Deciding to be Different
- Post By: Greg Crumpton
- Date:
- Category: Blog
- Tags: airtight, AirTight Facilitech, greg crumpton
It seems as though everyone says it. We are this and we are that…
In reality, we don’t do anything, what you see “we” doing is a collection of individuals who have decided to act differently. I mean different than what has become “The Norm”.
Let’s face it, “The Norm” isn’t really very good is it? I kind of lost track of when good enough became good enough. Good enough for who?
In specific, the customer service world we live in needs a boost. These days it’s so rare and pleasant when we are treated well in an establishment or store that we find ourselves surprised by the experience. It’s a sad state of affairs when we’re happy that we actually were treated how we wanted to be treated to begin with.
Last week I was having sushi in a great little spot near our temporary home. We are moving and are in-between residences, so we’re living in a rental spot for a few months and exploring the new neighborhood. Anyway, the young man taking care of me was truly doing just that. He was Johnny-on-the-spot, tea, wasabi, napkins, etc… Bam! Every time I turned around he was there, ready and willing to serve.
After lunch I told the lady who owns the place how great he was. She was quiet and polite as she accepted the compliment and then went straight back to the kitchen. It wasn’t two minutes later that the server caught me as I was leaving and told me, “You just cemented my job for me and I really need this job.” Obviously, the owner had told him what I said and he was thrilled.
That was a very cool moment.
The point is, he has decided to be different, to stand out and up and be better than “The Norm”.
You just know when someone “gets it”, don’t you? You can see it in their delivery, hear it in their enthusiastic voice and feel it ooze out of them. Well, people just know when you “get it”, too.
What do you do to show you get it, to stand out, to be better than “The Norm”?
How about things like answering your phone at 5:03 PM? They wouldn’t be calling if they didn’t need you. Try reading a book to a kid, or give a book to someone struggling with an issue. Visit a shut-in who doesn’t have anyone. Be truly present when someone is talking to you.
The key is to take action. Go do something cool for someone else, but do it anonymously or in a low-key way so that only you get to smile about it.
Small things, but so often it’s the small things that make the biggest difference.
