Be FIRST

Posted by random olio

We grow up as kids not wanting to be last. When we stood in groups or lines in gym class, none of us wanted to be picked last. Everyone wanted to know they were wanted. Being last meant a lot of things, and different things to different people, but 99% of us did not want to be picked last (regardless of why). That does not mean that we all wanted to be first. We just knew we did not want to be last. Yet someone had to be last. Someone always has to be last.

You can decide though if you are first or last. A colleague told me recently to allow your work to direct your opportunity. So when I recently came across this short and sweet Seth Godin blog, I was inspired, and in case you are not Godin followers, I had to share. I’ve included the entire text (yes all of it) here:

Before you’re asked.

Before she asks for the memo, before the customer asks for a refund, before your co-worker asks for help.

Volunteer.

Offer.

Imagine what the other person needs, an exercise in empathy that might become a habit.

I remember so often growing up that my dad ingrained in me to think ahead, to figure out how I was going to approach something before I did it. The funny thing — my dad barely had a strategic bone in his body. Sure, as a contractor he had to strategize house plans and such, but other than that I did not gain my strategic mind from my dad. In any case, he did teach us to think ahead and be prepared BEFORE he got to us. Have our room clean before he lost it. Do our chores before we had to be reminded. Ask how we could further help. Whether I like it or not, he taught me to be proactive. I wonder if he truly knows that or if it was more about what he wanted.

Ah well, I will never know. I do so love and appreciate those that I interact with on a daily basis to volunteer, offer their help and support, and think about what another might need. Anticipate. Be available and helpful. I try to do it, and I love when those around me reflect the same behavior. Do we all have these skills? I am not sure. I think we all have them in some form. Some of us just elect to use them and others let them lie dormant.

Be first.

Hurley Customer Service Rocks!

Posted by random olio

I am a diehard customer service nut. What does that mean? I love, love, love when I have kickass customer service, AND you do not want to be on the other end of the phone with me if you are not providing me with excellent customer service.

Recently Chris and I purchased jackets from Hurley. While we did not purchase matching jackets, they are a similar style and are made of the same material. After we each wore our jackets once, we found that a part on my jacket was unstitched and that Chris’ pocket was not sewn correctly. He contacted their customer service to let them know and see what they could do for us. I was expecting them to tell us that we needed to send it back to them, and once they received it they would send a replacement to us.

This was their response:

Hi Christopher,

I apologize about your jacket! I have went ahead and processed an exchange for a replacement jacket to be sent out to you. Please just ship back your defective item to the below address, and write the below Return # anywhere on the outside of the box that you send it back in. I have credited your account used for the order $8.00 to cover shipping costs for you to ship this item back to us, if it is more than this, please save your receipt and send us a photo and we will credit you the difference. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hurley Customer Service

Rock on, Hurley. Not only are they sending us a new one immediately, they also credited our credit card for the $8 right away. We were not expecting such great service, and wish that more companies would take their lead from Hurley.

An interesting way to shop online

Posted by random olio

A few weeks ago, I found a cool website that displays boutique products as though you are virtually in the shop itself. ShopStoree is the namesake, with the tagline: “Every shop has a story.” When you hover over specific products, you have the option to then purchase them online. It is a great way to merchandise products mixed with other items, rather than a conveyor belt option of items in silos unto themselves.

Each photo is of a different shop, and when you see the black dot, click on it and it will give you the name, price and link to the online shop of the boutique. You also can click on “About this Shop” to learn about the online or brick + mortar boutique. ShopStoree says: “We believe an amazing retail experience is not confined to a physical store.  It transcends that. It is about the joy of discovery. And we believe that kind of discovery can be experienced in a digital world.” I have to agree with them. It takes online shopping to a whole new level. I can experience a boutique in Cleveland I have never been to, or explore one in Portland and see if I want to venture there in person.

It looks like they have an assortment of shop styles to explore. The only caveat is that you can look at a photo and find that there are many other things on that table that you want to purchase but does not have the black dot. Eye candy you cannot have! But, I guess if I saw an item in a photo that was not for sale on ShopStoree, I could always contact the specific store and ask them for more details on a that product.

Interested? Check them out!

Anything.

Posted by random olio

A few months ago I finished reading: “The Advantage” by Patrick Lencioni. There was one particular quote that resonated with me. It reminds me of previous job situations and how we sometimes really do not know our bosses or employees well. Should we?

“A friend of mine worked for a management consulting firm for about six years. He was paid well, but after putting up with as much neglect and politics as he could stand, he finally decided to leave. When he was called in for his exit interview with a senior manager who had never taken an interest in him before, he was asked, ‘What could we have done to keep you here longer?’ My friend was a little stunned by the hollowness of the question. After a moment, he just smiled and replied, ‘Anything’.” (page 168)

I love this. It actually brings tears to my eyes, and for those of you that might read my blog regularly, tears do not flow that freely for me. It has to affect me either deeply, or in a way I would not normally expect. Usually the unexpected emotion means it hits a part of me that understands and relates. I wonder how many of us could say the same thing as this individual, that they could have done anything to keep us. I could count more than my fingers and my toes the number of people in my life that have felt this way. Is it because at a deep level we all want to feel valued and appreciated? Even in just the smallest of ways?

Yes. Should that be that hard to make happen in any and all organizations? No. Feeling valued and appreciated on a daily basis to me is like drinking water, when you are parched, dehydrated, thirsty, all it takes is a glass of water. It nourishes us and helps to quench our thirst. We are relieved and refreshed. A little appreciation goes a long way, it nourishes and hydrates us for a long time. What are you doing to share your gratitude and appreciation to your co-workers, employees, and even your boss? Do you think about the reciprocal potential of sharing your appreciation to leadership, peers, and direct reports? It is a two-way street.

It amazes me how easy we can reach out to another person in our life. Do something. Do anything.

Do you watch Shark Tank?

Posted by random olio

So I really like the show: Shark Tank, especially with the addition of Mark Cuban. I love the banter and the bluntness of the judges. Since I have always been interested in the entrepreneur side of things, it is intriguing to watch different business owners (although some just have an idea and not functioning businesses yet) try to tell their story, their idea, themselves, and the worthiness of their product or company. Some guests are spot on with their approach: their ideas are clever, their sales approach is solid, and they get the money they need and the right investor to support them. Others are horrible. I guess like American Idol, there has to be a few that just miss the mark (and sometimes horribly so).

The show always makes me think about how I would approach the Sharks, and what savvy way would I try to win them over? Of course I would need a great business or product idea, but so much of the sales pitch is in the story and the confidence in which it is presented. Each judge has their own interesting nuances that you get to know over time. Mark Cuban has become my favorite judge, he is a bit cocky, but will also put himself out there for someone he believes really works hard and will truly make him money on his investment. Not all the judges will put themselves out there like that.

If you do not watch, it airs on Friday nights, and you can probably multi-task a bit while you watch (check Facebook, knit that hat, give yourself a pedicure). Yes, even some of you men should be doting on your feet, why not while catching up on your DVR?