The Upside of People

There is a lot of focus in boardrooms, the media, schools and our everyday lives on automation, digitization and the next improvement in technology.  Undoubtably, there are many benefits -  However, regardless of how technology has improved and impacted our business, our economy, our lives it cannot replace the positive impact that people can have on our impression of a company or on our attitude.   The upside of people is we can choose our attitude and how we interact.  We can  convey empathy, understanding and we can change how other people feel.   Think about the positive customer service interactions you have had - it starts with a person who genuinely cares about you, listens and goes beyond the policies and procedures.  

My example this week is from Caribou Coffee, Concourse E, in the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport.  Storms were coming through Atlanta and the airport had temporarily stopped operations.  My flight had already been delayed 2 hours and I was walking Concourse E to get some exercise and walk off some frustration.  I decided to get some coffee - we all know the routine.  However, behind the register was a barista, Bianca who chose to go beyond the routine.  First, she had an infectious smile.  What made the difference is that after she took my order, she asked where I was headed.  And she genuinely wanted to know.  I told her Orlando and she said "Ohhhh, how wonderful!  I hope you get there without too much delay today.  Come back and get some coffee if you need more.  Thanks for stopping by!"   "stopping by"?  Our 2 minute exchange did make me feel like I was stopping by for a chat and coffee - not ordering coffee to go from a kiosk!  

  It had already been a long day, I was tired and stuck for 2 more hours in an airport and I was feeling a bit sorry for myself!    As I was drinking my medium skim latte, I felt better and I realized how Bianca's energy and attitude made a positive difference for me.   I went back and thanked her for making my day better and let her know how much I appreciated her service!   So, if you are ever in the Atlanta airport, Concourse E, stop by and experience the upside of people!

Employee engagement in action

As a business owner for 13 years, I learned, firsthand, the importance of genuinely caring for employees and  creating an environment for employees where they understood the link between what they did every day and the satisfaction of our customers and the success of the business.  After selling the company to a Fortune 500 company, employee engagement and creating and sustaining an intentional culture became my primary focus.

As I continue in my travels, it is clear that business success is based on creating strong relationships with employees and customers.  As a customer or consumer, it is amazing how the behaviors of employees make me feel about the company or business I am interacting with.    It is interesting,  the connection between customer engagement  and profitability in companies is well documented;however, there is little documentation on the critical component that influences customer engagement everyday – and that is the frontline employees that determine the success or failure of companies with every interaction and communication.   In order to achieve business and customer goals, there needs to be an awareness of  the behavior of employees.

The purpose of Engagement in Action is a place to share the positive interactions we have with employees of the businesses we interact with.  My hope is to create more positive stories and experiences to show leaders the importance of their role in how their employees feel about their job and the company.

I travel every week and am in airports, hotels, airlines and as you can imagine there are many indifferent and bad service stories; however, I want to focus on the positive stories ....last week I was on a United flight from L.A.  Before we took off, the captain walked the aisle of the entire plane and said hello to the passengers.  I actually tweeted about it and @United responded within 5 minutes!   Halfway through the flight, the captain announced it was Coffee Time and we could dial in to channel 9 for coffee chat.  Now that is engagement in action!