Continuous Improvement - Think Fresh!

We continue our discussion of the Cornerstones of Service with a look at the topic of Continuous Improvement.

Great customer service is like air in a bicycle tire: IT LEAKS! The rare company that is known for creating an exceptional experience builds everything around serving the customer. It is not a once-a-year training program, but a never-ending pursuit of excellence and viewing everything through the viewpoint of a customer. Many large organizations now have a “Chief Customer Care Office” position on the executive team whose role is to represent the customer in all internal discussions.

Think Fresh! The longer someone is in a position or industry, the harder it is to be creative and to think of new ways to overcome challenges.

There was a grandma and grandpa who had care of the three grandkids, ages 6, 8, and 10, for the weekend. They decided to take them on a drive on Sunday afternoon. They got off the highway and chose a one-way street. Several minutes into their drive they went around a bend in the road and found a sign: “Warning: You are now entering a nudist colony.”

The grandma turned to her husband and said: “Henry, turn around! I don’t want to explain this to those kids.”

The grandpa replied: “I can’t! This is a one-way street.”

They continued down the road. A minute later it happened. They saw three bicyclists coming towards them, and yes, they were in a nudist colony.

The grandma tried in vain to get her husband to turn around, but he could not.

Then they heard it from the backseat: “Grandma!”

Reluctantly, the grandma turned to face the back seat and answer the middle child, “Yes honey. What do you want?”

The grandchild pointed at the bicyclists and said: “Those people aren’t wearing bike helmets!”

Why do you think she noticed that?

It is because they have been told to put on their helmets hundreds of times before venturing out on their bikes.

What do you think they missed? Yes, they were in a nudist colony!

The point is that we all are conditioned to look for what we are used to. It takes looking at things with a fresh perspective to overcome our challenges and create a vision to move the organization forward.