Do You Inspire Yourself?

Forget your customers for a minute. If you're reading this post, I'm pretty sure you think about your customers quite a bit. In fact, that's one of the main goals of this blog (and our whole company): to give you ideas and insight to help you serve your customers better.

But aside from reading our blog religiously every week -- as I'm SURE you do -- do you do anything else to inspire yourself to better service? Service-oriented people are a strange breed. We spend so much of our energy serving other people that we sometimes forget to stop and re-energize ourselves once in awhile.

I know the reasons why, because I struggle with this issue myself. Taking time to inspire myself feels selfish. Or it doesn't seem like the best use of my time. I could use that time to serve somebody else or work on my business. If I take time to inspire myself (God forbid I actually do it during a normal workday), I'm afraid that others will think I'm not working hard. Or I might actually miss an opportunity to serve a customer.

Service-oriented people burn out faster than most. Providing service is weirdly energizing and draining at the same time. We get some real positive energy when we provide great service, BUT it can also be physically and mentally draining. When we burn out, it's because we've served others too much or too long without re-charging our batteries.

I'm going to the NACCM Customer's 1st Conference in Phoenix next week. I'm incredibly excited to go. I had considered going when I first found out about it months ago, however I quickly talked myself out of it. I told myself it was too expensive, especially during this financially-challenged year.

Then an amazing thing happened: I was offered FREE ADMISSION to the conference if I agreed to be a "guest blogger." The full-access pass is worth around $3000. That's pretty good compensation to write a handful of articles about a topic that I love. It's a no-brainer, right?

Then an even more amazing thing happened: I tried to talk myself out of going to the conference...AGAIN! Only this time, I had to face the real issue: I couldn't rationalize taking three whole days to inspire myself. I felt guilty even thinking about it. Going to a beautiful resort in sunny Phoenix when my staff is stuck in the gray, soon-to-be leafless Columbus fall? Forget about it. Spending three days attending amazing keynotes and workshops on customer service while my staff is here working hard to serve our customers? No way. And don't even get me started on the guilt of leaving my family for three days.

But I have to go. Not just because I already bought the airline tickets. I have to go because it's way too great of an opportunity to practice what I'm preaching in this article.

Thankfully, my wife, my staff, and my friends all told the same thing when I was debating whether or not to go:

"Are you nuts? GO!"

While I'm suppressing the thought that they all just want me out of town, I'm finally really, really excited to go. I'm excited to learn. I'm excited to relax. I'm excited to interact with people from all over the country who are fired up about customer service. I'm excited to take some time to inspire myself.

So, when was the last time you took some time to inspire yourself? When was the last time you read a great book on customer service? When was the last time you attended a workshop or conference? When was the last time you went to a restaurant, hotel, or spa just to enjoy and be inspired by the service experience?

Do it soon. Do it regularly. The world needs you to keep your batteries charged.

One more thing. If you know a service-oriented person who needs some inspiration, encourage them to take the time. Reassure them that it's not just ok, it's necessary. The world needs them to keep their batteries charged, too.

If you're interested in the NACCM Customer 1st Conference, I will be writing about my experience daily here on our blog as well as the Customers 1st Blog.

You can also find out more about the conference, including the great lineup of speakers and session leaders at the conference website. Don't forget to check out the podcasts with some of the speakers. The podcasts are short, but filled with great thoughts about a variety of customer service topics.

Do It Anyway - the sparkspace version

Last week, I passed along a poem from Mother Teresa that really resonated with many of you (it's quickly become one of the most forwarded articles in recent history).

I've been thinking a lot about that poem and it inspired me to write my own customer service version. Hey, even Mother Teresa adapted it from a guy named Kent Keith, although I still like Mother Teresa's version a little better.

As you read and share this, I hope it inspires you to better service. I also hope you consider writing your own version that will remind and motivate your team to be their best. Of course, you have my permission to use this version. And I'm pretty sure Mother Teresa would be ok if you used hers, too.

By the way, I realize this poem sounds a little negative, but I certainly don't mean it that way. It's really a reminder of what great service looks like, even when times are tough. The way I see it, if you can provide great service during dark times, you likely knock it out of the park when times are shiny.

Do It Anyway - sparkspace version

Customers can be unreasonable, irrational, and downright disrespectful. Serve them anyway.

Very few customers will truly care about you. Care about them anyway.

Sometimes it's hard to smile at every customer. Smile anyway.

If you are great at service, you will be frustrated by the lack of great service you receive elsewhere. Be great anyway, and realize you stand out.

If you are honest and sincere with your customers, some of them will steal, cheat, and stab you in the back. Be honest and sincere anyway.

If you are committed, generous, and loyal to your customers, some of them will still buy from your competition to save a buck. Be committed, generous, and loyal anyway.

If you are successful, your competition will steal your best ideas. Be successful anyway (and never stop innovating).

What you spend years creating, a bad economy or fierce competition could destroy overnight. Create like crazy anyway.

If you love your job, some (or many, or all) may be jealous. Love your job anyway...and let it show.

The excellent service you provide today may be forgotten tomorrow. Serve excellently anyway.

Do your best every day. It will never be good enough for some. Get over it, and do your best anyway.

In the end, if you truly serve your customers, work hard, and constantly improve your product (especially when that product is YOU), you will succeed.

Do It Anyway

I get a lot of customer service ideas at church. Yep, church. I used to think it was odd, too, but now I realize why. A major component of church is service. At church, we're told to serve our maker, serve the less fortunate, and serve each other.

Service is service, whether you're serving the needy, serving your team, or serving your customers. The underlying theme is always the same: put others' needs in front of your own and things tend to work out ok for everybody.

At a recent church service (there's that word again), I heard a fantastic poem from Mother Teresa. Well, not directly from her or you would have heard about that on the news. Someone read this poem. This poem is so fantastic, I can't believe I hadn't heard it before. Some sources say this was actually found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's room. I'm not going to comment on this poem afterward, I'd just like you to read it and let it inspire you to a higher level of service.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

-- attributed to Mother Teresa

Upgrade!

I've been dying to tell you about my recent trip to Florida. My wife and I snuck away last week for a romantic 2-day getaway in St. Pete Beach.

First, I have to tell you about my experience with Hertz car rental. While I love nice hotels, I could care less about rental cars. On this trip, all I needed was a car to take us from the airport to the hotel and back. So, being the cheapskate that I am, I rented my car on Hotwire.com. Hotwire is one of those websites where you can get crazy low prices on airfare, hotels, and rental cars, but you don't know exactly what you're going to get until you commit to purchasing. In this case, I got a rental car for $19.95 per day. I was pretty thrilled by that. After all, a rental car is a rental car, right?

As luck - and Hotwire - would have it, I would be renting my car from Hertz, the #1 car rental company in America. I like Hertz. They always seem to be on the ball. As we approached the counter, we were greeted by a big smile attached to a nametag that told us the smile belonged to Mary Alice. Mary Alice proceeded to check us in, ask us where we were from, and what we were doing in the Tampa area. Very nice. Really enjoyed chatting with her. She seemed to genuinely like her job. She also seemed to really enjoy the fact that we were celebrating our 19th anniversary on this trip.

"You're going to have a great time here in Florida," said the very tan Mary Alice.

"I'm sure we will," said the very pale author from Columbus, Ohio.

"Oh, I KNOW you will, starting right now," Mary Alice chimed as she handed us our keys. Ok, she seemed a little too perky at this point, but we said thanks and headed out to the rows of rental cars and spot A33.

I glanced down at the keys in my hand. The keytag said "Mustang Convertible - Red". Sure enough, in spot A33 was a shiny, brand new, Mustang convertible. I think I may have unconsciously uttered a swear word of surprise under my breath. I can't remember. I was in shock.

I don't know if you know much about Florida, but the sun shines there a lot. And when you visit from Columbus, Ohio, you try to squeeze in as much sun as possible when you're there. A convertible is a really, really great way to do that. So, ignoring the fact that I looked like a guy with a mid-life crisis, I hopped in the shiny convertible sports car with my hot, young wife and drove off into the Florida sun.

As if that wasn't awesome enough, when we arrived at the hotel, we had another amazing experience. The front desk clerk wasn't available, so the concierge checked us in. She instantly upgraded us from a room with no view to a corner room with a view of the gulf. That meant we had an amazing view of the water and windows on two sides. Easily one of the nicest rooms we've ever stayed in. And we didn't even tell her we were there for our anniversary!

Why did both Hertz and our hotel (The Don Cesar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, by the way) both upgrade us? Was it karma? Had we recently done something extra good and the universe was rewarding us with a cool car and an unforgettable view of the Gulf of Mexico? Maybe, but I suspect something else was happening. It was September in Florida. We were pretty much the only ones on the beach. It's a slow time for Florida and there is extra rental car and hotel room inventory pretty much everywhere. Hertz and "The Don" (as the locals call it) both took advantage of their extra inventory and used it to create a better experience for us.

The convertible and the corner room were both sitting there unused. It really makes no difference to Hertz if we drive a compact or a convertible if they're both sitting unused. It really makes no difference to the Don Cesar if we sleep in a standard room or a room with a view if they're both sitting there unused. You could make the argument that a convertible costs more to maintain and replace than a compact, but I'd argue right back that the impression you can make with an upgrade like that is literally priceless.

Think about your business for a minute. What is your "inventory"? Do you have a range of products or services that typically cost different prices? Almost every business does. Even if you're a service business, you charge for time. The longer it takes to perform your service, the more you charge, correct?

Now think about how you can "upgrade" your customers by using your excess inventory. Can you give them a slightly better product for the same price? Can you provide them longer service without charging more? What kind of "extra" can you provide that really doesn't cost you much, if anything? This should be especially easy right now as many businesses are slow and have extra inventory of nearly everything.

Make no mistake, this is not charity nor a selfless act. This is a way to build loyalty AND a way to give your customers a taste of something better than they chose this time. What a great way to effortlessly encourage them to purchase your better product next time. If it's worth it, there's a high likelihood they'll go for it when they come back to you.

As we drove away from the airport with the wind blowing in our hair, I looked at my wife and said, "Who does that? That's brilliant. It didn't cost them a dime extra and look how happy we are! I mean, who DOES that?"

She replied, "You do."

She's right. At sparkspace, we have always "upgraded" our customers to the best room we have available. If a group books our smallest room, but a larger room is available when they arrive, we offer to put them in the larger room at no additional charge. The way I see it, we've got to clean and restock the room either way, and it truly is no extra work for us. And it's always a much better experience for our guests. Why wouldn't we give them the best room we can? This one's a no-brainer to me.

Have fun with this one. You'll enjoy the response you get from your customers, I promise.