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Getting Conscious?

I think that when a server in a restaurant presents the bill there should be two things on the bill - the first a percentage chart so it's easy to calculate the tip. The second, a guideline for that chart that clearly indicates the patron's happiness with the service by the amount left. We can also use this idea ourselves.

10% - means that service was BELOW par;
15%: means that service was AVERAGE;
20%: means that service was GREAT;
22% or more means that service was OUTSTANDING.

I started thinking this way one night recently while dining out with the baby - just under two years old. Without going into the grueling details of what this unconscious and possibly uncaring server did (or more importantly did not) I found myself muttering under my breath - is this guy even conscious?

The phrase came up again recently for me and it got me thinking. Businesses today have a great opportunity. Now that we are inching our way out of fear with signs that the recovery is a reality, we have a chance to change the way we do business, change the way we lead and change the way we take responsibility for the customer's experience - and hence their feelings.

A few years ago there used to be a conference on Business and Consciousness. It was one of my favorites as both a speaker and attendee. So when I started thinking about people (and the people that lead them) becoming more conscious, I went back to my notes from the last conference for inspiration. And that's just what I found. I'd like to share my notes with you at a time when I think Getting Conscious should be a prerequisite for getting both employees and customers to want to engage with you and your brand. As customers exert their power to choose the company that either offers the lowest no frills price or matches their values (or both). Getting Conscious is what it's all about.

Consciousness is about connectedness, a knowing that we are connected to the other human beings we interact with on a day to day basis. Consciousness is bringing to mind NOT that we are separate and different, but that we are connected at the deepest level. We do have something in common with the people we deal with, and that by looking for that commonality we can connect with another and build relationship. Relationship is what business is all about. Relationship is the foundation of loyalty. (And of course customer caring is ALL about relationship.)

Appreciation is critical! We have all become masters at criticism. We criticize ourselves, we criticize each other, we criticize the customer. Spend some time looking for things to appreciate about yourself and others. Appreciation is a quality of the heart. Here are some of the things I appreciate about myself: my curiosity, my ability to generate ideas, my intuition, my ability to feel deeply, my determination to keep writing, my sense of humor. You get the picture - are you ready to start your own lists? (Don't forget to make one about appreciating the customer, and then of course you might think of actually telling them the things you appreciate about them.)

Get real, be real, stay real. How can you be authentic in the world if you don't know who you really are? Take some time to explore you. Ask others what they see when they see you at your best. Take the VIA Strengths test and discover where you are strong. Authenticity is the first job of leadership. A person that is authentic and on purpose has a powerful presence in the world, and a profound effect on others.

Chaos precedes creation. Oh yeah. This one I know. I think that it's the place we are at now. The business world seems to be in chaos. What would happen if we simply accepted that and asked ourselves what we might create from this? Out of the trend at downsizing - might we create better, streamlined processes that eliminate waste? As the drive for more profit becomes strong, might we realize that if we generate more VALUE we might not have to "cut" anything more? As businesses keep automating, despite the pleas of their customers to stop the growing phone trees, can we create more personal, friendly and meaningful relationships with them so they will feel more attached to us and more likely to continue to do business with us?

It's not about answers, it's about questions. Who am I, who are we? Why are we here? What is our purpose? What is the role of leadership? What is learning? What kind of customers do we want to attract? What do we do well? What kind of service do we want to be known for? What are the issues that must be addressed if we want to be successful? What is success? Do we tell the truth? You get the picture - this is the time for questions, not answers. If your leadership is not asking them, you ask them!

Work matters! What do we deserve from work? Purpose, meaning, dignity and nobility - at all levels of the organization. How do we get that? You have to believe that work matters, that YOUR work makes a difference, that it counts, that you are involved in some- thing bigger, that you are connected to the thing that you are here to do together. That comes from defining the purpose (why are we here) the mission (how we fulfill the purpose) and the values we manifest while doing them.

Leadership is a way of being. We are all leaders and we are called upon to lead in all areas of our lives. Leadership is a personal choice - we don't do it, we are it. Leadership is an essential ingredient of every part of life. Lance Secretan (author of "Reclaiming Higher Ground") says that "Higher Ground Leadership is the practice of being an inspiration to others based on our inner, authentic selves. This is leadership that comes from the Soul - Conscious Leadership." He says that "Leadership is not something we learn, it is something we live. One does not "do" leadership. We become Inspirational Leaders - it is something we express through being."

Are you BEING leadership in every area of YOUR life? Are you making the kinds of decisions in your everyday dealings with customers and co-workers that nourish and nurture healthy relationships? Are you taking personal responsibility for making your work life as enriching as it can be?

Take this opportunity to ask yourself some of these questions. Customer caring always begins with self-caring and caring about the whole.

Take a deep breath and think deeply about how you operate in the world and how you want your customers to experience you. Do you want them to see you as conscious, competent and caring? If so, intend to show up that way and then make yourself accountable. Let me tip you only 10% if your service is below par - but if it's outstanding remind me to feel free to leave you a big fat tip - you earned it!

Wake up and smell the coffee - the world is changing and the customer is in charge.

JoAnna

JoAnna Brandi is Publisher of the Customer Care Coach® a weekly training program on mastering "The Art and Science of Exquisite Customer Care." She is the author of books such as "Winning at Customer Retention - 101 Ways to Keep 'em Happy, Keep 'em Loyal, and Keep 'em Coming Back" and "Building Customer Loyalty - 21 Essential Elements in ACTION."

A Speaker and consultant, she is publisher of the bi-weekly Customer Care Tips Bulletin. To receive her free bi-weekly tips bulletin, sign up at www.returnonhappiness.com. You can also reach JoAnna at 561-279-0027 or e-mail joanna@customercarecoach.com.