Making Do When You Don't Have Enough

This is a baseball story that pleases me. It illustrates the challenge of putting together an organization when there are not many options available; with spunk we can make it through. Perhaps the joke will be lost in the explaining, but here it is.

It was 1933, and Casey Stengel was a rookie manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers. They were low on the list for Rule 5 draft picks that year, and Casey picked Ray Berres, a 170 pound light hitting catcher. When asked why he picked the lightweight Berres, Casey replied,

“You have to have a catcher because if you don't you're likely to have a lot of passed balls.”

Think about it. If no-one is there to catch the ball, you don't have much of a game.

When faced with tough choices, ask yourself what sort of business you are in. What is it that you absolutely must do, or shut your doors?

Casey's Dodgers only won four games that year, and the Dodgers failed to make the playoffs. Casey's career as a manager was a spotted one. He won some and he lost some. What he never lost was his sense of humor, and his ability to warm the crowd. He loved what he did and he made sure people loved playing his game. A plaque dedicated to him at the Yankee Stadium's monument park reads in part,

"..baseball for over 50 years; with spirit of eternal youth."

Shortening the Queue

Back to Obama again, and The Audacity of Hope. This is one of those rare books I am compelled to underline, flag, and mark. Here's another quote that speaks directly to the original theme of my blog, "I am convinced - although I have no statistical evidence to back it up - that antitax, antigovernment, antiunion sentiments grow anytime people find themselves standing in line at a government office with only one window open and three or four workers chatting among themselves in full view." (p. 73)

I've tested this quote against a few of my friends, and they laugh. They recognize the image. It does make sense. My friend was reminded also of bank lines, where perhaps four or five bank tellers are at their counter, but only one is open. A supervisor perhaps, the receptionist, loans officers and the bank manager also will be busy (or not busy) at their own tasks. No-one takes ownership to shorten that line save the one designated bank teller. For the person standing in line, do they feel valued; is attendance of their needs a priority? Oviously, observably, not. In return, how much loyalty and good-feeling does the customer build for the bank?

I'm reminded also of the business pundits' warning that companies who want to remain competitive should invest their time figuring out what the customer really wants. From Covey's book, "Predictable Results", "Clearly, the App Store is successful because it allows customers to get exactly what they want immediately and in a simple and inexpensive way. " How do you find out what customers really want? The best results aren't from analysing satisfaction ratings or survey results. These may be filtered or distorted by the collection method itself. Find out by walking around.

A great example of customer service is Pike Place Fish. I am re-reading their book, "Catch - A Fishmonger's Guide to Greatness" and I am reminded again that every fishmonger makes a personal intention - every day - to give each customer a memorable experience. I am a head-over heels, starry-eyed fan of these guys. A couple years ago, I went to check them out myself. I was increasingly nervous as I approached their booth in the market. Would they live up to the hype? Why, yes, they did. In a very personal way. I didn't catch any fish. But they did make my visit memorable in many small ways. I have the autographed book to prove it.

Visit the counters and the waiting rooms. See what the customers see. Inspire your front workers to take a personal interest in every customer that comes across their desk. Don't ever let it become routine, dull, "take another number". Let everyone who visits you for services leave feeling they have been heard, understood.

Customers have memories.