Are you Present and Accounted For?

from Craig Harrison's Being Present is a Gift to All featured on The CEO Refresher

Audit your own interactions with customers. Ask yourself the following:

• Do you greet them with genuine affection?
  
  
• Do you know and use their name? (Are you pronouncing it correctly? Not sure? Ask!)
  
  
• Are you giving them your undivided attention?
  
  
• Are you giving good and consistent eye contact?
  
  
• Are you preoccupied with a previous client, customer or call?
  
  
• Are you easily distracted?
  
  
• If the phone rings while you're in conversation, do you let it ring through?
  
  
• Do you listen actively and intently or are you "faking" it?

In today's world customers long to be heard, to be understood and to feel others care about them. Help customers feel connected! Show them you care. Treat them as if they're the most important people in the world. For the brief time they're in your midst, give them your undivided attention. Don't just be here now…but hear now! Or, forever lament the loss of treasured customers!

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Craig Harrison inspires stellar sales and service leadership among professionals in a variety of fields. Visit his website: http://www.ExpressionsOfExcellence.com.

A Wow in Garbage!

by Darlene Y. Pineda

Garbage: Not usually a place to find superstars. Now, my trash pickup is usually on Thursdays. In September (2003) we had a bit of wind called Isabelle, (My house was still standing, by the way - YAY!), which naturally meant no pickup that day. The days following Isabelle kept everyone busy cleaning up the mess she left behind: Trees and branches and roof pieces and power lines and food that had spoiled and pieces of siding that had flown off houses and landed in yards. When trash day rolled around, I put my filled-to-the-brim trashcan out on the curb for pickup. YAY! I had a few bags that didn't fit, but at least most of it would be gone.

Later that day, the doorbell rang. When I went to the door, there was the garbage man, smiling! "Excuse me, ma'am. I'm sure you noticed that we weren't able to make a pickup last week, and I sure am sorry about that." I nodded, and told him I understood. Then he continued, "I'm checking to see if you have any more trash that didn't fit in the can, that I can carry to the truck for you." I blinked at him, and actually couldn't speak. "You … want my trash?" I stuttered, puzzled. "Yes ma'am, if you have any more, I'd be pleased to carry it out to the truck for you."

So I led him to the garage, and he did indeed carry another three bags full to the truck, smiling the whole time. I thanked him, (and this is where he went beyond exceeding expectations to blowing them away), and he said, "No ma'am, thank you for choosing us. It was a pleasure to serve you, and you have a nice day."

I walked back into my house, stunned. Now, I expect great customer service in department stores and restaurants. I even expect it in gas stations and doctors' offices. But I never even thought about service in terms of garbage collection. And I realized that my garbage man had made a choice, and he CHOSE to make his day a great one. He chose to BE THERE. He certainly MADE MY DAY. And he did it all with sincerity and mindfulness and an honest desire to provide service.

And I couldn't help but wonder; if someone in as difficult a job as his could find possibilities to exceed all expectations, how many chances can we find, every day? How often do WE say to our customers, "No, thank YOU for choosing US"?

So, what do your customers say about you?

What is Your Lagniappe?

by Ed Horrell

In my customer service talks, I refer often to a French word which was used commonly among French Creole store owners in Louisiana. It was used like this: a customer would order five pounds of sugar for example. The store owner would fill his customer's bag with the sugar and then add one additional scoop while saying "lagniappe" (which is French for "a little extra".)

This, I submit, is the essence of great service. Giving a little more than is expected, a little more than paid for, is lagniappe. It is part of the secret to great customer service.

Think of some of the examples of companies who do a little more than what is normally expected. Who comes to mind?

Doubletree Hotels, for one, offers a warm cookie to guests when they check in. Just a little extra; it is their lagniappe. Infiniti dealers wash their customers' cars when they bring them in for service. In the northwest, a tire company has customers drive for miles just to watch their sales reps literally run to the cars when they pull into the parking lot. It is lagniappe....not expected, but awfully welcome.

It can make a difference in owning and renting your clients. Let me give you an example.

Recently I was asked to speak at a breakfast meeting to a group in Nashville. The meeting was in a part of Nashville that I was not familiar with and I wanted to stay in a hotel as near the meeting as I could find so as to avoid rush hour traffic. The Internet solved that problem and I found the Hotel Preston. The rooms looked nice and reasonable so I made a reservation.

I wasn't necessarily impressed when I pulled into the parking lot, but that was going to change. I checked into a nicely decorated room with an enormous, comfortable looking bed. On the bed was a card welcoming me and stating that they realize that a good night's sleep is important after a long day and offered a "pillow menu" from which I could select my pillow type for my stay .... firm, soft, medium, or hypoallergenic. A little extra!

Do you think I have told that story? You bet!

What is your lagniappe? What do you offer that is just a little more than your competitor?

Here are some tips:

Lagniappe doesn't have to cost money! It can be something extra that simply gives something to your client. For example, when you find a new restaurant that you like, drop a client or two a note introducing them to your new favorite place. Do the same for a new wine or cheese that you have discovered a good movie, or hotel.

If you want to spend a little money on your client, pick up a gift certificate for a dessert or cocktail at the restaurant you discovered and send it with your note. (Don't be surprised if you get an invitation to join your client for dinner there.) Make sure your visitors feel especially welcome when they come into your offices.

Also, lagniappe is best when little attention is called to it. Try to avoid signing off your note with something like "This extra is brought to you by ABC Companies, where you always get something extra". Don't call attention to the little extra that you give. It will call attention to itself.

Find the little extra that you can give to your clients. Surprise them occasionally. You are going to find that not only will they appreciate what you do for them, but they will tell their colleagues about what you do. This is the best form of advertising and costs you nothing. You'll find a terrific relationship based upon your culture of "a little extra" and you'll own your customer.

Join the "Kindness Revolution" created by Ed Horrell, a Memphis-based author and professional speaker and is the host of the syndicated radio show "Talk About Service." Learn more about his books, keynotes and radio show at http://www.edhorrell.com .