Your Average Jo: At Your Service

If you work in marketing, branding, or you’re just a human who interacts with brands (so, that’s you), you’ve probably had your fair share of good and not-so-good customer service experiences. And it’s typically the moments that fall on each end of the spectrum that stick with us.

One of my management (and life) philosophies has been that bad sh*t will happen, so there should be less focus on the “what” and more attention paid to the “how.” It’s easy (and very Canadian) to be mad when the weather is too hot, cold, windy or cold (did I mention cold?), but it’s more productive to spend your energy figuring out how you’re going to deal with it than complaining about it. (Swearing is not productive. Trust me, I’ve tried.)

In my opinion, when it comes to business, this philosophy is what separates businesses from brands. “Businesses” tick the boxes, follow the procedures, and only sometimes really care about the impression they leave on their customers. “Brands,” on the other hand, think and feel, they react, they empathize. It’s easy to get a passing grade for being polite, giving out some freebies, and sending us home with a cool bag, but what do you do when the sh*t hits the fan? Most of the time, “businesses” don’t make the grade. 

Let me explain by sharing two recent personal experiences:

Exhibit A: Coffee with a kick (in the pants)!

Earlier this summer, I took my annual sojourn with my BFFs for our girls weekend in Muskoka (20+ years and counting!). For the last four years, we’ve stayed at the JW Marriott, about 2.5 hours north of Toronto. Unless you live under a rock (and if so, I hope it’s in lovely Muskoka), you know the Marriott to be a global, well-respected and recognized brand. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to this particular Marriott property, I consider it a beautiful, yet mediocre business. 

Case in point: on our first morning, I very selflessly offered to get coffee for the gang. (Truth: I was jonesing for a cup of joe.) It was 7:04am and the lobby coffee shop had been open for exactly four minutes. At that time, there were already nine people in line ahead of me and there was one (I repeat ONE) young woman manning the shop. And by “manning,” I mean making the coffee, working the cash register, and answering the questions and fulfilling the requests of every Tom, Dick and shoeless-wearing-a-robe Harry. (I speak the truth.) 

Is this the Marriott’s fault? Likely not. Maybe someone called in sick, had a family emergency, etc., etc. 

Where I hold them accountable is what happened next. 

At that moment, a gentleman walks in wearing a Marriott uniform (likely from the valet or concierge) and proceeds to GET IN LINE for coffee! He didn’t ask his colleague if she needed help (she did), he didn’t get behind the counter and help her (he should have) and he certainly didn’t go get a manager. 

Oh, and I should also mention that after just a few minutes, he huffed off without his coffee. 

And I, a paying hotel guest, waited about 40 minutes for coffee. (My friends almost sent out an APB.) Once I was out of that coffee shop, I swore that next year we wouldn’t go back. (See you in 2019, Prince Edward County!)

Exhibit B: The Apple of my eye

I could probably end this story right here, because most humans know that Apple’s employees are trained like ninjas and will likely be struck down by Steve Jobs’ spirit if they step out of line. But while most of us know them for replacing our iPhone screens (ahem), teaching Granny how to sort her photos, or helping us spend way too much money on cool accessories (guilty), they know so much more than that. 

I had the not-so-good fortune of being at Toronto’s Yorkdale mall when a gunfight broke out.(Yes, unfortunately, there are guns in Canada) 

But lady luck was on my side because even though I was in the mall, I was in the Apple store. Not only did I have the physical safety of their storage room, which is pretty much Fort Knox (and yes, it’s pretty damn cool in there) but I (and the other 60+ people) had the emotional support from the exceptionally calm and synchronized staff. 

They knew exactly what to do, what to say, and they were all on the same page. It was truly genius (pun intended). I wanted to hug each and every one of them, but since that would have been slightly awkward (and honestly, I couldn’t wait to get the f**k out), I stammered a quick thank you, and was on my way. 

As someone who has managed many teams, mentored many managers, and read my fair share of management books, I know how challenging it is to keep everyone focused on the same mission. But it can be done. And the “what” should never really matter. If you know how to handle the how, in both good times and bad, it won’t matter what gets thrown at you.

So HOW do you do?

Joanna Track (aka Your Average Jo) is the founder and executive publisher of The Bullet, Canada’s digital destination for your quick shot of daily news. She is known for her prior entrepreneurial pursuits, Sweetspot.ca and eLUXE, two of Canada’s most well known online destinations for women. 

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