January 6

Today was a quiet day. We had a late breakfast and I worked on the computer doing email and writing until early afternoon. We then had lunch around the pool and a swim, had showers, dressed and went to the main street for our “souvenir” shopping at Jack’s. I bought my grandsons the instruments that the Nadi cannibals used to subdue their “victims”—a brain scrambler, a skull crusher, and wooden swords. Being boys, they will love the stories! I also bought gifts for girl friends and my other family members, so we had lots of fun. (My luggage was overweight to begin with, so now I am REALLY going to have to pay, but it’s worth it! 😉

After that we stopped at the little market in town for water and bug spray. The bugs are especially bad when you are eating outside. One fun thing we learned was that there are 4 different levels of taxis – the junky ones, nicer ones, ones that have AC for which you have to pay extra, and private cars. This day we were blessed to have a nice one! He even suggested we leave all our souvenir purchases with him in the car and he would meet us outside the market. We were a bit skeptical at first, but everyone here seems VERY honest, so we decided to be trusting.

He then drove us to the only Japanese restaurant in town, similar to Beni Hana, and we shared the table with a lovely family from Australia. There are many Aussies here, of course, since it is relatively close. When we came out, there was our taxi driver waiting for us, and when we asked him how much it would be to take us back to our hotel, he said, “Whatever you think.” WOW! Have you EVER had a taxi driver tell you that???
We had a glass of wine, packed to leave in the AM, and watched another episode of “Downton Abbey.”

January 7
We had to get up at 6:00 am (which I hate!) to get ready to be picked up to go to the island. We met my brother, Bruce, Ashley, the groom, and several of their friends at the airport and then got dropped off at the boat dock. The little open boat that took us only held 14 people and all our luggage. (We had been told to bring anything we wanted to drink from Nadi as it was all very expensive at the resort, so there were cases of wine, gin, vodka, soda, and mixers – this is a PARTYING group of young people! 😉 It was an 1¼ hour ride, a bit like a bucking bronco, but the scenery was beautiful as we approached the island.

Typical of the Fijian hospitality, there was an island group to serenade us as we arrived. We have LOVED the people here! They all seem to have an innate sense of service. Everyone you meet, even people on the street or throughout the resort, look you directly in the eyes, greet you with “Bula,” the traditional “hello”, tell you their name, ask you yours, and shake your hand. A friend just sent me an article that they have been voted the second friendliest people in the world, and we would certainly agree with that.

The resort is exactly what you would picture on a South Sea island—darling thatched huts (bures) right on the water, everything open, palm trees, lovely bushes, and gorgeous flowers everywhere, and water that is the deepest, brightest shade of turquoise. We have one of the few bures with AC which is a real blessing as it is VERY hot and humid here, even moreso than Florida in the summer. But the good news is you just give up on looking good and doing anything with hair and makeup – VERY freeing! 😉
The food is extraordinary as well. Breakfast is a buffet with gobs of fresh fruit –pineapple, mango, coconut, watermelon, papaya—and all kinds of eggs, omelets, cereals, etc. At lunch you can choose from specials of the day, a different curry (lots of Indian influence in Fiji), a special native Fijian dish each day, interesting salads and pizzas, or a fresh fish entrée. Dinner is served at 8:00 and is a sitdown lovely occasion with a set menu. They are extremely accommodating to people who are vegetarian or need gluten free as well. We love that they have filtered water, so we don’t have to be worried about where to buy bottled water as we did in Nadi. (I have learned in all travel to never drink the local water or eat salads or any kind of fruit that has not been peeled since that is the easiest way to get sick.)

After arriving, we met the rest of the group, had lunch (I had a pumpkin salad with garbanzo beans and fresh fruit – LOVE trying different local things), unpacked, and then Bruce took us on a snorkeling adventure. He is a college professor in Biology and Zoology and teaches survival at Mesa State University in Colorado, so he is a great instructor! He and Beth, my sister and the mother of the bride, gave me a traveling snorkel set for Christmas, so I was all prepared!

The bride and groom are both marine biologists as are most of their guest friends, so it is a really neat group to be with on an island. They all said it was the best snorkeling they had seen anywhere in the world! I have never seen so many different, beautiful varieties of coral in purples, greens, and tans, and all kinds of beautiful fish. Bruce shared the name of many of the corals and fish and even encouraged me to hold a sea cucumber he found so he could take a picture. When it started to “spit,” however, I freaked out and dropped it! 😉

We spent the afternoon reading and talking, met the group for cocktails at 6:00 and a lovely dinner at 8:00. We all slept really well with no stress and no commitments.

January 8
Today was the day for adventure! We all met at 9:30 for a trip to the local village with a guide. We were told to cover our knees and shoulders and that we could not wear hats in the village as a gesture of respect for the chief. The half hour climb over the mountain was a challenge for some – many steps up to the top and then a mud path down to the village—but it was an amazing experience. We saw a wild pig on the way and many varieties of forest plants.

The first thing we encountered when we arrived in the village was a lady doing laundry with a tub and a stick and her darling little two year old daughter (with no clothes on) helping her. I was enthralled with the beautiful children in the village – they all shyly said “Bula” and showed us with fingers how old they were. (The native language is Fijian, but most people here also learn English.) They all wanted their picture taken, so I got some darling ones. They lead a very simple rural life with almost no conveniences, and we all came away feeling so very grateful (and almost guilty) for all that we have in America. The electricity, for example, comes on only from 6:00 to 9:00 pm every evening.

We saw them drying the palms they weave for hats and baskets, we visited the local kindergarten, and we saw a man digging for crabs on the beach. We were struck, however, by all the litter around – made you want to help clean it up but decided it would be disrespectful. They eat casaba which is similar to a potato every day, and we saw their rustic cooking sheds and also the area where they have the traditional Kava ceremony.
Kava is a root that they boil and then drink, and they say it “makes your tongue numb.” They also tout its properties for relaxation and stress relief, so they all enjoy drinking it to varying degrees of “saturation!” (We have, however, learned that there is the concept of “Fijian time” that makes one wonder where the stress comes from……;-) There was also a small Methodist church in the village. Interestingly, the Kava ceremony area was right next to the church!

This is such a lush land surrounded by the ocean and dotted by volcanoes, and we learned a great deal about how easily one could survive here just with resources from the land and sea. Each village is composed of just one family, and our guide told us that 320 people lived in Nalauwaki. At the end of our tour they asked if they could bring out their crafts. I bought three brightly colored small round rugs made of many different fabrics for which they are famous and several gifts for the grandchildren. It was lovely to be able to do something to support the village. They were wonderfully welcoming in opening their entire village to us.

After our hike back up the mountain and down again, we had lunch, snorkeled, swam in the pool, read a bit and met again for cocktails and then dinner. Afterwards there was a trivia and talent contest for the whole resort. Ashley, the groom, is famous for his digeridoo playing, so as he performed, our whole group danced “gangnam style” like a flash mob, adding a few at a time until we were all up in front. We actually even won that part of the contest! 😉 Then the young people had their own party until (rumor was) 4:00 am. Ah, to be young like that again!!!!! 😉

January 9
Today was “play day” for us all. The guys took a hike to the top of another very high mountain where Katie, the bride, and her accomplices had buried treasure for the groom to find. All the girls met for a spa day and fun bachelorette games. I had a massage and reflexology, and we learned lots about Katie and even more about Ashley (some things I think he would rather NOT have had us know…..;-)

Then we all met for lunch, snorkeling, swimming and reading. Nancy and I had a pina colada around the pool and ate deep fried banana chips (like potato chips). The food is all inclusive here, so we are all eating way too much – will have to work hard to lose it all when I get home, but it is worth it! 😉

We all met at 6:30 at Beth’s bure for cocktails and the wedding rehearsal. We nearly died laughing when Katie and Ashley appeared. Only a photo can explain their outfits! Oh, how I wish I had ever had a body like Katie’s – they looked like high class strippers…..and we were all delighted and envious of Youth. We encouraged them to wear the costumes to dinner to the delight of the whole resort. After dinner, everyone called it an early night and headed home for a great night’s sleep.

The continuation of the trip will be posted periodically or you can read the full account later at www.barbaraglanz.com.

FIJI TRIP – January 2 – 17

January 2—I left Erin’s home in Portland at 5:45 pm to fly to Los Angeles where I met my traveling buddy, Nancy Cobb from Chicago, at the airport. I arrived in LA at Terminal 7 and had to walk all the way to Terminal 3 and then go through security again, but amazingly, Nancy was in the same security line, so from then on, we were together. Our flight on Fiji Airlines left at 9:30 pm and arrived in Nadi, the capital of Fiji, at 5:30 am, losing a day as we crossed the international dateline. The seats were not very comfortable, but the flight was uneventful. I watched two Polynesian movies with subtitles, finished my Danielle Steel “escape” novel, then took an ambien and got several hours sleep before we landed.

(A side note—I had been so worried about the weight limits of only one bag at 50 #s and one carry-on at 15#s and HOW to do that with being gone for nearly a month, that I lost a lot of time in sleep and worry. Thankfully, it was for naught as even though my bag was 5#s over the limit, not a word was said, and even though my carry-on was WAY over 15#s, it was never even weighed, so I started the trip with that blessing!)

January 4 –We arrived in Nadi, went through customs, got Fijian money, and then waited and waited to be picked up by our hotel, Aquarius on the Beach. The hotel is OK, but when you book something on the internet, you never know what you will really get, so it was a bit disappointing. It is very stark and plain and old, and although the landscape is lovely, the beach is not great, dogs are roaming, and the bugs are rampant (even had a little lizard in our BR yesterday! 😉 The good news is that even though we don’t have the expected amenities like hair dryer, shampoo, extra towels (only one bath towel each), we DO have a room with AC, which since it is so hot and humid, is a lifesaver. I must say that we are REALLY looking forward to the lovely resorts on the other islands!

The town of Nadi is pretty dirty and a typical third world village. Roads and sidewalks are pretty treacherous, and everything is VERY expensive. (Suntan lotion here is $26 Fijian dollars!) The exchange rate, however, is 1.8 so that does help. The best part of this visit so far is the lovely people. Everyone you meet tells you “Bula,” the word for greeting, asks your name, tells you their name, and shakes your hand. They are extremely gracious and very focused on service.

After arriving at the hotel, we had to wait for our room to be ready, so we changed, had some breakfast, and walked a bit on the beach and swam in the pool. Then we got into our room, took showers and a short nap, and then took a cab into the town. We had dinner at Famers Market, ordered a local fish that was excellent, and enjoyed music from a quite good local group. After we left, we got ice cream, water at the market, and took a cab back to watch the first edition of “Downton Abbey” which I downloaded on my new iPad.

January 5 – This was our day for ADVENTURE! We booked an all-day Fiji Eco Tour which started at 9:00 am. We traveled with a darling couple from Australia and a driver, first to the local outdoor Namaka Fresh Fruit market. We were intrigued with all the unusual fruits and veggies we had not seen before and especially the Kava roots which they use for a special ceremony in Fiji.

The driver then took us to the beautiful Garden of the Sleeping Giants to walk through the Orchid Gardens which were originally owned and built by the famous actor, Raymond Burr. The grounds were just lovely, framed by the Sleeping Giant Mountain, huge palm trees, lily ponds, and bright-colored flower bushes. We saw many beautiful varieties of flowers which only grow in island settings. The walk ended with cold mango juice in the outdoor garden.

Our next stop was the Therapeutic Mud Pool. What a fun experience it was! The area has a very hot spring as well as a mud pool that supposedly has many healing qualities. After changing into swimsuits, our guide instructed us to cover ourselves with the mud from head to toe and then let it dry in the sun. Afterwards, he led us to the mud pool where we swam a bit and enjoyed the feeling of the mud in the bottom of the pond. We were even joined by frogs! 😉 Then he led us to another cleaner “pool” where we washed off the rest of the mud. Finally, it ended with a 15 minute WONDERFUL massage outside.

The young man who was our guide was the grandson of the owner and a darling person. (I asked to meet his mother to tell her what a good job she had done! 😉 He told us when we dressed again NOT to take a shower until the next day so that the full effects of the mud could be felt. We were pretty sure we could not stand to do that and you will see from the “rest of the story” that we were right! Everyone there was so caring and friendly and focused on making it a happy experience—we truly enjoyed this part of our day.

After that, we drove to a Fijian family’s Bure in the Nalesutale Village for a typical Fijian lunch of local fish, sausage, a dish of spinach and tuna, fresh pineapple and bananas. Unfortunately, they had nothing we could drink since everything they had was made with water. The chief of the village was our driver and even prayed before the meal. He told us he was Methodist. Most of the island is either Catholic or Muslim with a huge Indian influence as well.

While we ate, he told us a bit about the early history of the island. Originally, the Fijian people were cannibals who came from Tanzania and lived in the mountains. However, when the missionaries came, they instructed them to cover themselves and not to eat human beings. (He laughingly told us that they liked white people the best! 😉 So, the culture changed completely at that time. Today each rural village is made up of one family, and when they marry, they must go to another village for a mate. He said all the villages gather in one village for church on Sunday, alternating places. We were also told that there are strict “rules” in the villages, especially for the women. They must wear their hair short, they cannot wear pants, and their shoulders must always be covered. In the ceremonies the men are always served first, so women still seem every much secondary in the rural culture.

After lunch, we drove through twisty, winding dirt roads to the bottom of the mountain where met met another young guide. There we were given walking sticks to begin our trek up the mountain to the waterfall. We were not at all prepared for the tough climb it was, however – I had even worn a sundress and Fit flops! We followed a tiny winding, muddy, rutted path through the forest and had to cross several streams with slippery boulders for about a one hour trek to the top. Without our guide’s help across the rough spots, I am not sure Nancy and I would have made it, but we finally did get to the top—hot, sweaty, dirty, and covered with bug bites—to swim in the beautiful, cold mountain stream below the waterfall. IT was the first time I have ever swum in a DRESS! 😉 Nan, our guide, helped each of us to climb the boulders to stand below the waterfall and get a massage as well.

Unfortunately, Nancy had a fall and got two bad bumps on her head and some severe scratches on her face. We were amazed with such a rough trip up the mountain that the company had no insurance disclaimers to sign and the guide did not even carry any kind of first aid kit–I guess that is the lesson of a third world country!

The way down was much easier than the way up, thank goodness! We ended this part of the adventure back the the bure with the chief and our guide for a Kava ceremony. There is a lot of ritual with it – clapping, saying “Bula,” the word for greeting, and prayer. The root is mixed with water and then each person individually drinks from a coconut shell. The kava is supposed to make your tongue feel numb and helps with relaxation, so the natives love it, but I only took a sip since we are not supposed to drink their water.

Finally, the driver took us to the town centre to see the Hindu temple there. There was supposed to be time for shopping, but it was already 6:00 pm and we were exhausted, so we just had him bring us back to the hotel. I had had problems connecting to wifi, so I spent the next hour and a half with the young IT person here helping me to download some things on my new ipad. After a much-needed and APPRECIATED shower, we had a quick dinner here and then watched “The Notebook” which I had rented on my Ipad. We both slept VERY well last night after our Fijian adventure!

To watch for each day’s adventure, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/blog

CHRISTMAS 2013

Dear Friends,

Oh, my, time seems to go faster and faster these days, yet how grateful I am that the foundations of my life remain constant – faith, family, and friends. Although my business has been slower than ever before, this has been a precious year of sorting, finishing projects, celebrating, and making new friends. I finally feel as if I have developed “roots” here in Sarasota. I have been blessed with many caring and delightful relationships –and isn’t that what life is really all about?

The biggest event of the year was the celebration of my 70th birthday in May
(I STILL have a hard time saying those numbers since I truly feel about 35! 😉 Two precious new friends held a beautiful and FUN birthday luncheon for 24 girlfriends at the Bird Key Yacht Club. It was a Disney theme, complete with Cinderella’s castle, a visit from Alice in Wonderland, a life size cutout of Grumpy (my favorite Disney character), cakes with butterflies on top, and I even got to be a Princess for the day with a diamond tiara and wand! Each guest got darling flower (crowns) to wear, and one of my clients even sent small bottles of wine for everyone to take home. It was the nicest party I have ever had in my life, and it made me feel so very loved. Thank you, B.J. and Carol, for making my birthday the very best ever!

The weekend after my birthday I flew to Portland and took Gretchen and Erin to the gorgeous Alison Resort and Spa for two days of pampering. (I highly recommend it – rated one of the best in the Pacific NW.) It was one of the few times that I have been away alone with my beautiful girls. I am so proud of them both and honored to be their mother. Special lunches and dinners with friends highlighted the rest of the month. One day, as I was “whining” about not wanting to share age “70” with people, this stunning thought occurred to me: I have been blessed to live longer than either my father, my mother-in-law, or my husband. THAT brought home the reality of how fortunate I truly am! AND in the last three years I have ridden an elephant, a camel, and a Harley, I have climbed a mud volcano and ziplined across the mountains of Hawaii, so it is NEVER too late! 😉

Although I had no international travel this year, I am leaving January 2 for two weeks in Fiji on three different islands for my niece’s wedding, and then in April I am going to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Oman. This year all my travel was within the US and many trips just “for fun.” The whole family spent last Christmas in Seattle at Garrett and Ashley’s beautiful new home, the first time we had all been together for ten years. It was a delightful time of laughter and sharing (except when 14 year old Gavin would not get out of bed for the family picture, so he is missing from the one on the collage ;-).

After Christmas I had a lovely visit with Shannon (who has been a friend for 45 years) and Ken Johnston in Oceanside, CA, and then on to see my Aunt Joan and family in San Diego. (I will be attending her 90th birthday party December 28!) Gretchen’s family came for a week in March; in early April I met my sister, Beth, and two of her friends for a fun week at Disney in Orlando; and later that month, I met several of my SHRM friends for a long weekend of touring (and especially eating!) in Charleston, SC. I had three trips to Chicago this year to speak at SHRM, attend a friend’s birthday party at the “W”, and to speak to NSA-IL, so it was a wonderful chance to see many dear friends from the past. I attended the NSA convention in Philadelphia in July and the Veteran Speakers Retreat in PA in August, the Guideposts Board meetings in Dana Point, CA, in September, and the Lead Like Jesus Board meetings in Dallas in October. I was also privileged to speak to many wonderful clients during the year.

Some exciting professional highlights for 2013 were being chosen as an “ABC Amazing Woman” with a TV interview which ran on the morning and evening news for two days. I was also taped for a special series connected with GoGo Travel as their customer service expert. My 1996 book, “CARE Packages for the Workplace—Dozens of Little Things You Can Do to Regenerate Spirit at Work,” was just designated a classic by McGraw-Hill as it is STILL selling thousands of copies a year! Finally, I just published “Priceless Gifts – Using What God’s Given You to Bless Others” as a legacy to Charlie as this book was his idea. It is filled with ideas of all kinds of things you can give to others. You will love it, I think!

Garrett, Ashley, Gavin (15) and Kinsey (12) Glanz–Garrett is doing extremely well with Microsoft. He had a month sabbatical this year which they spent on the beach in Hawaii. His new toy is a Porsche! Ashley and Kinsey love to ride, so they are getting a horse, and Gavin can’t wait to get his driver’s license.

Gretchen, Randy, Owen (8) and Simon (6) Gawlik – Randy is still working as a webmaster and in graphic arts, Gretchen works part time at a lovely little boutique, and Owen and Simon love music, soccer, and Legos. Owen just had his adenoids out this week, so he has not been a happy camper! I will be with them for Christmas, and they are coming for Spring Break in March.

Erin Glanz –She is enjoying her new home, and she just got a new “roomie,” a darling kitten named “Cricket”. She loves her job with True Collaborative Fashion and travels to the shows in New York, LA, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. I was thrilled that she could come for Thanksgiving.

Although I have not met anyone special in my life, I have become content with many wonderful friends and a life filled with love, adventure, learning, and the chance to make a difference in people’s lives. I am so grateful for each one of you and wish you the most blessed holiday season and a year overflowing with peace, love, and joy.

Blessings,
Barbara

To view past issues of Barbara’s monthly newsletters, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/news/newsletters.html

(This is excerpted from Barbara’s book, “The Simple Truths of Appreciation — How Each of Us Can Choose to Make a Difference.” To order the book, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/products/books/.)

No matter who we are or what our actions may say, we all want to be recognized and appreciated. I often quote Lou Holtz, the famous Notre Dame coach, who said, “Why is it that the people who need love, (appreciation), and understanding the most usually deserve it the least.”

Jaime Escalante, the teacher whom the movie Stand and Deliver was based on, tells an amazing story about a mistaken identity and the difference it made in a young man’s life.

This teacher had two students in his class who were both named Johnny. One Johnny was an excellent student, a happy child, and always had his homework completed on time. The other Johnny was always in trouble, never had his work finished, and generally made the teacher’s life miserable.

The night of their first PTA Open House of the year a mother stayed after the meeting to ask about her son, Johnny, and how he was getting along in the class. Assuming it was the mother of the “good” Johnny, the teacher replied, “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate him. I am so glad he’s in my class.”

The next day, for the first time all year, the “problem” Johnny had all his work done, he spoke up in class, and never once caused a disruption. He even volunteered to help another student. The teacher was astounded!

At the end of the day when everyone else had left, “problem” Johnny came up to the teacher and said, “My Mom told me what you said about me last night. I haven’t ever had a teacher who wanted me in his class.”

That Johnny became one of the best students the teacher ever had – and all because of a mistaken dose of appreciation! No matter who we are and what our situation in life, we all need to be appreciated.

For an interesting read, go to 10 Ways to Show Your Employees You CARE.

Make a Thanksgiving Tree

THE IDEA:

It doesn’t just have to be the month of Thanksgiving that we share our gratitude and appreciation for blessings in our lives. One of the ways to keep “an attitude of gratitude” in the places we work is to make a Thanksgiving tree.

THE IDEA IN ACTION:

* Many years ago I created a Thanksgiving tree for our home. I took a large manzanita branch, sprayed it gold, and secured it in a base of plaster of Paris. Beside it I kept a basket of small plain cards with holes punched in them, another basket of pieces of colored yarn, and a pen. The tradition in our family is that the month before Thanksgiving, the tree is placed on a table in our living room, and each family member writes down things for which he or she is thankful and hangs them on the tree. We also encourage guests in our home to participate. At the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day we read the cards from the tree as an affirmation of our blessings. Then we save the cards from the year before, and we read those as well. It is a wonderful way to remind us of all the goodness in our lives and reinforces the importance of sharing our appreciation.

This is a tree that one of my clients made for their workplace.

TIPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION:

An organization could use this idea in a work area, a cafeteria, or other gathering place to encourage employees to focus on the good things happening each day. It also promotes communication and teamwork as others read the information shared on the cards. If the tree is kept up all year long, it will be important to remove the cards on a regular basis to make room for others and to encourage continual appreciation.

For more creative ideas, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/ideas

QUESTION: What are the elements of a joyful, productive workplace?

BARBARA ANSWERS: Click Here

For more questions and answers with Barbara, visit Barbara’s Video Q&A

A friend just sent me this wonderful idea. Blessing Bags are prepared to keep in the car when one passes homeless people. They are something ALL of us can do to make a small difference in our world and especially something one can do with children or grandchildren to teach them about caring for others. The bags are filled with all kinds of things that most of us have around our homes and can easily share with others.

BLESSING BAGS

INGREDIENTS:
Gallon size Ziplock bags
chap stick
packages of tissues
toothbrush and toothpaste
comb
soap
hotel size shampoos
trail mix
granola bars
crackers
pack of gum
band aids
mouthwash
coins or predetermined dollar amount (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)
hand wipes

You could also put in a warm pair of socks, a packet rain poncho, tampons (for women)
The ideas could be endless!

Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe add a note of encouragement, a Bible verse, or a prayer. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

For more caring ideas of things you can give to others, order Barbara’s book, “Priceless Gifts — Using What God’s Given You to Bless Others,”either hard copy or an ebook at www.barbaraglanz.com/products/books/.

TEN SIMPLE TRUTHS OF SERVICE from “The Simple Truths of Service Inspired by Johnny the Bagger”by Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz:

Since October is Customer Service Month, I want to share what Ken Blanchard and I have discovered as the ten simple truths of service. These are some questions both managers and employees can ask about their work to determine if they are implementing these ten truths in their organizations.

#1 GREAT SERVICE INSPIRES STORIES / MEMORIES.
Do you collect and record customer service stories in your organization?

#2 GREAT SERVICE USES OUTSIDE-THE-BOX THINKING.
Do you encourage creativity and offering options from all employees?

#3 GREAT SERVICE IS A CHOICE.
Do YOU understand the choices you have in interactions?
Have you taught your employees and colleagues this concept?

#4 GREAT SERVICE STARTS WITH A CLEAR VISION.
Do YOU have a clear vision?
Are YOU contagiously enthusiastic about the importance of the work you do?

#5 GREAT SERVICE REQUIRES THAT EVERYONE CATCH THE VISION.
Do all employees know, can repeat, and buy into the vision?

#6 GREAT SERVICE SURPRISES PEOPLE.
Are you having fun in your workplace?

#7 GREAT SERVICE BEGINS WITH ANYONE.
Do YOU as either manager or employees really believe this?
Are you sharing real life examples?

#8 GREAT SERVICE GOES THE EXTRA MILE.
Do YOU as an employee go the extra mile for your customers?
Do YOU as a manager go the extra mile for your customers AND your employees (your internal customers)?

#9 GREAT SERVICE BRINGS CUSTOMERS BACK .
Do you check on a regular basis the customer retention statistics for your area of responsilbility?

THE FINAL TRUTH:
#10 GREAT SERVICE COMES FROM THE HEART.
Are you interacting with your customers on both the Business and the Human levels?
Are you managing your employees on both levels?

To order either the 17 minute movie of “Johnny the Bagger” and the Facilitator kit or to order the “Simple Truths of Service” book, click here.

If you would like Barbara to come to speak to your organization on customer service, you can reach her at bglanz@barbaraglanz.com or 941-312-9169.

I love small towns! I grew up in Harlan, Iowa, a town of 4500, so any time I am privileged to speak in a small town, I am excited. This week I was asked to speak to the entire staff of Elmira Savings Bank in Elmira, New York. This is a bank that has been in existence for over 100 years in a town of 30,00. It was a special day, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all their employees.

What always impresses me is the “remarkable” (their mantra) service I always get in a small town. First of all, these are some of the things the bank does for both their internal and external customers:

• Free coffee in the lobby
• Name tags for every employee so customers can learn their names
• Customer Appreciation Days at every branch
• “Say When You Pay” program – people can choose two months of the year when they do not have to make a mortgage payment
• CARE program—Employees donate $1 a week to a fund for those on staff who are experiencing financial issues. A committee awards help to anonymous applicants.
• Every year the senior managers put on a humorous skit where they poke fun at themselves. This year they brought me in to speak on “Spreading Contagious Enthusiasm™–Creating Workplaces of Passion, Purpose, and Productivity.” They served an amazing spread of food and beer, wine, and soft drinks to the staff to appreciate their hard work.

I also experienced extraordinary service from the hotel staff at the Holiday Inn there:

• I received a sweet gift bag of goodies from the hotel when I checked in.
• On the day I was speaking I did not realize breakfast ended at 11:00, but they let me in to the restaurant anyway, even though I was the only one there!
• I spent an hour with all the senior managers at the bank in the afternoon and missed lunch. Since I would be speaking to the staff at 5:15 and setting up before that, I needed a bit of extra energy. Again the restaurant was closed; however, Amy, the banquet manager, had the cooks prepare a lovely salad for me and brought it to the room where I was presenting.
• Every staff person greeted me whenever I met them in the hallway.
• Whenever I needed bags moved, there was always someone there with a smile.

All in all, it was a lovely experience. I found out that Mark Twain had a home in Elmira and is buried there, and other famous natives are Brian Williams and Tommy Hillfiger. They even still have a drive-in movie! It always touches me that the organizations who are already giving “remarkable” service, like Elmira Bank, who just won an award for one of the best banks to work for in the country, seem to be the ones who hire me to speak rather than those who REALLY need my messages.
Hooray for small town service!

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

In 2007 we filmed a dramatization of my story of “Johnny the Bagger®” in Des Moines, Iowa. It was very special because it was filmed in my home state, and one of the scenes of me speaking to the grocery store staff was even filmed in the State Capitol Building of Iowa.

Photo of Garret and Barbara taken during the filming in 2007

Vision Point, the company that produced the movie, spent several hundred thousand dollars on the project and brought in actors from all over the country. One of the extra special blessings was that the young man who played Johnny was named Garrett, the name of my only living son, and this was his very first paying engagement!

Last Friday, I was asked to present to the Illinois chapter of the National Speakers Association in Oak Brook, IL. My contact person, Steve Beck, has worked a great deal with Special Olympics, and since my story involves a person with Down Syndrome, Steve contacted the state coordinator of the group to let her know I was going to be in town.

When she checked out my website,  she viewed a picture of me and the young man who had played Johnny in the movie and thought he looked familiar. She finally realized that it was Garrett, who now is a speaker and ambassador for Special Olympics all over the county. She contacted his mother to tell them I was going to be in Chicago, and they all decided to come to hear me.

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