anger and bitterness and loneliness and unworthiness that so many of us are carrying around in our lives. At the same time as you reach out to them, many of them will reach back to you, and that very act of connection can make a difference in your life as well. May we each be a “HERO” every single day!

Blessings,
Barbara

To order the book or CD of “The Simple Truths of Service,” or to watch either the 3 minute DVD or the 16 minute movie, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/products.

NEW YORK CITY – A HAVEN OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT

I was blessed to spend a week in New York City in August at the National Speakers Association 2008 convention. Even though I have traveled around the world speaking, this is a city I have rarely had the opportunity to visit, and I was delighted with my stay. The convention was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, so we were smack dab in the middle of the activity of the big city!

I arrived in NYC several days before the convention began after staying with precious new client friends at their home in Long Island for three days, so I had the opportunity to experience some of the excitement and culture of the city before spending most of the days in meetings.

A speaker friend invited me on the first day to accompany him to the matinee of “Hairspray” and then to be his guest for dinner at the Harvard Club, one of those prestigious places one only reads about! He took me on a lovely walking tour of that part of the city after the play, whose message about loving oneself from the inside out and feeling one with ALL mankind was delightfully powerful. I loved the 60’s music as well. It was a wonderful first day in New York City!

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