“When people ask me how do you make it in show business,” says famed actor
Steve Martin, “what I always tell them —
and nobody ever takes note of it ‘cuz it’s not the answer they wanted to hear. What they want to hear is here’s how you get
an agent, here’s how you write a script, here’s how you do this — But I always
say: “Be so good they can’t ignore you. If somebody’s thinking, How can I be really
good? People are going to come to you. It’s much easier doing it that way than
going to cocktail parties.”
Imaginative service is all about being really good. It means customers experiencing you pushing
it to the top. The pursuit of excellence
says to customers, “You are so important to me that you get my absolute very
best.” “Being really good” includes
service with an attitude—an unmistakable disposition of joy and
confidence. It includes paying attention
to the details that, improperly maintained and managed, can spell mediocrity to
the customer. It means staying on top of
the subtle signals customers experience that might disappoint. It involves thinking beyond your customer’s needs
to their unspoken aspirations. And, it
encompasses insuring customers witness internal service—colleague to
colleague—that matches the same standard of distinction.
If your customers gave your service a letter grade, what grade would you
get? What steps can you take to make
“All A’s” on your next customer report card?
Give your customers the best that you have, and their best will come
back to you.
Comments