Chip R. Bell's Blog, page 7

Customer Service Saga With of a Side of Grits

It was supposed to be a romantic breakfast at a renovated historic hotel in mid-town Atlanta. It was early, the restaurant was not crowded, yet our waitress had obviously shifted to a low gear before we arrived. My wife and I ordered the same basic meal and intended to order a side of grits to share with our eggs and bacon. But, the distraction of the slow-motion customer service caused us to forget to request the side order.

The meal finally arrived and we realized our side of grits had not...

Helen of Service?

In Greek mythology, Helen, like many rock stars who followed her, had no last name. She was simply known as Helen of Sparta.

Mythology claims she was the daughter of Zeus, the head god of all the inhabitants of Mount Olympus. Married to King Menelaus of Sparta, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world.

She was kidnapped (some say seduced) by Prince Paris of Troy—an affront which triggered the Trojan War you read about in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Paris (played in the movie v...

Keeping the Wonderment of a Trainee

Sarah was obviously brand new on the front desk of the upscale hotel in Las Vegas where I was staying. My first question at check-in yielded a zealous, “I am new and I do not know the answer, but please let me find out.” She sported a trainee designation under her name on her badge. It signaled to me to lower my expectations and give her a wider than normal berth.

She was eager to serve; earnest in her attempt to do new tasks correctly. While I could tell she was a bit nervous, she was also j...

‘Would You Like to Hear a Story?’

Last week, I requested an Uber in Richmond, Va., and got a delightful surprise. When I boarded the car at the Richmond Airport en route to a downtown hotel, my driver turned, introduced himself, and shook my hand. Then, he asked a magical question:

“Would you like to ride in silence or would you like to hear a story?” I am a sucker for a good story.

With my request for a story, driver Jackie “J.R.” Robinson handed me a picture album and began to narrate each page. The first page contained ha...

Avoiding the ‘Baby Armadillo’ Customer

Four identical armadillos were recently born under my house and this weekend made their first foray into our yard searching for food, unaccompanied by a parent. I hate armadillos! It is very personal. When I lived in Texas, I took great delight in eliminating their destructive hog-like behavior with a shot gun and buck shot! Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not a violent person by any stretch of the imagination. But, I spend way too much money and time nurturing the perfect yard with foliage and...

Stop the ‘Creepy Crack’ in Your Customer Service!

Let customers witness your obvious commitment to service excellence. (Image credit: https://www.123rf.com/profile_kadmy.)

Crash!!! The rock hit hard on the top of my car windshield, a rocketed gift from the giant truck I was following on the interstate. I could see the small crack it created right beneath the rear-view mirror. I realized it was not likely to remain as it started. Sure enough, two days later the two-inch crack was six inches long and starting to spider. Four days later the cre...

Here’s Why You Should Serve Your Customers ‘Chicken Soup’

From the time I was a young boy, I heard that one of the best cures for a common cold was chicken soup. I recall in high school looking it up in the encyclopedia (that’s the early version of Google it) to discern what magic this concoction might have that would give it such medicinal powers. Its secrets were not revealed; I only found a recipe.

Even my friend Jack Canfield wrote a whole series of books with titles that started with Chicken Soup for the Soul. It spawned a brand category of cou...

The Jeanne Bliss ‘Make Her Proud’ Standard

True confession, I love movies! And, one my favorites is The Blind Side. It is the true story of Michael Oher, a talented offensive lineman who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. The number one goal of an offensive lineman is to protect the quarterback from the advance of opponents the quarterback is not likely to see while deciding to run or throw the football. Oher is an African-American, high school-aged son of a drug addicted mom on his way to poverty and pitifulness who is adopted by a...

Stop Rubber-Stamping Customer Experiences

I was in a well-known retail store recently and overheard a customer say to her friend, “I am not coming back in this store again. It is always cookie cutter service…the same ‘how may I help you,’ the same, ‘credit or debit,’ and the same boring ‘thank you for shopping at Acme’ spoken with the enthusiasm of a blooming rock!”

Her friend agreed. I heard them talking about going online as they exited the large store.

Cookie cutters make every cookie the same size. But, it is the wrong metaphor....

The Power of Embedded Revolution

Every month my black cat gets a tiny tube of Revolution® squirted on the back of her neck so she cannot lick it off before it gets absorbed into her skin. She hates it and always runs away for a while to privately work on re-shining her silky coat. She does not understand that the oily fluid (selamectin) is treatment that keeps away fleas, heartworms and all manner of critters that could do her harm. The feature that most amazes is the fact that it works for a whole month because it is embed...