For the Love of Soy

Lisa Price and I recently found out we have something in common:  If we’re going to buy a four or five-dollar cup of coffee, we want that cup of coffee to be just right.

Lisa is a project manager here at FreemanGroup.  A few Sundays ago, knowing they had a long trip ahead of them, she and her husband, Dan, stopped at a Starbucks on their way out of town.  Five miles down the road, Lisa discovered that the drink she had gotten was not the drink she had ordered.  Their receipt clearly showed that she was supposed to have gotten soy milk.  Grrr… Where was the soy?  Where was the love?

She began to get really irritated, and then to complain.  Dan decided that in the name of deserving coffee drinkers everywhere, they would stop at the next Starbucks on their route and try to get Lisa some justice.

Eureka!  Several miles later, they spotted their second green Starbucks sign of the day.  When they pulled in, Dan explained what had happened to the employee working the drive-through.  The employee seemed genuinely concerned.  He apologized and made Lisa another cup of coffee—with soy milk—at no additional charge.  He then asked what store it was that had gotten the original order wrong, which led Lisa to believe that he was planning to follow up on the issue.

As a result of the employee’s genuine concern and willingness to right another store’s wrong, Lisa was no longer mad and had no further desire to complain to anyone about what had happened.

When Lisa told me this story, the thing that I picked up on right away is that it only took one brief interaction with one employee to change Lisa’s experience from a negative one to a positive one.  How did the employee do this?  He did it by listening, letting Lisa and her husband know they were heard, and then taking action.

Listening is probably the most important thing that any of us can do when we’re faced with service complaints.  Lisa’s story could have been a negative customer service story, but instead, because one employee listened, it wound up being nice little story about how one thoughtful Starbucks employee managed to save the day and restore Lisa’s faith in baristas everywhere.

How well do you listen to others?  How well do you think your coworkers or employees listen to others?  How many people’s experiences do you think you would change for the better if you and those around you exhibited better listening skills?

Now go enjoy your weekend with a venti, non-fat, no foam, no water, six pump, extra hot, chai tea latte!

- Batya

How to Lead Your Team from Sidelines to Victory By Patrick O’Bryan, Chief Operating Officer, FreemanGroup, October 2011

 ”If you love somebody, set them free.”

I don’t know if the phrase is one we should adhere to when it comes to romantic relationships, no matter how convincingly Sting sings it. But I do think that if we were to tweak it, and say instead, “If you’ve prepared somebody, set them free,” the phrase would certainly be one we should adhere to as leaders in the hospitality industry.

I don’t mean we should train people and then kick them out of the nest to see how well they can fly. In my book- or pop song, if I were to sing one(which, trust me, you don’t want me to do)- on-the-job training is just as important as initial training. What I mean is that once you’ve given your people enough training and tools to get the job done, it’s important to give yourself permission to step back, let them put into practice what they’ve learned, and coach from the sidelines. Click here to read more.

Incorporating Hospitality Standards into Daily Routines By Jesse Boles, Executive Director of Operations, FreemanGroup, October 2011

Imagine your business five minutes prior to your arrival tomorrow morning. Picture what everything looks like and what everyone on the premises is doing. Next, imagine what things would look like if you were to simply not show up. To take things a step further, imagine what things would look like if none of the managers showed up. The only people in their proper places are the hourly supervisors and line employees. Now, imagine you and your managers have been abducted by aliens, or that some equally wild event has occurred that will prevent you and your managers from returning to your business for quite some time. Assume that employee schedules will remain intact, and that there are enough supplies on hand to last for a good while.

What do you imagine would happen on the first day of your absence? What do you think your operation would look like after one week? How different would it look one month down the road?

 Click here to read more.