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The “P” Word In The StratLab Office // eps 57 #InTheLab
It’s about time we talked about the “P” word.
“Positivity”.
Stop being afraid of it and call out the pink Elephant in the room. Why is being positive looked down on? In a business setting if you come into the room excited, grinning ear to ear, people will ask if you’ve gone mad. I think we should encourage people to be happy, excited, down right ecstatic to be there. Why not, life’s too short not to have fun.
Why do we tolerate people in society that think life is about being “serious” and “professional”. Two adjectives this author doesn’t do very well with.
There’s a psychological side to being positive as well. Studies show that a positive mindset allows your brain to be more creative as well as increases white blood cell count helping strengthen your immune system. You can’t argue with science! Being happy keeps you healthy and makes you smarter.
In the @Stratlab office if someone is being negative, gossiping, talking ill of someone else, or just in general being a negative Nancy, we won’t tolerate it. We blow the horn of negativity.
Yes you read correct. Born out of Big Idea Camp as a way to keep everyone positive, the Horn of Negativity is an air horn that rarely got used. We started it as a joke and it’s lasted ever since. The team knows now not to be negative, no gossiping or else they’ll get an ear full.
Lastly, it’s easy to be negative. It’s easy to be a critic. It’s easy to sit at the sidelines and complain. It’s easy not to put in any effort and just expect change to happen. But that’s not how life works.
It’s much harder to try to change things. It’s much more difficult to help look for solutions, to not complain without being willing to be a part of the change.
Take the difficult path, be a positive change agent in society. Man we need now more than ever.
The Best Way To Answer The Phone
We’re in Fort McMurray visiting one of our favourite places, Layers Wellness. We’re sitting in the front room and the phone rings. All we hear is a cheery voice that bursts out:
“Layers Wellness, how can we make your day better?”
I instantly started laughing. How amazing is that phone greeting?
We’ve been to Layers Five times in the last two years and that’s the first time I heard such a unique greeting on the phone. I think they’re getting better and better at being more, well…”Layers-y” (caring, fun, thoughtful, warm, engaging, friendly, happy).
Too many organizations worry about their “brand” or their “marketing strategy” and they forget what really matters, all the little things. Instead of developing your next ad campaign, why not try to get your employees to come up with a way to build customer loyalty?
Stop blaming marketing for your customer service problems
Want more business? Start treating customers like friends instead of customers. If you want to be different than others, if you want to standout amongst your competition, if you want repeat business, care about your customers in a completely differently way. Layers Wellness does this regularly.
Focus on providing a unique style of customers service and you won’t need marketing
A Simple Demonstration of ‘Good’ Brand in Action Compared to a ‘Bad’ Brand
In the Edmonton airport trying to make a connection I ask an Air Canada desk, by accident, where my gate was. The response? “The Westjet counter is over there”, slightly annoyed pointing in a vague direction.
He could have helped me, I mean the question wasn’t difficult (unless it was that employees first day in the Airport which is highly unlikely) but Air Canada’s “brand” isn’t about helping or going to extra mile at all. I think their brand is more like “unless we know you have money, we don’t give a flying frog about you!”
I find my gate, as I’m going thru I over hear an Air Canada passenger ask the same question I did to a Westjet employee!(Oh the irony, I wonder if they’ll give the same response?) Not surprisingly the Westjeter just answered the question.
I waited and congratulated him on being “human”, you know just helping people? It’s kind of what makes us human. And its not hard.
Whatever you do in business you’re going to have an opportunity to say a version of “oh that’s not my job”. Make it your job, take the initiative, be a human.
I can’t imagine that Air Canada fellow has much fun only helping certain people, that’ll make you a grumpy Gus.
FREE Downloadable Professional Business Stock Photos
1. The “It smells like success in here!” “Nah, it’s just COFFEE!” stock photo
People seem to like to look off into the distance in stock photos, why? See it looks so weird! Stop using photos like this on your website please. Read more
Customer Service Explained By The Friendliest Person In The World || Eps 33 of #InTheLab
I’ve only known Maple for a few years, but in that time she’s taught me a life time of lessons on how to treat people. We used to work up above Coda Clothing and shoes. Maple would be working on the floor of Coda when we’d come into work. We’d have to walk past her as we shared an entrance. She was always excited to see us no matter what. She genuinely wanted to get to know you better, it wasn’t fake or contrived, Maple is actually one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. She could keep a conversation going with a mute person! Read more
Between Two Sequoias w/ Braedon McLeod || Eps 25 #BetweenTwoSequoias
I met Braedon back when he was in highschool and still full of piss and vinegar. I was the assistant coach of the Senior Boys at Winston Knoll and there was this young spitfire of a Volleyball player that looked at the world through a different lens. He was a little shit disturber, didn’t like authority but would compete no matter what. He was a competitor. We didn’t see eye to eye at first, but slowly I began to understand where this young fellow came from. Read more
The Nicest Thing Someone Has Ever Done. EVER. – Episode 17 #InTheLab
The greatest customer service moment happened to me just the other day.
Passion > Professional | episode 16 of #InTheLab
In school they tell you to sit in a row, do what your told and don’t question authority. In university they make you memorize material from a previous decade and try to tell you that you have to be professional to make it. It’s implied that you don’t dress like a slob but why is being professional a sought after characteristic?
Read more
The Condescending Customer Service Representative – Episode 14 #InTheLab
You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? The condescending customer service rep.
You know who I’m talking about. That person at a place you frequent that just doesn’t understand customer service. They need to be right, they seem to dislike human interactions, they make you feel bad for simple things. Usually a customer representative at a front desk or a place that interacts with people a lot. It’s sad really. Read more