But; “Da Desk”
When deciding to buy a new condo I figured that it was time to get the desk I never had. I found it at INspiration, where I played a role in their success for many years. I have had many desks in my time, but now it was time for the biggest and best one yet; my dream desk.

“Da Fit”
After buying it I had a nightmare one night about the delivery. They were unable to get it into my office. I woke up, went up to the office and taped off the dimensions. I thought, “Yeah, it’s going to fit, but how will they ever get it in here?” I didn’t rest easy for the next week.

“Da Delivery”
When the truck pulled up on “delivery day” I was there to meet it, eager to see how it looked in the truck.

“Da Guys”
When I saw Malcolm and Darrell start to unload I was relieved to see that it was all in small containers, and I thought, “OMG, this is going to be quite a job.” Then Malcolm reminded me of one early Sunday morning when I was booked to do a Teamwork Success Rally for the warehouse staff; not my usual audience. Malcolm said, “When I was told to go to a meeting on Sunday, I wasn’t very happy about it. I didn’t want to go. But, by the time you finished talking, I felt like going out and making deliveries.” I don’t think I have ever had a more moving compliment. I got goose bumps. He then said, “And we are here today to deliver your desk in a spirit of harmony” and he reminded me that this was my message to them that Sunday morning. He said, “That’s been my attitude every since.” Wow; more goose bumps.

“Da Assembly”
Next I watched as these two guys worked tirelessly, and in harmony to turn the boxes into my dream desk.

“Da Tip”
When they finished, I was really impressed and asked, “Do both of you guys own a flat screen plasma TV?” Malcolm said, “I do.” Darrell said, “I don’t.” I said, “Then take this one home and enjoy it” and added a cash tip as well.

“Da Feeling”
We have three people bidding to buy that extra TV, but no way would some money in my hand make me feel as good as that TV going home with Darrell did. This whole experience makes me want to go buy more furniture just to see these guys deliver it.

“Da View”
Now the challenge will be focusing on my work rather than the view out the window.

Long History
I was asked recently about my “service attitude” and where I got it. I dug up blog post from a couple of years ago to answer the question. As I read it I decided to re-post it for my new followers to read. I hope you enjoy it along with the comments. 
My father, pictured above (on the left) with his early partner, ingrained it in me. He owned several small meat markets inside local grocery stores, and I grew up raking the sawdust and scraping the butcher blocks. I don’t credit that experience with my vegetarianism, but I did learn a lot about hard work and customer service.
Dad, Marty as he was known, loved chatting with housewives about the meal they were going to prepare that evening. I never saw him cook, but you wouldn’t know that from the way he described menu possibilities which led to large purchases and happy customers. They loved his suggestions and credited him with the successful dinner they had the night before.
Those were simpler times; it was in the late 40’s and early 50’s, before fast food and self service. I remember when Market Basket opened a huge new modern store with the first self serve meat counter featuring packaged meats. Dad was recruited to run the meat department. He sold our house in Santa Monica and we moved to Lynwood, California into our fancy new home. Dad was very excited about this great opportunity, but he wasn’t there long before he began to hate the job. He complained about being stuck behind a glass wall packaging meat and being out of contact with the customers. Within a year he quit the job and bought a small meat counter in a local market where he could do what he loved; service customers.
That’s it; those are my roots.
NOTE: Dad never believed that I had really become a vegetarian in the 60’s, but that’s another story.

Everybody Loses
When salespeople argue over a sale there are no winners. There are too many available customers to spend time talking or fighting over who made the sale and who didn’t. Disagreements destroy teamwork and create a bad atmosphere for everyone. It must all be about the customer.

Karma is Real
I just received this copy of a note sent to a team of salespeople in a company with four stores, two of which are right across the street from each other. I asked the manager to send it to all salespeople in all four stores. As I re-read it, I decided to send it to everyone I could, thus this post. It’s a bit lengthy, and I chose not to edit it down, but if you are in sales, especially commission sales and have co-workers, it is well worth your time to read it.

——————————–  
Hi All,
I just wanted to share this with you all.
Last night Chad was helping a man and his family with some Titanium rings. We did not have his size, so we called over to the IMP store to see if they had it, and they did.

The family said they wanted to see what the IMP (International Marketplace) looked like, so Chad walked them over, and the man tried on the rings there. After a few minutes the man became engaged in talking with Daniel and Amanda, so Chad excused himself and came back to our store.

I received a phone call from Daniel saying that the man is buying the ring and he does not know what he should do regarding the sale. I told him I would have Chad call him right back.

When Chad returned, I told him that Daniel called and wanted to know how to ring up the sale, as it was clearly Chad’s customer. Chad called him and said, “Daniel, you take the sale!” 

OMG—I was blown away! Was Ron Martin standing there egging this young man on?

The customer asked Daniel if we work on commission. He said we did and the man, Steve, said he wants Chad to get the credit for this sale. So Chad walked back to the IMP store and escorted Steve and the ring back to our store to ring up the sale.

Incidentally, Steve and his family were waiting to be called for dinner at DUKE’S, so going back and forth did not bother him.

While Chad was ringing up the sale, Steve told us that we have the best people working here. Not only was Chad great, but so were Daniel and Amanda at the other store. Steve said that he has his own business and knows what it’s like to find good people!!!

Next came the befriending part:

Chad asked Steve what he does. It turned out that Steve is the visual effects coordinator for CSI MIAMI and the other CSI show. The bullet flying through the air in slow motion is part of what he does. He runs his own business doing the special effects.

An hour later Chad was helping another couple with Titanium rings, and again we didn’t have the sizes needed. Chad called the IMP store, and they had them. He told the couple this, and they decided they will go over there, as they too are waiting for their call from DUKE’S.

I asked Chad why he didn’t just go over to get the rings and he said, “They wanted to see what our other store had, and besides it’s Karma.” I knew it was, because of Daniel and Amanda’s actions when Chad was open to releasing this customer.

Five minutes later the couple returned with their friend. They too began looking at the rings. I offered to run over to the IMP store to get the needed sizes. When I got there I found that the sizes were incorrect, so I brought over 2 sizes that were the closest to what the man needed.

End of story; the couple bought 2 rings. Talk about KARMA! Well, I think it was the professionalism Chad displayed, and his willingness to think about the customer first, and not be that pushy salesperson we hear about in Ron’s talks.

I was sooooo PROUD of Chad! It’s fun to see the lessons we learn being acted out in real life. Good going Chad!

Mahalo,
Patty

Why Do You Ask?
Salespeople and yes, even Starbucks clerks should always listen to their customers.  I seem to be picking on the coffee houses these days, but that’s just where these things happen.
I asked a Starbucks clerk at Kahala Mall the other day for two cups of coffee, one small and one medium. He prompty asked me, “Room for cream?” I said, “Yes please.” Then when I removed the tops from the cups I found no room for cream and thus poured some of that high priced coffee into the rubbish. This happens all the time. Maybe they are being generous, in case all I want is a thimbal of cream, but I sense it is more a matter of asking the question perfuntorally and not listening to the answer.

No Choice
When I was in the Air Force, back in 19… Oh well a long time ago. We used to laugh at the chow hall cooks serving breakfast. They would scoop two eggs on to the spatula, then look you in the eyes and ask, “How do you want your eggs?” and then slip them onto your plate as they were, regardless of your answer. I’d like to think of Starbucks as a bit more evolved than that, but…

Evolution
Actually there is some evolution happening at Starbucks. I just read that starting next month, July 2010 they will have free wifi access at all stores. With that deal I won’t care about the cream room in my coffee cup. Good Move!

Forget the Dollars?

Businesses don’t seem to understand that grabbing nickels and dimes from their customer’s up front can cost them dollars in the end. There’s an “assumption” (haven’t we all seen that word broken down before?) that when tacking on a few bucks or removing a few inexpensive frills here and there, that the customer will continue to do business with you; not true. Everyone has a breaking point, and once the customer say’s “Enough”, you may never see him or her again and never know why.
I am referring to little things like:

-Surcharges on rental cars
-Added costs to take baggage on the airplane
-Accomodation charges at the hotel for things like parking, and spa usage
-Automatic tips added to the restaurant tab, regardless of the service provided
-Increases in CAM fees for retailers
-The list goes on and on

I think they must go to the Thesaurus to find nice words to articulate grabbing a little more without asking you. They call them “service charges” and “accomodation charges” expecting the customer to just grin and bear it.

I say, “Put a fair price on your product, tell me what I get, and what else might be optional for what amount”. I think there’s a great opportunity out there today for companies to be straight up with their customers and knock the socks off of those who choose to be sneaky greedy in the name of “economic conservation”.

“Fill it Up”
I seem to be a part of a dying breed of people that prefer and even expect “full service” when buying gasoline. I am so stubborn about this that I absolutely will not pump my own gas! It is becoming a tougher and tougher task to just find a place willing to serve you. I have a perfect record by the way; I have yet to pump it once.

Cosmo-Yajima
If you live in Honolulu, please check out the Cosmo-Yajima SERVICE station at the corner of King and Keaumoku. You will experience true service the way it should be. Besides gas, ask for a hand wash and watch them work out. I actually look forward to needing gas, just to go there. We see too many overweight, overpaid “service station” attendants sitting on their backsides watching people in business suits pump their own gasoline, and then fork over an unreasonable amount of money for it. I have even seen some places that charge you for water and air, and you need to put it in yourself.

The Works
When I pull into a “service station” and say, “Fill it up”, I want a tank of gas as well as my tires, water and oil checked along with all of my windows cleaned. I find the places willing to provide this service, like Yajima are always busy. HELLO!
To read Yelp reviews on them, CLICK HERE and see that I am not alone.

“Tips are to be Earned”
This CBS story is about a North Carolina waitress who lost her job at a pizza place after blowing off steam on her Facebook page about a recent $5 tip she got. The article does not mention the amount of the tab or anything about the service given. It does say that a couple sat at their table for three hours, causing her to work an hour later than scheduled.
On more than a few occasions I have had a server explain that he or she was getting off work, and would like to settle the tab, and start a new one with another server.

Attitudes Show
Is it possible that this server showed “attitude” instead and thus “earned” the small tip? It’s hard to say. The restaurant has a company policy banning workers from complaining about customers or making the resturant look bad on a social network, so the firing was apparently in order.
I see a few good things to remember in this story:
-The customer is always right.
-Tips are gratuities given by customers based on the level of service they feel was provided.
-Employees should be aware of and follow company policies.
-Badmouthing a customer publicly is stupid.
-Anger is one letter short of danger.

It Only Takes One
I continue to hear people “crying the blues”, claiming that people are worried about the economy and not shopping. All you need to do is take a walk through Ala Moana Shopping Center or Waikiki just about any day and you can see evidence to the contrary. It’s the old “half glass of water” thing; how do you see it; half full or half empty? Those seeing it half empty will be “chicken little” busy looking for places to cut expenses in areas where the optimistic will be spending more and thus passing up their competition.
I received e-mail the other day from an AT&T manager who had just read Success Made Easy upon returning to Hawaii from Europe. This is part of what she said:

“Aloha Ron,
Thank you so much for your kind offer to deliver Success Made Easy to the airport before I left. I received it when I arrived home and was able to read most of the book over the weekend. I hope to finish it tonight. I will be recommending this book in my Selling for Success class tomorrow. Reading every day for personal and professional improvement is mandatory for me, and I include this philosophy in my classes. I love the story about Bill Wyland hoping the tough economic times last longer so that he can get all of his competitor’s good locations. That is classic Bill.”

Park It
Further evidence of the spending going on at Ala Moana is seen when trying to find a parking place. Part of that problem is the space set aside for valet parking that is not being used. The parking lot was full when I took this photo. Why drive around for a half hour only to find a parking place in the sun, 100 yards away? Just pull up to the valet here or at Niemen Marcus and let them park it for you while you shop. It’s Easy!

Apple Mania
Perhaps the strongest evidence of all that people are spending money can be seen just about any day or night by peering into the Apple Store where the prices are high, the lines are long and the service is terrific.     

It’s at a Premium
Parking at a busy mall is always an issue. Even a bigger issue is shopping revenue. One would think that the business done in the mall is more important than parking control, especially with so many retailers crying the blues about a lack of business. This being said, whenever I go to the mall to shop or to help retailers do more business I always park as far away from the crowded parking lot as I can. I can use the exercise and I don’t like dings in my car doors.

Huh!
You can imagine how upset I was today to find a General Growth Properties bicycle patrolman issuing me a “Courtesy Traffic Notice” at Ala Moana Mall for parking in this spot for “more than four hours.” The rent-a-cop told me that they don’t want store employees parking there all day. I told him that I am not a store employee. He said, “I’m sorry, I am only doing my job, but don’t worry about it, nothing will happen anyway.” Right! 

Good or Bad?

Unhappy customers can be bad news for any company, yet properly dealt with can be a huge benefit. It only takes one poorly handled one to ruin your day, and perhaps even your reputation. One handled well can do just the opposite.

The first rule is, “Don’t take it personal”. The customer may not be right, BUT, the customer is ALWAYS right. It could be a “mood thing” on the part of the customer. Never let your mood become a factor. Some customers have unrealistic expectations, while others may have a legitimate gripe. The important thing is for YOU to make things better.

Here are some things that YOU can do to make unhappy customers your ally rather than your enemy.

1. Listen, and do not interrupt customers while they are venting. They need to tell their story and feel that they have been heard.

2. Say, “Thank you”. You do not have to agree to be thankful. You can say, “Thank you for calling this to my attention.”

3. Apologize: Again, you do not have to agree. You can say, “I’m sorry that you feel this way”. Do not attempt to lecture the customer, make excuses, or attempt justify what has happened. Doing so will just make it worse.

4. Seek a Solution: Ask your customer, “What do you think we should do about this?” Oftentimes the customer’s solution is easier than what you might have in mind. Sometimes the venting and apology is enough.

5. Agree: Look for a solution that will satisfy the customer. The cost of the solution is most likely less costly than a tarnished reputation would be.

6. Do It Now: Show a sense of urgency. Your willingness to fix the problem quickly will do more FOR YOU than the problem DID TO the customer.

7. Follow-up: Make sure that what you agreed to do was done, and done right. A lack of follow through can undo all of the good you just did.

Remember; STUFF HAPPENS. It’s how you handle the STUFF that is more important than the STUFF itself.