OUTRAGEOUS !!!

Traditions create a rhythm of how we do things and conduct ourselves. Traditions are not just for the holidays! What are your traditions? Do you have some flexibility? Traditions reinforce your culture. A tradition can be fun and even random and unexpected. (Two key POS principles). Traditions build a bond, creates community, blesses, teaches values and adds a rhythm to the adventure of Positively Outrageous Service.

Positively Outrageous Service can blow away customer models of customer abrasion. The now defunct Blockbuster built its customer revenue model on late fees, 70% of their revenues were generated from disservice! The customer experience is more important than ever given the reach of social media. Is there anything abrasive in your policies and processes that undermine the customer experience. Or, are your people behaving abrasively? When your policy becomes the experience – it can become an excuse to behave badly.

“Gratitude, not understanding, is the secret to joy and equanimity.” – Anne Lamott. What are you thankful for? Giving thanks builds community and connection. Giving thanks communicates how you are important to me. Who in your business is helping you be successful? Do something fun for them! An attitude of gratitude is beneficial for the giver and not just the receiver!

The power of novelty is in “contextual” novelty. Doing something we expect in an unexpected way. We are all endowed with creativity. It takes many different forms. One may be creative in creating magic moments through listening; creativity through how we respond to a complaint; creativity in solving an employee problem. Be novel and creative! Where can I stand out today? Challenge yourself. What can I do differently today with that person in front of me in this moment? Spontaneously creative, interesting and unexpected!

Championing Positively Outrageous Service is both explicit and implicit. Tacit approval is the message that is being communicated when one doesn’t speak out. The unspoken implicit sets a precedent every bit as much as explicit championing. Actions of management speak as loud as the words communicated. Tacit approval of toxic behavior creates a negative environment that undermines the ability to foster a Positively Outrageous Service culture. Listen to your employees and customers, uncover it, discover it, and address it!

A culture is created and characterized by what you consent to, champion and celebrate. Who you are, is reflected by what you do. What you do reflects who you are. What is a champion? What we stand up for … the flag bearer who defends, corrects and adjusts to stay on course. How do you champion Positively Outrageous Service? Who are your POS champions? How do you verbalize the championing? The power to influence others through championing starts with leadership and then equipping and coaching the next level. In your upper echelon what are you doing to know, and what are you doing to live out what you want everybody else in your team to be doing? It requires vision, leadership sets the example, and stay on course through constant correction.

Repetition reinforces Reputation. Cut through the clutter of marketing messages with testimonials that build “social proof”. Don’t just create Positively Outrageous Service – capture the POS testimonial! The power in video testimonials? The viewer sees, hears and connects emotionally. Video has also become the preferred medium over reading. Easiest method: use your smart phone, ask questions, keep it short, and thank them!

Before the advent of Social Media, one would on average share a positive experience with nine people and a negative experience with sixteen people. Now we share customer experiences with hundreds, if not thousands of people with a potential rippling effect many times more. Encourage your clients, customers and guests to share their Positively Outrageous Service story. Story Structure: What happened specifically? What was the impact? How you felt about it?

Yes it is true, my boss needs skills. This is the one you have been waiting for.

You can’t behave one way with a customer and another internally. Negative humor and sarcasm WILL spill into other areas of your life. Two faces lead to silos, communication breakdowns between departments and defensive postures. Consistency is key. Create WOW internally; it’s infectious creating WOW customer experiences naturally, organically. The antidote is “be for me”, body language, consistency, and disarming through “un-offend-ability”. MY BOSS NEEDS SKILLS – Toxicity is Viral Too – E25S1 Toxic bosses or behavior seeps into your customer service. The #1 reason people leave their jobs is not the work but the boss! Are you crafting positions that employees enjoy and leverage their strengths? Joy is contagious and will infect your customer experience positively. Good bosses influence behavior and draw the best out of one allowing one to give. Toxic work environments inhibit happiness hindering the release of Positively Outrageous Service!

When we get emotional we push out the logic in a service situation. Diffuse negative emotional situations through “super hearing” creating the bridge from where a customer is emotionally to redeem the solution faster. Start with open-ended powerful questions. “Tell me more” “What else?” … dives deeper into the root of the problem or situation. “What would you like to see happen?” Super Hearing is about “I am for you” Listen to what’s going on situationally and emotionally.

Develop your super-hero powers in toxic environments and situations. “I’m so glad you got me!” “You’re not yelling at me … you’re angry about the situation.” Diffuse the initial confrontations by not taking it personally and being “unoffendable”.

“The fish stinks from the head” First, leadership must define and align an organization’s service expectations. Second, align your departments, (in a larger organization). Third, create alignment in your hiring practices to the organization’s service expectations.

Hiding behind the uniform, kiosk or desk. Don’t project your tornado on another. Making assumptions about the person in front of you. Dismissing someone because of your authority. Not acknowledging the presence of your customer.

Boasting about your great customer service is NOT a good idea! “Pride comes before the fall” … you also take away a key principle of Positively Outrageous Service: “RANDOM & UNEXPECTED. Andrew’s real-life scenario gives us three valuable lessons that we can all learn from.

Actions have to be aligned to your words. Pay attention to the words you use. Is it positive? Positivity reinforces. You can’t have “two faces”: internal and external communications have to be congruent.

People remember much more of what they see vs. what they hear. To be persuasive you must be seen, not just heard. F2F brainwaves becomes aligned creating empathy. F2F + touch: we are more persuasive, effective & memorable.

Why deliver Positively Outrageous Service? To become simply irresistible, (i.e. highly referable), get N.U.D.E. - NOVELTY UTILITY DEPENDABILITY ECONOMIC VALUE.

"The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred.” ~ GBS. Context is everything. Pay attention to how you received. Ask questions. Understand intent. Forgive quickly.

What are the skill sets necessary to deliver Positively Outrageous Service? The new SMA skills: critical thinking, innovative thinking, creativity, and high emotional engagement.

Propagate POS Success Stories & Heroes. Celebrating lifts the energy level of your entire team if you are positive and vocal in the victories won through POS. The seventh habit of a POS culture.

Consistent application of POS in all areas across an organization is key to delivering a comprehensive WOW experience to your stakeholders. Identify your service gaps. The sixth habit of a POS culture.

A key benefit of POS is it creates compelling positive word-of-mouth advocacy for your organization – the most potent marketing ingredient possible! Measure it! The fifth habit of a POS culture.

Management Generates the Heat for POS! … Episode 9. It necessitates leadership to give management the freedom and permission to interpret and execute appropriately how POS looks like for their specific department. The third habit of a POS culture.

Leadership Ignites The Revolution Of Love! … Episode 8 It’s time for a revolution! Leadership casts the vision, champions it and practices it by loving their people first. The second habit of a POS culture.

Recruit and Hire “Service Naturals"… Episode 7 There are those that instinctively put service before self … serving another comes naturally. The first of seven habits to create a POS culture.

Creating a culture of Positively Outrageous Service in your organization necessitates a comprehensive approach from hiring through equipping to celebrating. Listen to this introduction to the seven habits!

Fundamental to Positively Outrageous Service is love. Love your customers, love your suppliers, love your employees, love your family! Love is infectious... love conquers all. Make it the heart of your serving.

The third principle of Positively Outrageous Service: Create engagement by either having fun with the customer or get them involved in other ways ... for example, questions!

The second principle of Positively Outrageous Service to create that WOW experience with customers and all your valued relationships.

The first principle of Positively Outrageous Service to create that WOW customer experience. Apply this principle to all your relationships and see what happens!

That WOW experience you can’t wait to tell others about. And it's not just for customers! Love your team, your suppliers even your family!