Monday Morning Introspection

Over the last week I’ve had some pretty amazing experiences that are rolling around in my mind that, maybe, just maybe by writing will bring some clarity to what I’m thinking.  So to my customer service friends, I might get a little whacky on you but somehow this ties into serving better so I hope you’re stay with me.

Trip to the Dentist…

Last Thursday I took my son Zack to San Diego Kid’s Dentist, one that specializes in children’s dentistry and very simply, these people knew who their customer was.  From the train that  kids could operate, to the table top video games, to strawberry toothpaste, these people got it.  The most amazing part was when the dental hygienist came and got Zack and she was so engaging and outgoing that Zack did everything she asked and willingly.  Trust me, I was more scared than Zack was.  It was the most amazing appointment ever and  I even asked if they saw adult patients.  Of course these people topped it off with a thank you note two days later.  Sold!

Trip to Souplantation…

That evening, we went to Souplantation.  Not the healthiest place on earth but if you have kids you know it’s an amazing place.  Where else can your kid alternate bites of broccoli, ice cream, mac and cheese and a blueberry muffin.  There are two servers that are always there bussing tables, handing out cookies and simply making life easier for the people dining.  Our 1-year-old Sam was screaming and they came and asked if they could get anything for us.  I watched as several older people walked up to the servers and either handed them a tip, shook their hand or gave them a kiss on the cheek.  When is the last time you felt compelled to do that for a server that you tipped?  I guarantee these guys make very little in tips and yet I felt compelled to leave a tip that night.  One day I am going to gather the courage to find out about their training and what drives these men to serve the way they do.

Trip to #Storyline…

This weekend, my wife and I attended a conference called Storyline, which is the brainchild of best-selling author Donald Miller.  To say my brain wasn’t overloaded with information and inspiration would be an understatement.  To give a very, very brief summation, Miller talks about how we all have a story to tell with our lives and asks the question “What will the world miss if you don’t tell your story?”  We were then challenged to look at the story of our lives thus far and the trajectory we are on and determine if that is the story we really want to tell with our lives.  If we’re not happy with that, we must change our ambitions, become comfortable with failure and conflict and tell a better story.

Sitting here in my red chair…

So now I’m sitting here on a Monday morning hung over (not from alcohol) from an amazing weekend trying to figure out the next step.  What do I do with all this information?  If you’ve followed this blog at all, first of all, Thank you.  Secondly, you know I like lists so here’s a list of the BIG things on my mind right now:

1. I want to learn what drives the people at the dentist and Souplantation to serve so amazingly and model that in my own life.
2. I’d be lying if I didn’t say one of my big motivators for doing this blog is to get notoriety in the customer service world, gain tons of Twitter followers and ultimately make more money.  No more.  My focus is on making a lasting impact yes in customer service but more simply, I want the people that read this blog and all of our customers to know they are unique, special and loved and to serve them that way.
3. My priority is people!  Without my wife, kids, friends I don’t amount to much.  Checklists, emails and busy work can wait.

That’s about all I can muster up for the moment.  As I unpack this you’ll probably hear more about these experiences in my life.  Until then, have an amazing Monday.  Let’s keep it simple today.  Let’s be willing to take risks, to be uncomfortable and to serve better.  That sounds like a good story to me.

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