The Five Points of OSAT

The Five Points of OSAT (to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas)

Oh the first point of OSAT my DM said to me
was to keep the store so friendly fresh in clean

Oh the second point of OSAT my DM said to me
Acknowledgement’s a must
And keep your store so friendly fresh and clean

Oh the 3rd point of OSAT my DM said to me
Appreciate the sale
Acknowledgement’s a must
And keep your store so friendly fresh and clean

Og the 4th point of OSAT my DM said to me
Fill up the store
Appreciate the sale
Acknowledgement’s a must
and keep your store so friendly fresh and clean

Oh the 5th point of OSAT my DM said to me
Love the front end
Fill up the store
Appreciate the sale
Acknowledgement’s a must
and keep your store so friendly fresh and clean…

Merry Gentleman

(to the tune of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman)

When one finds merry gentleman you know he’s satisfied.
He’s acknowledged and appreciated by the staff inside.
He goes home and pulls out his phone to do the survey now.
Scores us 5’s for friendly fresh and clean,
friendly, fresh and clean
Scores us fives for being friendly, fresh and clean!

It's All About the Stuff

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #19
December 17, 2014


Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit of our customer!

You guys have heard the song by Meagan Trainor - All About the Bass

“All About the bass…bout the bass…no treble.
All About the bass…bout the bass…no treble”

Well…I’ll tell you why I mentioned that in a second…

I was talking to a unit manager yesterday and this unit manager wishes to remain anonymous so we will call him/her Ms-Mr Anonymous.

Ms-Mr Anonymous was conducting a huddle yesterday and asked the team in the store, “Why do people come grocery shopping?”

Everybody kinda looked around a second and then someone said  “To Buy Stuff”

That’s right…To Buy Stuff

People come to grocery stores to buy stuff!

So it’s…

“All About the stuff..bout the stuff…no kidding
It all about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding”

Yup you’ll all be singing this song today

“All about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding”

It’s all about having the stuff our customers want!  And this relates to OSAT how?

If we have the stuff our customers want then they will be highly satisfied

If we don’t have the stuff our customers want then they won’t be highly satisfied

It’s just that simple

We can as friendly as all get-out but if we don’t have their stuff it’s a good guess that they won’t be highly satisfied

“It’s all about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding…”

And this is even more important around the holidays.  If we don’t have the pickle peaches…the minced meat…the poultry seasoning…the chitlins…the elbow macaroni…the pie shells…and come new year’s…the meat balls…the cocktail smokies…the blackeyes peas…the stuff our customers want

Then we won’t have highly satisfied customers and we won’t have the OSAT we want.

This point was really driven home to me back in January and February of this year.

You remember what you were doing then?

Spending 48 or more straight hours in the four walls of your store that’s what!

We were one of the only stores open during the Snowpocolous of 2014 and customers loved us for it.  They were soooo happy we were open…mostly so they could get their cigarettes and beer - at least at my store.  I was amazed…it just goes to show you the pull of nicotine and alcohol but I’m off subject.

Customers were in good moods…and generally speaking we and the associates were in good moods…it was a fun and challenging time.  And we thought we would get rewarded on our OSAT.

But did we?

Nope!

If you read the comments from that time  customers were definitely happy we were open and they could shop…

But…

They still gigged us for being out of stock on items they wanted

Ugh!  How could they be so ungrateful!

We - Kroger - were the only place open!

But if they wanted Digorno pizza and we were out they couldn’t be Highly Satisfied

If they wanted milk and we were out they couldn’t be Highly Satisfied

If they wanted ground beef for their spaghetti and we were out they couldn’t be Highly Satisfied

“It’s all about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding”

It was all about their stuff and the fact that they couldn’t get it!

What an eye opener!

If customer cannot get their stuff they will not be Highly Satisfied!

This includes freshness in the meat and produce departments because if things ain't fresh people can get what they want because they don’t want bad stuff

‘It’s all about the stuff…bout the stuff..no kidding…”

And this freshness point is demonstrated in what we talked about last week when we looked at the produce freshness and friendliness versus produce OSAT.  We got great scores on friendliness but lower scores on freshness which mirrored the OSAT for produce.

People want their stuff and they want it fresh

“It all about the stuff…bout the stuff..no kidding…”

So…while there is no magic bullet…perhaps Ms Mr Anonymous Manager is on to something.  Fill up the store…eliminate out of stocks…keep the stuff fresh…and watch the OSAT rise!

And remember…

“It’s all about the stuff…about the stuff…no kidding…
All about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding…”

Frosty

Trust

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #11
December 3, 2014



Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit of our customer!

I want to talk about Trust this morning

Trust

Now what does Trust have to do with OSAT (Overall Satisfaction)?

I think it has everything to do with OSAT.

I don’t watch a lot of TV but lately I have become addicted to watching Kitchen Nightmares and Bar Rescue.  These two programs are very similar to each other.  In Kitchen Nightmares Chef Gordon Ramsey goes into failing restaurants and tries to turn them around.  One of the big thing he emphasizes is that the customers must trust that the food is what it says it is - meaning the quality, the freshness must be there…the cleanliness must be there…food safety procedures must be handled properly.  These are all trust factors that translate to a positive experience for the customer.

In Bar Rescue, John Taffer goes into failing bars and does the same.  He emphasizes that the bar customers must be able to trust that the bartender is mixing drinks properly, stirring the drinks properly to make sure they don’t dilute, the food service is done safely with fresh products.

Trust

It goes hand in hand with the customer experience

Our customers must trust us and our operation in order to have a Highly Satisfied Experience.

They must trust that our products are fresh

They must trust that our products are in date

They must trust that our shelves, counters, coolers, register belts are clean

If they have this trust then they are comfortable to shop and choose anything we sell and be HIGHLY Satisfied.

Trust also goes between us and our associates

Our associates must trust that we are doing what we need to do to make them successful - creating an environment where success can happen

Our associates need to be able to trust us to be fair and consistent in our behaviors

That we are leading in a positive fashion

They need to trust that we always have the best interest of the business - and therefore their working environment as our goal

Trust goes hand in hand with OSAT

Also - you must trust yourself to make the best decisions.  You know your store, your associates and your customers.  Trust yourself to make the best decisions you can make

Trust and OSAT go hand in hand.

Our customers need to trust our operation.  Our associates need to trust us.  We need to trust ourselves.

Change

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #12
December 4, 2014



Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit of our customer!

Today I want to talk about change

We heard the terms…

Change artist.  Change Agent.  Change Master.

they all mean different things but the point is we hear about change a lot.

“Those who don’t change perish.”

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”


You may have heard or read statements like those before.  I think we all pretty much agree that change does happen and is part of life. And most believe that change is hard.

It is difficult to change.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…

right?

Wrong

I submit that change is easy.

If I want to change my socks right now all I have to do is untie my shoes and slip them off my feet.  Then I slide one sock down and over my right foot and then the other sock down over my left foot.  I then walk to the sock drawer and pick out a new pair of socks, sit back down and place them over my feet.  Presto, my socks have been changed and it was pretty darn easy.

Now that’s a pretty silly example of change but changing behavior can be as easy.

If I am always late wherever I go I can change that right now.  I can set my alarm clock to go off fifteen minutes earlier and then leave the house fifteen minutes earlier and Presto!  I arrive at work on time.  Change is that easy.

If I want to quit smoking all I have to do is to put out the cigarette I am smoking right now and never light another one.

Change is easy

Maintaining change is hard…

Right now if you want to change your behavior you have the power to do so immediately.  You can go from angry to happy by just thinking about it, taking a deep breath and setting your mind to it.

Can you sustain the happiness?

That is much harder.

Change is easy…maintaining change is hard…

it is an everyday, one day at a time process.

If you truly want change to be maintained you must focus on it everyday, many times a day.

Change is easy…maintaining change is hard…

Changing our focus on OSAT is easy to do “in the moment.”  We are all thinking about OSAT right now - if you’re not checking your email or eating something - and we are all ready to change and we will at this moment.

But will we maintain the change…

Change is easy…maintaining change is hard.

A Thousand of Ones

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #8
November 17, 2014

A Thousand of Ones

Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit to our customer!

Today I would like to offer a blog post from a guy named Doug Fleener.  This blog post comes from his blog “The Retail Contrarian” and it can be found at www.retailcontrarian.com.

Customer Service Training
May 23, 2012

One of Thousands, or Thousands of Ones

The best customer service/experience happens when I feel respected and/or appreciated, and my expectations are met or exceeded.  My expectations can be anything - good food, good service, a knowledgeable salesperson, a fast check-in, open registers, I’m not kept waiting, a product in stock, etc., etc., etc.

While many elements make up a great customer experience, there is one common theme:

Me.

As a customer, I’m the one that determines whether I’ve had a good experience or not.

I’m sure most, if not all, of the companies I do business with have a defined service approach and training for their employees, but there’s a big miss by virtually every one of them.

Me.

Companies talk about customers as if they’re all the same; as if each person who walks in the door is just another version of the person before.

If thousands of people walk in over the course of a week I’m one of thousands but in reality, customers are thousands of ones.

That is why delivering a personalized experience is such a great differentiator and the key to both winning customers and maximizing the sales opportunity.

Every specialty retailer should have a defined sales experience approach. It’s an important roadmap for the staff to add value to the customer’s visit and not simply clerk the sale. It’s also important that the staff be taught, and expected to, deliver the experience uniquely to each customer.

You’ve probably defined how to do this. The difference is in the details and the quality of the execution.

Saying “hello” is one of thousands.

Welcoming and acknowledging each individual is thousands of ones.

Talking to a customer is one of thousands.

Having a conversation with someone whose name you know and about whom you know something is thousands of ones.

Showing a product is one of thousands.

Recommending products based on the answers to questions you’ve asked is thousands of ones.

Giving good service is one of thousands.

Making sure your customer has the best possible experience is thousands of ones.

This starts with how the company/store leadership sees and engages their team. A staff can be one of many or many ones. When we teach and coach each individual person to learn how to deliver a more unique and memorable experience, we are well on our way to succeeding one customer at a time.

So let me ask, is your experience delivered to one of thousands or to thousands of ones?

---------------
Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.


Read more: http://www.retailcontrarian.com/customer_service_training/#ixzz3JGoapMQS


Now let’s celebrate our great people!

461 - Angelo helped me get my groceries to my car after the wheels of my cart locked up.  Also both Jasmine and MArlan provided very friendly customer service at checkout.

484 - Flo in the deli is always a joy to speak with

436 - cashier Lynda and the bagger, Vance were friendly and funny!!!

212 - Valerie at the cash register was very friendly as was the bagger Roster.

461 - Camilla was amazing.  She had the express lane moving.  She has the oat pleasant smile

461 - Maurice our checker was very friendly

427 —service rep Johnay was nice enough to open up just for me.  She saved me a lot of time as I had to get home to help my son with homework.  I appreciate Kroger for associates with the passion like Johnay.  Employees like this are what keep me coming back

Trust Your Culture

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #7
November 16, 2014

Trust Your Culture

Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project  - your Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher for the absolute benefit of our customers!

Today I want to talk about culture - the culture of your store and how we need to trust it.

We often get soooo keyed up about the comments we received and…we want you to…in a sense - you know we send out the comments just about everyday…we want you to read them, to react to them but I don’t want an overreaction to them.

By that I mean “trust your culture”

Once you establish a culture of success - once you establish a culture that allows for success in your store - then, as you read the comments, you look for trends in the comments - you don’t look at the outliers and react to those.

What I mean by that is that you may have a comment that reads:

“Store was dirty and the customer service is always awful.”

Then the very next comment is:

“Man I love shopping in this store, this is my store and it is always clean and the service is fantastic!”

Two contrary comments

Which comment do you latch on to?

Obviously you will probably latch on to the very good comment and totally discount the bad one…human nature.  And you may allow this to cloud your ability to trust OSAT

I bet the truth is somewhere in-between but my point of this is that you are going to get comments that seem odd.  for example, You are going to get comments that you are out of stock on ad items all the time.

But do you see a trend in the comments - do you see a trend in the out of stock on ad comments?

Certainly as you read the outlier comment you want to take a look and see and really decide where you are at on that but if you know you’re pretty good on it then you file it away for another time.

And then if it comes up again and again…you have a trend and then you will have to delve into it deeper and solve the issue.

But far to often we are way too reactionary to the comments and it clouds our vision about OSAT.

I want to uncloud our vision and I want us to have a positive reaction to OSAT.  I am worried that sometimes when we hear OSAT it conjures up negative thoughts.

I don’t want this.  I want OSAT to be a positive thing.

I want us to trust our culture - trust the culture in the store and allow that culture to grow OSAT organically.

I know nobody likes a “When I used to do it” story but I’m going to tell you one anyway…so my apologies before I begin.

At 443 when I was running it we always called ourselves ‘The Happiest Place on Earth”…that was the culture we tried to establish.  Did we ever get there - of course not.  You can probably think of many other places happier than a grocery store in Loganville, Georgia but that was the mindset we had.  The Happiest Place on Earth was the culture that we tried to establish and I think we went a pretty good ways toward establishing it because our OSAT was generally not bad.

And by establishing that culture we when we got some bad comments we analyzed them, we looked at them but we didn’t over-react to them and we didn’t let them get us down.  We didn’t let them cloud our view.

We also didn’t get too super-keyed up over the really good comments either because we knew the truth - we knew what we had to work on…we knew ourselves.

We looked at the comments for trends…reacted when we needed to but we mostly trusted the culture - that we were “The Happiest Place on Earth” and we continued to strive to become the Happiest Place on Earth and watched the OSAT grow organically.

That’s all I am asking you guys to do - establish a culture in your store…be true to that culture and then trust that culture as you are working your way through OSAT and allow it to grow in your store.

Let’s Celebrate some Great People today!

461 - Maurice was so friendly and smiled - that is very important to me.  Makes my day!

354 - The cashier Sarah was very professional and very customer service oriented.  She was very polite and knew her job well.  She is an asset to this establishment…a very important person to keep.

488 - enjoy the friendliness of this store.  This time Reginald and Sanika spoke, smiled and are always helpful with everything I need.  Reginald checked me out and as usual was wonderful.  And, especially Sanika at the customer service desk - what a great attitude, esp when people are mean and impatient.  She and Reginald are both assets to this store.

370 - the produce associate Abdould was very polite and helpful

679 - Friendly cashier and bagger - Stephanie and Cheryl were great!

445 - the cashier had excellent customer service.  Hat’s off to Breanna

212 - my checkout clerk, Valerie, was really courteous and friendly

461 - I accidentally left $50 at self-checkout and Ms. Corliss found the money.  She told me to bring my receipt in and she would have the money.  I did and Ms. Corliss had told customer service to expect me.  I am so thankful for the honest and responsible staff - especially Ms. Corliss.  Thank you!

461 - Jasmine P the cashier was very pleasant

And there are a lot of great comments that didn’t mention associates by name.

Thank you!

Tomorrow we start with you guys - the stores - taking over a portion of the program.

I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on how to grow OSAT.  The suggested topic is Acknowledgement and how we can improve it but you can speak on anything related to OSAT that you wish.

The Line-up is:

Monday - 651
Tuesday - 370
Wednesday - 436
Thursday - 483
Friday - 488
Saturday - 212

Our Job - Revisited

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #6
November 15, 2014

Our Job

Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy and excitement to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit to our customer!

If you joined us for the walkthrough at 475 on Thursday or have followed me on yammer/yodel you have heard or read a little bit of this before but I thought I’d re-visit it today because I really believe this is how we can achieve the renaissance - the cultural shift - we are looking for.

As a store manager I was often asked...

What do you do?

I usually reply that I walk around and try to look like I know what I'm doing and hope that nobody notices that I have no clue and that I’m making stuff up as I go along!

But...

That's only partly true.

When asked again I reply that...

My job is to create an environment that allows for success.

Then, if asked for clarification I answer...

My job is to take an egg, incubate it, hatch it and help it grow into a fully formed, well-rounded being...be that the store...the associates...the team.

My job is to create a village...a community center...that just happens to sell groceries.

My job is to tweak the thermostat of the store keeping it at the perfect temperature to allow everyone to have an environment that allows them to do what they do...turning the temp up or down as needed.

My job is to be careful not to de-motivate the great people we have - starting from the 1st day courtesy clerk to the 40th year produce guy - and give them the tools they need to be successful then get the heck out of their way and let them do what they do.

My job is to trust.

My job is to build and strengthen the bond between the store and the community.

My job is to create a culture of energy, excitement, achievement and service.  Service to both our external and internal customers - and of course…each other!

My job

is to

Create an Environment that Allows for Success

(and then walk around and try to look like I know what I'm doing!)


Let’s take a look at some of the comments from yesterday

483 - Robyn the cashier was very personable and friendly - Highly Satisfied

427 - Amber was spectacular.  Hats off to her - Highly Satisfied

436 - Lynda my cashier was really sweet and Vance my bagger was very friendly and efficient - Highly Satisfied
And Lynda was mentioned in a couple of highly satisfied comments received yesterday!

320 - Stacy was very patient and kind - Highly Satisfied

461 - I had a fabulous experience at your store.  I couldn’t find the organic juice and was standing there looking confused and the security guy walked up to me.  Now I thought he thought I was stealing or something but lo and behold he is the nicest person I have EVER met.  He went into the back room and got what I needed - HIGHLY Satisfied

461 - I love, love Justin and Shanita.  Justin always greets me and asks about my family.  What can I say about Shanita, she is by far one of the people I look forward to getting my day started - Highly satisfied

436 - Haley, while shy, was very friendly and professional - Highly Satisfied
Haley was mentioned in a couple of comments yesterday

These are our Yays of the Day!

So let’s lead OSAT today and change the world!

While it’s a little cold outside it is still a beautiful day - go enjoy it and enjoy your business!
Thank you and I’ll talk with you tomorrow!

The Power of Positivity

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep. #4
November 14, 2014
The Power of Positivity

Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy and excitement to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit to our customer!

I have read from many sources that the first contact you have each day has more influence over you than the next five experiences. Because of this you are told to make sure you start your day off with a positive experience.

Take 10 – 15 minutes to read  positive passages from a book

Take a walk first thing in the morning and take a mental list of all the positive things you have in your life

Get up and exercise – doing something positive for your body and mind.

I wondered about this advice so I have been keeping track to see if it is accurate, if it is indeed really true

IT IS!

I was amazed, once I focused my attention on this, how much that very first experience of the day effects the rest of your day. The days I woke up and said to myself, “Oh man, I am tired and I do not feel like getting up and going into work” I didn’t have the same drive or energy as other days. The days my wife and I fussed a little bit in the morning discussing things that have to be done, have to be paid, have to be picked up – they were much harder to get started.

I have a habit each morning of getting up and letting the dog out as I walk down the driveway to pick up the paper. I used to do this moaning about the cracking joints, the weather, or anything else that seemed wrong.

Now, while the actual action of this routine has not changed I now make sure that I take in the atmosphere of the morning. I look at the trees and especially look up at the sky. This puts me into a positive frame of mind. I am lucky enough to live somewhat away from the lights of town so I can see stars when I look up. You absolutely cannot resist the beauty of a starry sky once you gaze up.

It is amazing.

This is my cup of positivity each morning - Looking at the starry sky…the natural beauty of it all. (I have even extended this habit to the evening. I go out in my backyard and lay in the grass looking up at the sky while the dog romps around for a while. I was surprised by how many “shooting stars” you can see by doing this)

I then come back inside the house in a great mood. It hasn’t failed me yet. Just 2-3 minutes of looking at nature. That is all it takes for me.

You must find your own way to start your day off on a positive note. It will carry you through the morning and if you’re lucky…all day…
Now…how are you going to start your day off at Kroger?

Well…I would say just lay down on aisle 5 and look up at the ceiling and you will be amazed!

But I won’t say that…I won’t suggest that…and not just because you can’t see the stars from aisle 5

Now it might changed the mood in the store a little if you did this and and few phone calls might be made but in the big picture view laying down on the floor might not have the effect you are looking for.

But what will?

Part of our job - perhaps all of it - is setting the atmosphere in the store.  If you come in bouncing like Tigger instead of shuffling like Eeyeore what results could follow?  And this is not an indictment of Eeyore because once you get to know him he’s a nice guy but you have to admit…he can be a downer.

Now of course you can’t be Tigger all day long because that would be overwhelming after awhile but what if you jump started your Kroger day by bouncing?

I bet the positivity and fun would flow like Pooh sticks down the river.

Comets and Overall Satisfaction

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep. #4
November 13, 2014

Comets and OSAT

I was on CNN.com yesterday and noticed a story about how we - we being us humans - landed a robot on a comet.

Wow! How freakin exciting is that!?

Just think, a spacecraft blasted off from the earth, took a few trips around the moon and then shot around Mars to meet up with a comet and then dropped a robot on top of it! And I do mean drop - we couldn’t steer the thing…we just dropped it and sort of hoped it would land where it was supposed to on the comet. It did have a gyroscope or something on it to keep it stabilized but if fell to the surface of the comet…

…and then tweeted.

Yes…the robot tweeted that it landed.

What!!?? Wow again!!!

Did you ever think you’d ever hear that in a sentence…”a robot fell to the surface of a comet and then tweeted out that it landed!”

I am amazed

Then…it shot out some some harpons - or was supposed to - to help it hold on to the comet but they didn’t fire the way they were supposed to and the robot tweeted out - “my harpons didn’t fire I don’t know why” or something like that.

I am truly amazed

Just think…50 years ago we barely put a man in space and now we’re landing a tweeting robot on a comet after it flew 6.4 billion miles!

And we once thought flight was impossible.

I spoke to my Grandmother once about this. She was born in 1901 and passed away in 1996. Before she passed I talked with her about everything she had seen in her lifetime. Cars barely were around, flight wasn’t possible and the thought of even traveling in space let alone landing a man on the moon or flying a shuttle into space and back again or landing a tweeting robot on a comet were thought to be impossible if they were even thought of at all!

And yet now these things seem almost common place. When we landed on the moon it was a big media event. My Dad even took pictures of the tv as they broadcasted the landing. I was in high school when the space shuttle first came back to earth and classes were canceled so we could all watch.

Now…a robot landing on a comet barely makes front page news. It is common place.

What once was impossible is now common.

What does this have to do with OSAT?

It may be a stretch to connect the two things but here we go…

We…many of us…think hitting 80% for OSAT is impossible.

Yes we have had…or still have this thought. But perhaps what is impossible now will seem commonplace soon.

We can hit 80% in OSAT

It is not impossible

It just takes a cultural shift and this cultural shift starts with each of us as individuals. We need to start with us. As Randy Waters has said, “If it’s to be it starts with me!”

This is SOOOOO true.

I have often said…and many of you may have heard this from me before that our jobs as leaders is to “create an atmosphere that allows for success.”

If we change ourselves and start to believe that an 80 OSAT is possible then we will be able to get to that number. We can do it.

And then we will see what was once thought to be impossible is very possible. 80% OSAT can be come commonplace.

Landing a tweeting robot on a comet - impossible! Nope…we did it.

80% OSAT - impossible! Nope...we will do it

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep. #3

The Power of Thank You

Good Morning and welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project day number three.

And what a nice day we had yesterday.  65% for yesterday…for Tuesday.  Wow!  You guys LED the way on OSAT yesterday.  And this made us jump back up to 60% for our 30 day score.  So Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Which leads us into our show today

Thank you!

Thank you for listening today.

Thank you for the feedback concerning this program.  It’s been great to hear from you guys.

Thank you for the energy you bring to the Kroger Company

Thank you Thank You Thank you

2 very simple words

Thank you

2 very powerful words

Thank you

2 very necessary words

Thank you

We are in the business of serving people.

We serve over 50,000 customers a day in our district.

And that’s just our customers who pay - what about the people that come with them?

Add that to the total

What about our vendors?

We serve them as they serve us…add them to the total

And our associates

We certainly serve them!

So just for fun let’s say we serve over 100,000 people a day

How many times do we say

THANK YOU

Saying "thank you" has become a competitive advantage. So few people express appreciation. In fact a Lenox etiquette poll found that nearly five out of every 10 people don't always say thanks

That is why remembering to do so is a sales point of difference.

I am shocked by our Customer Connection scores pertaining to Appreciating - saying thank you.  As a division we’re sitting at 77%.  It just seems like a basic thing to do in business and in life.  Our customers are giving us their money - shouldn’t we say thank you?

If someone handed you a few thousand dollars wouldn’t you say thank you in a BIG way?

Of course you would and this is what our customers are doing - handing us thousands of dollars each year.

Thank you

And a side note - don’t say “no problem”

Man that’s a pet peeve of mine…

And we see this or encounter this everyday.  I went into a store the other day - not a Kroger store but I’ve seen similar encounters in Kroger - and I made my selection and went to checkout.  As the cashier handed me my purchases after I handed her my money I said thank you.  Her reply was “No Problem”

Man I hate that!

It should never ever ever ever be a problem to serve a customer and when we say “No Problem” we are implying that a problem could’ve occurred - that the customer may have inconvenienced us.

UGH

Just say Thank You!  Thank you!  That’s all

These two words hold great power beyond the business world as well.

They are two words that have the power to transform our health, happiness, and success. Research shows that grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships. A state of gratitude, according to research by the Institute of HeartMath, also improves the heart’s rhythmic functioning, which helps us to reduce stress, think more clearly under pressure and heal physically. It’s actually physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are grateful you flood your body and brain with emotions and endorphins that uplift and energize you rather than the stress hormones that drain you.

And thanking our team has great power too.

Gratitude and appreciation are essential for a healthy work environment. In fact, the number one reason why people leave their jobs is because they don’t feel appreciated. A simple thank you and a show of appreciation can make all the difference.

Saying thanks to associates has several benefits. You build staff loyalty (and we all know how much turnover can cost in time, money and stress). And you increase productivity, which leads to greater customer satisfaction….OSAT baby

Yet few managers or business owners bother. So it’s a problem outside of Kroger as well.  A scant 10% of employees report they have supervisors who say a daily "thank you" for a job well done, according to a recent nationwide Maritz poll. More than half of employees said they were thanked never, seldom or only occasionally.

WOW

So yesterday we covered the first of the 3 “A”s - Acknowledgement.  Today we have covered the last of the 3 “A”s - Appreciate.
If we get these two things mastered just think where we could go…

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

How easy it is to say…

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #2

The OSAT Renaissance Project
Episode #2
November 11, 2014

The Power of Acknowledgement

Good Morning

I have a daughter who is 15 months old, Eleni is her name.  We just enrolled Eleni in daycare and this daycare has a lot of glass.  Glass windows, glass doors everywhere there is glass.  It makes it easy for the teachers to see things that happen.  It also makes it easy for the kids to see things that happen too.

My daughter has become the “waver”  She waves at everybody and everything that comes by her class.  She stands at the door…she stands at the window…watching.  Then she shoots her hand up in the air and yells “Hi” or at least that’s what we think she is saying.  It’s hard to understand her but she is pretty good at “bye bye” and this sounds different so we think it’s “Hi”.  She now has the nickname, “The Greeter.”  That’s what the teachers call her - The Greeter.

As we meet parents of other kids in the daycare and introduce ourselves it is usually part of the conversation to ask what classroom your kid is in.  When we tell other parents what class Eleni is in and what her name is a look of recognition comes across their faces, “We know her - she’s the greeter!  She is always waving  and telling us Hi!”

It is amazing to see the reaction of others as they tell us their “Greeter” story.  They remember her…and it brings pleasure - to both them and us!

Eleni is always acknowledging everyone.

And we should be too.

I know it’s easy to find pleasure in a 15 month old’s wave but it is human nature to want to be acknowledged.

Being acknowledged as a customer is generally a nice thing don’t you think.

It makes you feel that you are valued, and that’s the experience a customer should have.

Being ignored, is an experience a customer should not have.

Acknowledge your customer’s presence

This seems too basic to even mention.

What breathing is to living, acknowledgement is to working with customers.  You remember this type of statement from your SATs

What breathing is to living - acknowledgment is to working with customers.

So, why even have a rule that deals with it?

Because, as basic and fundamental as this idea is, it still gets forgotten on a regular basis. Every day customers are made "invisible" by our associates who are there to serve them.  But rather than serving them, they ignore them.  They act as if the customers doesn’t exist.  Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on their part. But either way, the problem is rampant and it’s dangerous.

Remember from your Customer Service classes from years ago - I remember talking about this during the ABC’s of Customer Service seminar - that 68% of customers leave because of indifference from our associates?

If a customer is ignored, how might they rate their service?  Bad probably.

Customers who are ignored are one step away from being former customers, and unhappy ones at that.  They will gladly tell anyone who seems even remotely interested why they left your business…or post it on Facebook -  "The employees acted like I was not even there" is what they will post.

But there is good news.

Because the cause of invisible customers is also the cure.  Customers become invisible because associates make them invisible.  It is a conscious choice by the associates to ignore customers.  That is the ONLY way customers can be invisible.

So, the solution is just as simple: Stop ignoring customers.

As the manager - and as the manager you own this - you need to understand what would make an associate ignore their customers.  There are many reasons.  Bad attitude, too "busy", misunderstanding what the priorities are, etc.  You need to make it clear (with your policies and your own behavior) what the priorities are.

You - as the manager - need to make it clear with your policies and your own behavior what the priorities are.

"Customers first" should be burned into everyone’s brain.

The best way to honor this rule and avoid invisible customers is to make it a point to acknowledge every customer immediately.  The second you see a customer, greet them and make eye contact. They need to know you know they are there.

They need to know you know they are there.
Even if you can’t help them at that moment, it’s critical to acknowledge them.  Never wait to greet a customer.  Make it a habit of greeting them right away.

Have you ever gone to a restaurant, hotel, a store, and stood there while the staff walks by you, apparently busy doing . . . something…and you felt invisible?

That’s not really the experience a customer wants to have, is it?

It is really not that hard to acknowledge people.  You just make eye contact, say “Hello, I’ll be right with you.”  And follow that with a smile.

A simple acknowledgment and smile will go a long way.

And when folks are waiting in line - you absolutely must acknowledge them.  We're a time sensitive culture. Technology has driven us to expect things faster, easier and quicker.

Customers get impatient.

But if you acknowledge them…simply make eye contact, provide a smile and offer a nice greeting you can set up a positive customer experience by reducing the impatience and anxiety of the wait for that customer.

It’s never been more dangerous to provide bad customer service.  There is way too much competition out there and the only real difference between us and them is the level of service we provide.

Let’s become “wavers”.  Let’s earn the nickname, “The Greeter”

It’s so simple even a 15 month old can do it!





sources for this episode:
http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/operations-customer/12268784-1.html

http://www.myservicefirst.com/principle-2-acknowledge-your-customer/

http://www.iowabiz.com/2011/03/ackowledging-customers-is-first-step-of-great-service.html

The OSAT Renaissance Project #1

Below are my "program notes" for our daily conference call that's not a conference call about the Overall Satisfaction (OSAT) of our customers.  I will share my notes here each day...and please know that these are my notes - although basically fully written out.  When presenting this material during the call that's not a call I will change, modify, cut, add to the text!

The OSAT Renaissance Project

Episode #1

November 10, 2014

Good Morning and Welcome to the very first episode of The OSAT Renaissance Project…The Overall Satisfaction Renaissance Project…The ORP…

ORP - hows that for putting an acronym, OSAT inside another acronym - ORP - The OSAT Renaissance Project!

Well…Welcome

Many of you - in fact most of you do not want to sit in on another conference call.

I get it…I get it…

That is why this is not a conference call - it is an episode…a show…a podcast…a program…whatever you want to call it but just don’t call it a conference call

Now if you insist on calling this a conference call just know that this is not going to be your granddaddy’s conference call…oh no…

actually who knows if your granddaddy ever even sat in on a conference call.  

I did a little bit of research and the best I can tell is that the first conference call took place in 1956 - not counting party lines for those of you who know what they are but I digress…this isn’t 1956, it’s 2014 and this is not a conference call 

It is The OSAT Renaissance Project Episode #1

Why are we here?

Because we have to lead OSAT higher…that’s right…I said LEAD OSAT

I didn’t say push OSAT

I didn’t say Drive OSAT

I am not a believer that we can PUSH OSAT

I am not a believer that we can DRIVE OSAT although that is one of our favorite words - drive something…drive results

I am certainly not a believer that we can punish our way to OSAT.  That seems counterintuitive to me.

We have to LEAD our way to OSAT

So if you don’t get anything else from this 1st episode of The OSAT Renaissance Project…just get that out of it…that we have to LEAD our way - the way!

And we are all leaders - anyone listening today is a leader.

Why are we doing this?

Well..because our OSAT is stagnant.  And you know what stagnant is…

Stagnant water just sits there and breeds bugs and nastiness and disease!  It’s just not good for anyone and that’s why you drain ponds and swamps and stuff like that because it just gets nasty.

Our OSAT scores are nasty and stagnant.

We’re sitting at 58, 59 and an occasional 60 for our 30 day score and we just need to do better.

We’ve got to lead the score higher.

And why do we want to do that?

Because OSAT should be our highest priority - our highest focus…that seems like common sense.  I know some of you are thinking “why do I have to be on a call about OSAT when we have so much to do?”

Because our customers are the reason we have a business.  Without customers we won’t have that business to run.  We want Highly Satisfied customers because they will spend more money with us.  Right?  We’ve seen the stats - so let’s turn every customer into a HIGHLY SATISFIED customer…a most loyal customer.

So…OSAT Renaissance Project - why the name?

Renaissance…Renaissance means a “Re-Birth” it is a Cultural Shift and that is exactly what we need in District O - a Cultural Shift…a re-birth in terms of OSAT.

We have to rethink the way we do stuff.  We all have to be on the same page - aligned - or the shift won’t happen.

Think about it - the Renaissance did not happen because one guy decided it was going to happen.  It didn’t happen because 24 guys came together on the medieval version of a conference call and talked about it…No…it was because a movement of many sparked a cultural shift throughout the entire population.  Exciting times back then!

It this can be exciting too!

OSAT can be exciting.  To me it’s the most fun thing about our jobs - engaging with our customers.  And that’s what we want to do…engage and lead the scores higher!

We can do this!

It is possible but we have to re-think…have a re-birth…have a cultural shift toward Customer Satisfaction.

So as we start this new thing I want you to think about something.  Think about when you first started at Kroger because I’m going to challenge you to go back to start.  No…not like in the board games where you landed on a square and you said, “Arrrggh…I have to go back to start!”  

No what I’m asking is that you go back to start in a good way.  When you first start anything you are probably very excited.  Again, think back to when you first started at Kroger - no matter what position it was you were excited.  “I got a new job.  I am so happy.  I can’t wait to get started.  I’m going to change the world!”  Or when you first were accepted into the management program, “Wow, I’m a manager now.  I can’t wait to make an impact.  I can’t wait to change my store…I am going to change the world!”  Or when you first became Unit Manager, “Finally…now I can make stuff happen…now I can change the world!”

I am asking everyone who is listening to tho episode, this show, this program to go back to start on OSAT and change the world!

And grab the excitement of when we first started and grab that motivation that made you say, “I’m going to go do stuff…I’m going to make stuff happen.” Because that’s what we do - we make stuff happen.

The OSAT Renaissance Project - a re-birth -a cultural shift.

How is this show going to work

Well..this week you will mainly hear from me and maybe a couple of other people but next week you guys out in the stores will take over a portion of the program. 

Yup…you guys get to participate.

The way this is going to work is that each day a different store will speak about a subject on Leading OSAT.  I will send out an agenda sometime this afternoon that will lay out the shows for next week.  On this agenda I will list the days of the week and next to the days of the week will be a store number - a different store number for each day.  This will be the store presenting on that particular day.  Say for example the agenda will show Monday and store 214.  This means on Monday someone from 214 will have to present during the episode on a topic pertaining to OSAT.  I will include suggested topics on the agenda but you do not have to use the suggested topics if you do not want to.  You can talk about whatever you want to as long as it is related to OSAT and helps us all LEAD the score higher.  On Tuesday another store will present…on Wednesday another store…on Thursday another and so on and so on…

So basically every 24 days you will get to present.

So once we get this rolling the episodes will flow like this…I will open the episode then turn it over to a store.  The store does their bit and then it comes back to me and I will introduce other guests, present some other materials and then close the show.

I am not looking for the shows to be very long.  I know it is a big concern for many of you how much time we will take everyday but we will keep it short.

Sort of like our mini-huddles!  Short burst of great information, energy and excitement!

Everyday…Everyday….Everyday…

Why everyday I heard from some.  But you know what? 

Anything that can make you better don’t you want to do it everyday?

Anything that is fun and exciting wouldn’t you want to do it everyday?

That is what the OSAT Renaissance Project is going to be.  You are going to want to listen to it.  You need to listen to it!  

I can’t do Jack Nicholson but maybe you got the reference.

My mom used to always say - and I mean always…

You can do anything you want as long as you want to do it bad enough

So let’s go do this.  Let’s make stuff happen!

An OSAT Renaissance!

It’ll be fun and informative

I’ll see you tomorrow

Three Powerful Words

I Don't Know

Three powerful words of leadership

I Don't Know

You are not in leadership because you know everything.  You are in leadership because you can solve problems, remove obstacles, create an environment of success.  You know how to find an answer.

It is ok to say...

I Don't Know

It makes you a better leader!

New Job

I have not written a blog post for quite sometime now and it is because I have started a new job within Kroger and I'm trying to figure it out.  It's funny to think that I have worked for the company for 31 years and yet everyday since I started this new job I find out what I don't know.

As they say, "You don't know what you don't know until you know it!"

My new job is the Human Resource Coordinator for a district.  It is kinda amazing all the things that have come across my desk, phone, email...in the two weeks since I started.  You really do not realize how insulated from the rest of the company you are when you are running a single store.

It's been good so far...I hope it continues!

Help your employees experience the sort of service you want them to deliver

I read the following this morning while browsing the internet. It is an article about helping your associates experience the kind of customer service you are expecting from them. Many of our associates may not have ever experienced the level of service we are expecting of them so they may not have any idea of how to provide it. It has caused me to think about the issue and I do not have any answers this morning other than to send everyone to Disney for a week! (I love Disney and am always overwhelmed by the level of service I have received while visiting.)
I would love comments or suggestions on this topic.



Help your employees experience the sort of service you want them to deliver
By Adrian Swinscoe

Recently I read an article by Xenia Carr-Griffiths in a newsletter from Hudson Walker International, a global luxury executive search and recruitment firm, called: The Luxury Of Service And The Service Of Luxury.

In the article, Xenia says that:

“If all our customer facing staff have not had the benefit of experiencing first hand luxury service we should at least ensure that we impart a greater understanding of what it means to both work in and deliver high standards of customer care.”

Xenia’s comment made me wonder two things:

How many firms want their employees to deliver a level of service that they have never experienced; and
Whether traditional methods of training and development are sufficient if a firm wants to build the sort of culture and capability that is required to deliver top-class customer service.
Personally, I think there is an opportunity for many firms to go further and think differently about how they help their employees understand the sort of service that they want them to deliver.

Too often businesses rely on telling their employees how they want them to be, what they want them to do and when in order to deliver great service. This helps employees ‘know’ what is expected of them.

But, do they ‘get’ what is expected of them and what it takes to deliver that level of service? Especially, if many employees have, as Xenia explains, not experienced the ‘luxury’ service the firm aspires to? Moreover, if many employees have not ‘felt’ the sort of service that firms want to deliver then how will they really know if they have delivered it?

One of the main challenges here, however, is that experiencing that level of service may not be affordable for some customer facing staff.

Therefore, could ambitious companies turn this challenge around and turn it into an opportunity? Could they benefit from helping their employees experience the sort of service that they aspire to deliver? Could that help their employees better ‘get’ the sort of service and experience that they want to deliver? Could it inspire insights and innovations that could lead to them improving their own service in ways that they had not expected?

I think there is an opportunity to build ‘service experiences’ into a company’s training, continuous improvement or induction programmes, where the company takes it’s employees to experience and learn from the service of a firm that they look up to. Doing so will help the employees of those firms ‘get’ the sort of service and experience that their employers want them to deliver.

As Confucius once said:

“Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.”

http://customerthink.com/help-your-employees-experience-the-sort-of-service-you-want-them-to-deliver/

Standing Ovation!

Just a thought I had today...it may not be an original thought because I have the idea I may have read about this sometime in my past but I can't remember where so...we'll just move forward... :-)

When was the last time you received a standing ovation?  Probably awhile ago in school if you have ever received one at all.  But you liked the feeling didn't you?

How can we give our associates that feeling?

How about during a huddle - or just at a random time during the day/week - we get a group together and take chairs with us to recognize an associate for doing good things.  We all sit in our chairs as we offer the recognition and then we stand up and give the associate a round of applause - a Standing Ovation!

Imagine the impact!

I'm going to try this at my store this week.  Who's with me?

Kroger Gone

From 1988...hee hee...not quite...

(Thanks Andrea Berry, @akberry on twitter, for Sharing!)

Empty Our Plate

I constantly hear that a store director's plate is full.  That we are responsible for so many things that it is hard to get everything done.  This may be true but I would like to give everyone - including myself - something to think about.

One of the hardest thing to do as a leader is to delegate.  It is hard because we became successful by doing many of things that we should now be delegating...and we probably think we do them better than anyone else anyway.  But we cannot be successful as a leader without being able to delegate and trust the people who trust us as a leader.  As a leader we have to do our jobs differently than we did as we worked our way up the ladder.  We have to learn a new way to be successful.  There is too much to do in a store to try to do it all by ourselves.  Let's look at some of the things that fill up our plates everyday and see if we can pull some things off of it.

Green Half Hours - a big part of our day and a big statistic that we must meet.  However there is a co-manager over the front end as well as the front end manager, the back-up, the floor supervisors, the self-checkout attendant and the cashiers who are all responsible for this.  With that many people looking at it we should be able to move this off of our plate.

Out of Stocks - there are co-managers over each departments as well as the department heads, the assistant department heads and the lead clerks.  They should all be responsible for this part of our business.  Move it off your plate.

Wage Management -  there are co-managers over each departments as well as the department heads, the assistant department heads and the lead clerks.  They should all be responsible for this part of our business.  Move it off your plate...or at least move it to the edge with some of it dangling off.

Merchandising -  there are co-managers over each departments as well as the department heads, the assistant department heads and the lead clerks.  They should all be responsible for this part of our business.  Move it off your plate.  See a pattern developing?

Sanitation and Food Safety -  Care to guess what follows?  You're right!  There are co-managers over each departments as well as the department heads, the assistant department heads and the lead clerks.  They should all be responsible for this part of our business.  Move it off your plate.

I could go on and on about many of the things on our plates and give the same answer.  What we have to do is make sure that all of these people - our co-managers, department managers, back-ups, leads, supervisors, etc have the training and the tools to properly do their jobs and then we hold them accountable for the results - and we should expect positive results if we give them what they need.  My point is that we have many people in our stores to help us get things done if only we let them.

We can then concentrate on the thing that we cannot delegate...creating the environment that allows for success.  As a leader this should be our focus.  Success for our associates and success for our customers.

What?  Success for our customers?

Yes

Success for our customers means that they are getting what they want, when they want it, how they want it...a Highly Successful Shopping Experience or as we say a Highly Satisfied Shopping Experience.

If we learn to delegate.  If we give our team the tools and the training.  If we create the environment that allows for success to happen our plates become much lighter - with much healthier stuff on it.  And the lighter our plates become the more time we can spend on creating the successful environment which lightens our plates, which gives us more time, which lightens...

Just something to think about...

My Responsibility

The subject of my last post made an impression on me.  That is why I posted it of course.  The general idea of the post was that if a business - in my case a grocery store - wanted great customer service than it would be the responsibility of the person in charge to make sure it happens.  If the business is providing bad service the reason is the person in charge allows for the bad service to happen.

I guess you always know this in the back of your mind to sometimes you need to get slapped on your head to bring it to the front.  Reading the blog from www.marksandborn.com was my slap.

In running my store I have two assistant managers and multiple department managers.  Many times it seems that my plate is overloaded.  When examining why I realize that it is because I am loading my plate with other people's responsibilities - my assistant's and my department manager's responsibilities.  Because of this I cannot do what I need to be doing and what is in fact the most important thing for me to do - create an environment of service...making sure my customers are highly satisfied with their shopping experience and become ambassadors for the store.

My assistant managers and department managers are the subject matter experts in their areas - or should be.  I should not have to concern myself with the minutia of running their areas.  What would be the reason for me having them on my payroll if I am going to do their jobs - or interfere while they are trying to do their jobs.  I need to let them run.

Of course I need to train, follow up, train some more and follow up some more to make sure they are taking care of their areas of responsibility but by turning them loose and letting them run I can then concentrate on my job.

My boss read the blog from my last post and challenged all of his store directors to create the environment of service in their stores.  The leaders of our company have determined that this is the path we should take as an enterprise.  Now we just have to execute in our individual stores.

There are many paths that can be taken to get to the goal.  I will cover those in upcoming posts.  For now though I am going to turn my managers free and do what I am supposed to do - take care of our customers!

Why is Customer Service So Bad At Most Places

I came across this on www.marksanborn.com - It's a GREAT read...

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From Scott McKain:

Customer service is bad at most places, because evidently that is what CEO’s and managers want.  What other reason could there be for them to accept such miserable performance?

Most care more about selling than serving.  We know that when sales decline, companies will buy ads, offer new customers better deals than existing ones, deliver training, hold major events, and take any number of extraordinary measures to pump up revenue. They are passionate and precise about customer acquisition — but reserved and reticent about customer retention.

Here’s evidence:  most companies have annual sales rallies – how many have one every year for customer service?

Educated and cared-for employees should be prepared to deliver “Ultimate Customer Experiences ®” to everyone spending money with you.  In turn, these customers replicate their purchases, and refer you to their friends and colleagues.  Your business grows.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

If everybody – from front line employees, to entrepreneurs, to major corporate executives – would create experiences so compelling to customers that their loyalty becomes assured, organizations would experience enhanced levels of both acquisition and retention.

Yet, if it’s not the priority of the leadership or owners – why should the folks on the front line get excited about it?

To find out more about Scott McKain, go to: www.ScottMcKain.com

From Larry Winget:

Customer service is bad because we allow it to be bad. What do you do when you get bad service? Tell the truth. Most do nothing. Most people simply don’t have the cojones to speak up when they get bad service. They don’t tell the person delivering it. They don’t ask for a manager. They don’t leave an online review. At most, they might – maybe – possibly (though probably not) stop shopping with that business.

If you aren’t willing to speak up, then you are an accessory to the crime. You have allowed a crime to happen and stayed silent about it. Shame on you. You owe it to yourself, the next shopper and to the company to speak up in an effort to make things better in the future. You can’t ignore bad service and expect it to get better. Behavior that is ignored will be repeated. It’s a law. Write it down.

Next time you get bad service, speak up. Remember: it’s your money you are defending – money you worked hard for. Tell the company and others. Use the internet and social media. That’s how customer service will improve for all of us.

Larry Winget, the Pitbull of Personal Development©, is a six-time NYT/WSJ bestselling author, social commentator and appears regularly on many national television news shows. To find out more, go to www.LarryWinget.com.

From Mark Sanborn:

Larry makes a great point about the customer’s culpability in enabling bad customer service. Here is the employer’s role:

1. Customer service isn’t taught. No matter how motivated an employee is, they can’t perform a job without the right skills. (And don’t confuse “smile and grin” training with true customer service training. There is more to great service than simply “being nice.”)

2. It isn’t rewarded. Most organizations pay no more attention to those who provide great service than those who don’t. As the old adage goes, what gets rewarded gets done. The corollary is what doesn’t get rewarded usually stops being done.

3. It isn’t required. If delivering extraordinary service isn’t part of the job description, don’t be surprised when you don’t get it and get push back when you “request” it. Great service shouldn’t be an option.

Require your team to provide great service. Just make sure you teach them how and reward them appropriately when they do.

Mark Sanborn is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio for leadership development. He is an award-winning speaker bestselling author of books including, The Fred Factor. For more information and free resources, visit www.marksanborn.com.

From Joe Calloway:

At 90+% of the places I do business, customer service runs from good to absolutely great.  I travel a lot, and renting a car used to be torture.  Now I hit about 4 clicks on the rental website, get to the airport, walk into the lot and pick any car I want (I tend to rent from National), and drive away.  I recently returned some hiking boots I’d worn for a while to REI (I wasn’t happy with the fit.)  They smiled, got a salesperson to help me with another pair, and I was on my way.  The kids working at Chik-fil-A are friendly, efficient, and the chicken is good.  Amazon Prime is one button to buy and ships in two days.  Zappos service is legend. My car dealer loans me a new car to use when I get mine serviced.

“But wait!  You aren’t going to the places with bad service!”

Exactly.  Read  Larry Winget’s post on this.  If I get bad service, I fire them.  I don’t go back and I tell them why and they don’t get my money any more.  Lousy service happens when customers let them get away with it.

Joe Calloway helps great companies get even better. www.JoeCalloway.com

From Randy Pennington:

My friends are correct – service is bad because leaders want and/or allow it.

From my experience, this leadership failure is rooted in one critical idea: Companies with bad service view it as a cost to be managed rather than an investment that creates a competitive advantage.

This view will never be acknowledged. In fact, most companies say that they strive for service excellence. Words are not action, however. Focus on these three areas if you want to make service your competitive advantage:

1. People: Who do you hire? How are they trained, compensated, and rewarded? Do your front-line leaders develop them and provide a great environment in which to work? Who is promoted, and who is fired?

2. Process: Is every process clearly defined, documented, and communicated? Are your processes designed to deliver the best possible result for the customer or the least expensive result for the company? Do you continually evaluate and update processes to stay current and relevant?

3. Tools: Do your people have the resources and information they need to succeed? Are they empowered to actually use the tools at their disposal?

Stop managing service as a cost. Start leading it as an investment.

Randy Pennington helps leaders deliver positive results in a world of accelerating change. To find out more, go to www.penningtongroup.com.

Service

Excellent service does not simply come from a friendly transaction or helpful technology—it is the result of truly understanding your customer’s expectations and putting the right guidelines and service standards in place to exceed them. When an organizational framework properly unites its people, place and processes by putting the customer at its core, exceptional service becomes possible across customer touch points. This creates greater intent to return and recommend, as well as a stronger competitive edge.

Great people + clearly defined standards + well-managed processes = exceptional CustServ

(from The Disney Institute)

Service is Joy

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” ― Tagore

Err on the Side of Action

I was again going through my notes and things and came across the note

Err on the Side of Action

I don't know why I wrote this down but when re-reading it just now I wish I could implant this into every teenager head.  (and many a non-teenager!)  It seems like a lot of folks go through the day with the philosophy of

Don't just do something, stand there!

UGH!

Err on the side of action

When you don't know what to do just do something!

Trust your instincts and GO!

You'll be ok

If it turns out to be a mistake...well...you can fix it with a little more action!

A Quote from Hannah (my 5 year old)

Mistakes are ok.  They are just an opportunity to learn.

Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS

Teamwork

Teamwork divides the tasks and multiplies the success!

I'm not sure where I heard this but I was going through my notebook today and saw this written down.  I probably heard this on a podcast or something and it made an impact on me enough to write it down.

I often say Teamwork Makes the Dream Work  (which I stole from Randy Waters here at Kroger).  Now I have a follow-up to this statement and can tell my team how teamwork makes the dream work...

By dividing the tasks and multiplying the success!

Simple...