Visitors who visit Oprah Winfrey's production studio for a taping of her show are sometimes amazed at the great, friendly service they receive from her staff members from the moment they get in line to enter the studio to the moment they exit after the show. While they wait in a line that often stretches down the length of the block and around the corner, studio employees walk up and down the line greeting guests and thanking them for visiting. They chat amiably and inquire about where the guests are from, what brought them to the show, and other topics. Upon entering the building, staff members take the time to make sure each guest knows when they'll be able to actually go in to find their seats, what to do until they get there, and what to do after they get in. Finally, after the show, guests are escorted out and again thanked for their visit. If there happened to be any giveaways that day, staff members make certain that each and every guest receives the promised item and that there's no confusion while they do.
Oprah Winfrey isn't the only business executive to realize the value of customer service. Ritz-Carlton is also well known for the exceptional service that they supply alongside lovely, clean rooms. Guests who go for a jog in the morning can expect to see employees offering bottles of cold water, fresh towels, and delicious fruit. Jeff Hargett, Ritz-Carlton's director of training and organization effectiveness, spoke at a Society of American Florists (SAF) event where he said, "[Service] is about thinking one step ahead of the customer. You have to ask, 'How can I take care of things [for this customer] before he or she has to ask for it?"
The key, of course, to great service is in training employees to provide that service and thanking them when they do. Employee reward systems are a great way to let employees know how much you appreciate their hard work. But, employee reward programs won't be effective if the rewards are given for things like showing up on time, or on a regular basis that requires someone be chosen to receive the reward at a given interval, such as an Employee of the Month program. Instead, look for special ways to acknowledge extraordinary deeds.
Shirley Lyons of Dandelions Flowers in Eugene, Oregon has come up with an innovative way of recognizing her employees' hard work-she lets them recognize each other. Her program is called "dandybucks" and involves store dollars (a.k.a. dandybucks) that are given to employees by other employees when they witness that person going above and beyond. The dandybucks can be used to buy products at Dandelions Flowers. "It's an incentive that our employees love, yet it's simple enough not to take away from our daily work," Lyons says.
One great way employers can recognize their employees' hard work is through gifts of flowers. A bright flower arrangement placed on the employee's desk or on the break table is sure to draw the attention of everyone who sees it, which gives the employee even more recognition. Flowers are also an inexpensive incentive that won't interfere with normal working conditions. Judging by Oprah's often flower laden sets, she's certainly a flower fan and we'll bet her fabulous employees receive flowers often.
Copyright: Copyright © 2006-2008 Wesley Berry, AAF
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