The longer I live, the more ironic life seems to become. In my role as a consultant, speaker, and seminar facilitator, I travel all over North America expounding the virtues of good customer service.
It’s one of dozens of programs we’ve provided for our clients for decades. Over those years, we’ve witnessed true customer service diminish in most every industry from coast to coast.
Last week I traveled to Charlottesville to present a keynote presentation and break-out session. It was in this quaint, college town nestled in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains that I witnessed a perfect example of the kind of customer service that is so very rare today.
Immediately upon retrieving my luggage, I stepped out of the small terminal to hail a cab. There were only two cabs available so I quickly entered the one at the front of the boarding line. After loading my luggage, the jovial driver with a giant smile on his face jumped into his seat and turned to introduce himself as he handed me a cold bottle of water and a copy of the local newspaper. On the short trip into town, Charles explained that I was riding in “Chuck’s Cab,” and he would appreciate the honor of returning me to the airport at the end of my visit. He came to Charlottesville four years ago from South Africa and used his life savings to purchase this single cab to become the proud owner of his own business. A quick survey of the cab convinced me that he must have purchased a used vehicle. The two bucket seats and console were held together with duct tape. However, the car was very clean and seemed to run well.
While Chuck gave me some local history, I couldn’t help but notice a typed note taped to the rear of the seat in front of me. Chuck informed his riders to expect a 5% surcharge for any trips occurring between midnight and 6:00 a.m. or during unusual weather conditions. There would also be an additional charge of $300 to anyone who couldn’t control their behavior while in his cab. I must admit that I’ve never seen anything like that in all of my years of travel. However, I had to admit that I had been fairly warned as to what to expect.
During our trip to the beautiful Omni Hotel, Chuck told me that Charlottesville was the proud home of Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. It was also the home of the University of Virginia (started by Jefferson) which, along with Monticello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Monticello, Jefferson’s mountain-top home, attracts approximately half a million tourists every year. Chuck obviously knew his adopted home town.
Upon arrival at the Omni, Chuck provided me with a very professional business card which informed me that he was also a local soccer coach. He told me that if I would call him for the return trip to the airport and had an extra half-hour to kill, he would be more than happy to give me a tour of his historic city prior to arriving at the airport and would simply charge me the same price he did today.
Chuck’s service, personality, charm, pride, initiative, creativity, knowledge of the area, and big smile wiped out any memory of duct tape and led me to enjoy a very informative and enjoyable tour of the city before returning to the airport a few days later.
I can think of a very long list of individuals and organizations that could learn a very valuable lesson from a short ride with my new friend Chuck! I may even be willing to pay the tab if they promised to control their behavior and agreed to make the trip during good weather before midnight!
About Harry K. Jones
Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.
Now that we can speed through commercials on our DVRs, many advertisers are frustrated in their battle for our attention. They may have found an answer to that dilemma.
Many marketing experts are warning that this encroachment on the privacy of an already stressed customer segment may very well backfire on both the airlines and the advertisers. We’ll soon see. Until then, this effort is another example of creative thinking by many who have felt the pressure of an ever-changing, chaotic, and competitive marketplace.
As odd as it may seem to be concerned about jobs going unfilled at a time when unemployment is nearly 10%, experts suggest that in some industries, employees may soon be retiring at a much faster rate than they can effectively be replaced. Where those new workers will come from and the cost of training them are employers’ two top concerns.
In many cases, there are no openings available for those chosen for this training at the time they are chosen. However, when the crucial need does arise in the future, leaders can be assured that they will have candidates fully prepared to step into leadership positions with the leadership competencies required for individual and organizational productivity and success for everyone involved.
I just returned from another road trip filled with the mixed emotions that always accompany me on my adventures. While I’m always somewhat exhausted, the positive aspects of every journey far outweigh the well-earned fatigue.
me holds true for CDs and seminars. Why is that? If we know the content and it’s been proven to be effective, why don’t we apply it?
In my role as a 
The landowner went from being a pauper to an instant multimillionaire—or did he? Actually the answer is “no.” This man had been the owner of great riches for as long as he had owned the property! He simply wasn’t aware of it and therefore did nothing to capitalize on his potential riches!
During the very short week between Christmas and New Years, I traveled to the Philadelphia area to spend the day with the entire headquarters staff of a valuable client. It was a nice break during a very hectic schedule. It also gave me the opportunity to ponder the coming year in light of the many challenges we face today. It led me to a major decision.
It’s quite obvious that we have been provided with the powerful basics to impact the world. Much has been and can be done with those basic tools.
Zappos.com
year after year as the best companies to work for in the U.S.
They did a fantastic job of creating the PowerPoint and I’m certain will some day look back at this experience with pride and appreciation for a loving mother who cared enough to share some critical information and invest her time in guiding her children through a very rewarding process.
As a young soldier early in my military career, I was accepted into the U.S. Army Signal School Photo Lab Course conducted at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. I was enthralled with this particular post as we shared quarters and classrooms with members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, foreign services and the Military Intelligence community. I learned a great deal, accumulated a vast array of memories, and left there after graduating, assuming I would never return.
Amidst “chaos” around the world, our military community continues to do whatever necessary to preserve and protect the liberties we have grown to cherish. Little did I know at the time of my first visit decades ago, that I would return in the future at such a decisive point in the history of such a renowned military establishment.