Lead On with Greg & Mark (LOwGaM)
We invite you to join us as we talk about the world of leadership during times of complexity.
Lead On with Greg & Mark (LOwGaM)
S5: E7 Transforming Ordinary Moments into Unforgettable Experiences
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Have you ever walked into a gas station expecting nothing more than a quick pit stop, only to walk away with a story worth sharing? That's exactly what happened to us, kicking off a conversation about the magic of exceeding expectations in the realm of customer service and hospitality. Inspired by Will Guidara's "Unreasonable Hospitality," we dive into how a little extra effort can truly transform ordinary interactions into memorable experiences. We weave together personal stories from our early work days and draw lessons from the TV show "The Bear," illustrating the concept of "service plus" and its profound impact on both everyday and professional settings.
From an "extra" scoop of fries at Five Guys to Amazon empowering their employees to authorize returns, we explore how companies craft exceptional customer experiences by creating emotional connections and fostering loyalty. It's not just about solving problems; it's about making customers feel valued and employees feel empowered.
Here are a few main themes in the episode:
• Exploring the principles of unreasonable hospitality
• Importance of exceeding expectations in service delivery
• Anecdotes illustrating exceptional customer service experiences
• Balancing consistency and innovation in service
• Empowering teams to enhance customer relationships
• Practical applications for nurturing connections across industries
• The lasting impact of emotional connections on loyalty
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You're listening to Lead On with Greg and Mark, brought to you by the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units. Join us this season as we engage in conversations on leading on through times of complexity. Now for your hosts, Greg and Mark.
Speaker 2Can I tell you a compliment? Oh, please, please do.
Speaker 3I just know that was really hard for you. I was practicing self-restraint, self-restraint, and our listeners are happier. You think so. I think they're happier. They don't like my beatboxing, they don't like my clapping or my snapping.
Speaker 2It's like you're a more hospitable podcast host.
Speaker 3It is like that Customer service is so important.
Speaker 2Because it's not about you, it's about the listener.
Speaker 3Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2true, it's not the listener. It's about the listener. Have you considered the other person's perspective this?
Speaker 3time I this time I did. I think it's the first time and we're we're probably about like 65 episodes.
Speaker 2I think, I think we might be.
Speaker 3Yeah, I got a thick noggin.
Speaker 2Speaking of customer service and hospitality. A while ago I think it was season two we talked about the gas station at your house that had gone auto like automated and there was like a grumpy cashier.
Speaker 3It was called innovation versus the human element. So so everything had been automated, and you really weren't feeling the love Brand new gas station. But the one thing you know, everything was up to speed, very modern, but their customer service was awful. Yeah, and the only experience I had was going to the counter to say good morning to the cashier. Sure, and they didn't even respond to me. And I actually used the self checkout and I just said good morning and they didn't say good morning back, so it got like a grunt.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, that was all it was, and um, are you still going to that gas? Station, honestly like clockwork, because it's convenient, you know.
Speaker 2Why do they?
Speaker 3call it a convenience store. Huh, so, so anyway, the other day I go in and I'm I'm leaving, and they said I hope you have a great day Really, and I almost fell over.
Speaker 2Do you think they're listening to the podcast?
Speaker 3I think so. I think somebody got the message.
Speaker 2Yeah, you told me that they have a sticker end cap there where they sell stickers. They do. They should still lead on with Greg and Mark stickers.
Speaker 3I got to talk to them. I think it's a whole business.
Speaker 2Low gam, it's a whole business.
Speaker 3Logam, logam, change your life.
Speaker 2Yeah, change your life. So you read a book about hospitality, huh.
Speaker 3I sure did. It's called Unreasonable Hospitality, the Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than they Expect, and that's by Will Gadara Will.
Speaker 2Gadara, or you might say Gwadara, gwadara. It looks like Gadara to me, yeah.
Speaker 3So are to me, yeah, yeah, so this was recommended to you by a colleague.
Speaker 2Huh, it was a good friend, dr john karelja shout out to john hello, john hey john, hope you're listening.
Speaker 3So, yeah, so I, I do the audiobook thing because I have a long commute and this book resonated with me because I go back to one of my first jobs, which was as a dishwasher, and we've talked about this, and that's when the, the head cook, said to me uh, he said he's like coons. He said, uh, do you understand what the food chain is? And I'm like, yes, yes, sir, yeah, sure do. And he's like you're the bottom. And I did.
Speaker 2I had to answer to everybody and that I don't love it like it's great. I love it like it's so like cliche. It is cliche, but that's what it's like a tv show.
Speaker 3that's what it was like and I I thought about giving pushback, but I didn didn't, because I was you probably went 15.
Speaker 2Okay, sir, yes sir.
Speaker 3So that was it. So what's really cool about this book is it's it goes back to. I always call it service plus. So we have our job description. But what is that one extra thing? What is that one thing each day that you bring to the table? That just makes it a better experience. A bring to the table that just makes it a better experience, a better day for someone. I don't care if it's holding a door open, if it's, if it's giving someone a compliment, grabbing a coffee for somebody, buying a coffee for somebody, buying lunch for somebody, any of those kinds of things. What is that little extra thing you do? Or if, when it comes to service delivery, how do you, how do you enhance that service to make it even that much better?
Speaker 2Yeah, you call it service plus, or did you enhance that service to make it even that much better? Yeah, you call it service plus. Or did you get?
Speaker 3that from somebody else. It was from a mentor he had mentioned that, and then I wrote an article about it in the big time you know yeah. I know you never heard of it, but that's something?
Speaker 2No, I definitely didn't read it.
Speaker 3But anyway, I really do believe in that, and it made me think of a couple things, including a show that we both like Go ahead, called the Bear Love it, and there's a particular Cousin. Cousin, cousin, yep, and yes, chef, right, so the whole thing with this show. There's that one episode. Season two, season two, he sends his cousin out to a place where he used to work. You could tell the story better.
Speaker 2You want to talk about the delivering exceptional service story. So they open up their new restaurant right and it's not to give away plot lines or whatever, but they've opened a new restaurant and they're aiming to um, aiming to please.
Speaker 3Yes.
Speaker 2And they really want to set a standard, that this is the new restaurant in Chicago Right and one of the customers is visiting Chicago, for I guess maybe, let's say, the first time and they mentioned to them that while they were in Chicago they hadn't had a chance to have deep dish pizza.
Speaker 1Yes, which is like a thing in Chicago.
Speaker 2It'd be like going to Philadelphia and not getting a cheesesteak Right Right. Or going to, like you know, san Antonio and not getting Tex-Mex guacamole or something like that, exactly. So they hear this and they actually run out, buy a deep dish pizza, give it to the chef in the back A pizza.
Speaker 2they didn't make, but it's a traditional Chicago deep dish pizza and they turn it into a high end appetizer meal that they then bring out and say, hey, we understand you didn't get your deep dish pizza, but uh, we, we know that you're having dinner here tonight. We don't have that, but this is what we did for you and it made that customer's night.
Speaker 3I love that and in in this in the book they call it exceeding expectations and they use a it's. It's a somewhat dated um reference but, this is. This is a New York city. The author's a New York city um owner restaurant owner who is acclaimed and had the number one restaurant in New York city.
Speaker 3It says it's called 11 Madison park, 11 Madison park. So what they did back in the day is they'd ask their customers when they sat down, how did you get here today? And they might say train or something else, but we brought my, my car Okay, what do you drive? And what they would do is feed the meters, cause back in that day they had the meters, they didn't have the apps, like they do now, and everything else, and it was just that one thing that their customers didn't have to worry about. Yeah, and it was exceeding expectations, because it has nothing to do with the meal. No, it's all about how you treat the person. Well, the meal tastes better, right, and the meal tastes better, right.
Enhancing Customer Experience Through Innovation
Speaker 2Right, and of course I think you're going to go back and put the meters and really like, what's the meter cost a couple bucks, yeah you probably just spent like 200 on the meal, but you're thinking about how they saved you two dollars on a parking meter. Yeah right it's psychology it is total psychology. You know, I read about this the other day. They were talking about five guys, which is a burger joint, of course. Oh yeah, you know five guys very well, I think they're national right, yeah.
Speaker 3Good fries, yeah, and burgers the regular ones are double, I think.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, they have singles, doubles, hot dogs, grilled cheese, things like that, but they're famous for their French fries also, right, and they actually tell you what part of Idaho or Washington or Oregon the potatoes come from. It's like written on the board.
Speaker 3Oh, I forgot about that.
Speaker 2Yes, so their shtick is that, regardless of whether you're eating in or taking out, they put the food in a brown paper bag. Right, you know what I'm talking about. Yes, I do so. If you order fries whether you order a small or a large fry or whatever size they have they always put the fries in a big cup and then they put the cup in the bag. And then they take an extra scoop and they dump it in the bag, and the psychology there is that you think you're getting extra fries Like it's a bonus. You're not just getting the fries that are in your cup, you're not just getting the fries that are in your cup, you're getting the fries that are now in the bag, so you can eat the fries out of the bag and you still haven't touched the fries in the cup that you paid for. How about that?
Speaker 2So it's fries plus service plus service, but of course people think that this is just something that is like that they do to be nice or generous. No they charge you for the amount of fries you're getting, including the extra scoop.
Speaker 3It's just the way they put it in there, sloppily it's just the way they put it in there.
Speaker 2They're charging you for the cup of fries and the extra scoop. Oh, I'm sure they are, but it looks like you're getting a better value because the cup literally overfloweth.
Speaker 3Yes.
Speaker 2If you got a larger cup with the same number of fries, you, if you got a larger cup with the same number of fries, you wouldn't think you're getting anything plus that's a great point. So this is how Five Guys takes your concept that you're talking about in this article, yeah, and applies it to people feeling like I go to Five Guys because I get extra French fries.
Speaker 3No, you don't. You're paying for those fries, you just feel like they're extra. Yes, you do. Well, I didn't realize. When you order a regular burger, it's actually a double Well there you go. That was the first time I was there I did that, but it was a nice surprise, well, there you go.
Speaker 2So what does Chef?
Speaker 3as far as exceeding expectations advocates for doing more than what's necessary to make other feel valued, which leaves a lasting impression. So it helps to leave a lasting impression If you take it, if you emphasize the importance of making customers feel seen and understood. I messed that up. I'll try again. We'll edit that.
Speaker 2Either I'll edit it out or we'll leave it in here and people will say look, greg's not perfect either, so you advocate.
Speaker 3So advocates for doing more than what's necessary to make others feel valued. That leaves a lasting impression.
Speaker 2That's exceeding expectations. That's exceeding expectations, doing more than what's necessary to make people feel valued, yes, exactly, yeah, that's it Exactly you can create an emotional connection too, right.
Speaker 2And that's what and that would be emphasizing the importance of making people feel seen and understood, fostering loyalty and positive experiences. What's that old Maya Angelou quote? People won't remember what you said or what you did, but they'll remember how you make them feel. I don't know if she actually said that, but she gets credit for it. That's this right. This is emphasizing the creation of emotional connections with your customers, with your partners, with your colleagues, in order to make people feel seen and understood. That's like a thing now. I want to be seen and heard right.
Speaker 1I want to feel valued.
Speaker 2And people go and spend money and time at places where they feel valued.
Speaker 3Yes, they do. They'll be returned customers.
Speaker 2Right. If you're treated like trash at a restaurant or in a store, you're not going back, or the likelihood that you go back is lower than if you feel seen, heard and valued at a different store.
Speaker 3And in leadership positions, organizations, businesses, if you're seen and understood at work.
Speaker 2Yeah, one of Big Mike's rules is.
Speaker 3It doesn't cost anything to be nice to people Right Management by walking around. Management by walking around yeah, go ahead, all right. Empowering teams the author stresses the importance of equipping staff to take ownership of customer service, inspiring a culture of care and attentiveness yeah.
Speaker 2Delegate the ability to solve problems to the person closest to the problem. There's nothing more frustrating than someone saying let me talk to my manager, no, just solve the problem. And so a lot of companies actually give first-line employees, second-line employees, the discretion to solve things within a certain financial limit, like Amazon's. That way, have you ever noticed that if you have a problem with an Amazon product and you're on chat or you call, the person that you're talking to on chat or on phone call can solve the problem? They can give you the rebate. They don't need to ask their manager, and that creates loyalty, definitely.
Speaker 2Right and it also gives the person at Amazon a feeling like they have some control over the success of the company.
Speaker 3I have to take that to my manager.
Speaker 2Well, of course. And then, how many managers do you need if everybody's escalating to the manager right Like, think about what it would cost to hire more managers, as opposed to just refunding.
Speaker 3Yep, yep, go ahead. This next one listening and observing. So what's cool in this book is that the author, when he was being trained in his first restaurant, he had to not only be on the floor but also in the office.
Speaker 3So his, his mentor had him in the office, you know, with the bean counting side of it, making sure that they had enough supplies, everything else. So he knew that side. But he he does argue in this that if you only know the business side you're missing out on the customer service experience. So what was really cool about that first experience with him is that he had both. He had a mixture of that. So he would start the day in the office going through all the supplies, everything else, and then he'd be out on the floor listening and observing.
Speaker 2So and he highlights that that that active listening to and observing customers can reveal opportunities to surprise and delight in unexpected ways, yeah, and I think that's like the example from the TV show right, like the person didn't say make me a deep dish pizza, right, it's that they heard because they were listening through conversation. They didn't get one. Oh, so let's surprise them with something they didn't ask for, based on something they want Right Balance, consistency and innovation. This shows how to maintain high standards while finding new ways to impress, ensuring that the experience stays fresh and engaging. In other words, it goes back to what we've been talking about over a couple episodes ago incremental innovation right.
Speaker 2Keep the standards the same right, don't change the menu every day, but maybe innovate on a dish. Right, don't change the service that your company provides every day. You'll go out of business. Right and people won't know what you're selling. But improve it every day.
Speaker 3Have you ever been into a restaurant where they had something awesome as a special?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3And then you never, you go back and they don't have it again.
Speaker 2It's like cross keys where we go to lunch when you're here Exactly there's that one page every day.
Speaker 3It's different every day it's different every day, but you still need to have your staples. Yeah, and what I'm hearing from this, too, is that that's that consistency. How do you balance consistency with innovation?
Speaker 2Sometimes I think in businesses and organizations, we might become too innovative and forget about the staples that support us and that keep customers coming back and there's probably some psychology here too, that the sandwich that's a success when it's a special, uh, may not be a success or sell when it's on the menu, because it's not a special anymore. And people are paying attention to what the specials are. In other words, people go into a restaurant like the one that we're talking about to see what the specials are, because they're known for their specials. You know what I'm saying? Yes, yeah, I do, and so, like, the idea that it's called a special is a little, you know, redundant. Because it's special, you put it on the menu, it's not special anymore, no matter how delicious it is.
Speaker 3Oh, that's true. That's true. Well, the way I always envisioned it was a special was less money, but that's not the case.
Speaker 2No, I think you're actually. Yeah, what's the last one?
Speaker 3last one, practical applications beyond hospitality. So, although rooted in the restaurant industry, the principles apply to any leadership setting where building relationships and exceeding expectations can drive success. Yeah, I mean all this is general to any industry.
Speaker 2Oh, it sure is, and I also don't think it's just business, right Like? Don't you think this applies to personal relationships with friends and family?
Speaker 3It definitely does. Yeah, surprise them, yeah, like what's the wow factor? Be there for them consistently, but get better, yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah, how you amaze.
Speaker 3Right.
Speaker 2My Greg, how you amaze me.
Speaker 3Oh, mark, you like this awkward eye contact. Yes, it's very awkward.
Speaker 2I can't see the blush because your beard is thicker. I know You're letting it go. That's it.
Speaker 3Fundraiser.
Speaker 2It's a fundraiser. Dollar a day. Dollar a day.
Speaker 3For our foundation, all right.
Speaker 2You have any beard?
Speaker 3balm. I don't know what that is Really. Is that like a special additive? It's like a conditioner for your beard so it doesn't get itchy. Buddy, you know me, I haven't used conditioner since, like high school, all right, I have just the thing for you? Oh, that's looking forward to it.
Speaker 2Yeah, we'll get it on video. Oh boy, all right, gregor, what do you say? We wrap this up all right, all right.
Speaker 3Listeners, thanks for your support of lead on with greg and mark aka logam. We appreciate the support and, in the meantime, let's make it a great day and let's all right all right gregory peace and love, brother peace and love, cousin, cousin, cousin.
