People don’t like to feel like they are a transaction. That is exactly how I felt when I recently rented a car. The rental car agent was fast and efficient. He spat out a series of standard car rental questions with laser-like proficiency. In fact, the entire transaction took less
Years ago, I heard a French wine maker say, “Good is not good enough; in fact, it has to be perfect all the time”. He was referring to the detail and care that goes into growing grapes at his winery. That one quote captures the essence of what a 5-star/5-diamond
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don’t need to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t even
No matter how you look at it, serving is about giving. In fact, giving, sharing, helping and teaching all go hand-in-hand. When I wrote The Double-Platinum Rule, my intent was to highlight the importance of going beyond merely meeting expectations. I wanted to emphasize the importance of looking for opportunities
In any personal relationship, building trust is a key ingredient. Without trust, there really is no opportunity to deepen the relationship or have it evolve beyond the superficial stage. The same is true for customer relationships. To build trust and, loyalty with your customers, three elements are needed: competency, integrity,
Everyday there are many employees who go to work, and are looking for one thing. No, the one thing I am referring to has nothing to do with compensation. The “one thing” is more intrinsic in nature. These employees are looking to be inspired. Tony Zseigh, CEO of Zappos.com, made a
When I am traveling in the U.S., my favorite airline is Southwest Airlines. It is very obvious to me that Southwest understands that customer service is more than just a public relations statement. For example, they give you the option of having a customer service phone representative call you back
We will periodically bring you interviews with people who work like they own it! These service superstars consistently work with pride, passion, and professionalism. The purpose of these interviews is to gain some insight into how these world-class service professionals approach their job and what is needed to keep them
The more I think about it, the more I realize that serving is about honoring. Hoteliers and spa professionals honor their guests…healthcare professionals honor their patients…educators honor their students and so on. To fully understand what this article is about, let us first define “honor”. A quick review of any
As a follow up to my article about being eager to serve, it is important to highlight the importance of the entire welcome experience. There is a popular saying that goes, You never get a second chance to make a first impression. While it is possible, it can be difficult
On a recent family trip to Bali, we had the privilege of flying on Korean Air. Virtually every touchpoint was memorable. Everything from the reservations process, to the actual flights, was world-class, and I was able to glean some key learning points to share with you. I am a firm believer
I have two confessions to make. One is…I am a huge fan of Zappos.com. So much so that I am dedicating a large chunk of this article to their renowned service culture. Every time I meet someone who has shopped at Zappos.com, the reaction is always the same, “I love
