Shareworthy Service in the Windy City

Over the Christmas holiday, we had the opportunity to visit Chicago for some fun with friends. We sampled pizza, shopped for bargains and enjoyed the view from a world class hotel at a heck of a good price thanks to an internet deal sleuthed out by my clever husband.

One common thread was our positive experiences as customers.

Here are  three quick examples:

• Our request for  lake view rooms was quickly accommodated by the front desk clerk at the W hotel.
• Our wait for a table at Lou Malnati’s Pizza was shorter than expected, and the host cheerfully seated us 20 minutes sooner than promised.  Our plates and glasses were never empty, and even though the place was packed we didn’t feel like we were being rushed.
• Several of the retail clerks we encountered at Water Tower Place were helpful and cheerful without being pushy, even though they were working on New Year’s Eve.

What did each of these people have in common? Three things:  They seemed happy. They appeared to be enjoying what they were doing. They offered a balance of good customer service and friendly interaction.

What are these employers offering that makes a difference for employees and helps them do their jobs better? Here are a few examples:

1. Training and personal development.
2. Community giving.
3. Family culture and fun work environment.
4. A variety of programs that acknowledge and celebrate exceptional work that produced outstanding results.

If you are an employer, be sure you are including what is of value to you employees in your benefits package. How do you know what that is? Ask them. In addition to offering traditional benefits, you may find that there are incentives you can offer without much cost to your company that will make a world of difference to your employees. Your bottom line will be positively effective when happy employees are serving your customers.

If you are an employee, take a proactive approach to cultivating your own positive outlook and customer service philosophy. Consider approaching your employer about what benefits might help you do your job better. And do what is within your authority to make your workplace better for your co-workers.

We are getting serious about this type of customer experience in 2014. We call it Shareworthy Service and if you’d like to know more, contact us about working with us this year. We’d love to help.