Hey dude, what’s my phone number?

From the Eastern Shore of Maryland

There is a customer service lesson here, I promise. Just give me a few sentences to set it up…

If you are going into a job interview or to fill out an application, there are just certain things you should know or have with you. Your phone number is one of them.

I was sitting in the lobby of the oil change place when an applicant came in for an application. There was a lot wrong with this picture. Now before you slam me on making fun of this guy or his situation, there were many things he could have done to make a better presentation.

First, he was not the first one through the door. It was a stroller with a sleeping, snotty child. He entered the building with great difficulty. He was dressed in a crooked baseball cap and jeans where the waist size was 4 inches bigger than his waist. The jeans were worn well below his buttocks.

• If I were looking for a job, I would have at least wiped the kids nose and at most found someone to watch him while I went job hunting; family, relative, friend, someone…
• Crooked hat and droopy jeans? I would have refused to give him the application to start with.

Next, he asked for the application. He then fumbled around in his pockets for something to write with. He sheepishly asked the manager for a pen.

• Bring your own damn pen. If you can’t afford to buy one, banks have tons of them for free in their lobbies. Go steal one before you go job hunting.

Finally, the topper on this ice cream sundae of a disaster… The applicant had to ask the manager of the establishment to look at his caller ID while he called the manager, as he had no idea what his own phone number was. He asked; “Hey dude, what’s my number?”

There are just somethings on an application you know they are going to ask; your phone number is one of them.  Asking someone to look at their caller ID so that they can give you the information you should already know is lazy and slothful.

I can see now why this guy was unemployed. He was making no effort to make a good impression.

My question to you is “Are you slacking on creating a great impression everyday for your customers or clients?”  Every day should feel like a grand opening at your business. Everyone loves a grand opening. They are festive, fun and exciting.

Disney has a grand opening every day in the Magic Kingdom. It is called the rope drop. They lead a heard of guests to a particular spot on Main Street and make them wait behind a rope. They can see the freshly cleaned streets, the castle and smell the confectionary.

After a song, dance and daytime fireworks, the rope is dropped and the guests surge forward.

This happens EVERY DAY!

What can you do to have a grand opening feeling every day in your business?

P.S. As you may know, I do private consulting, implementing Disney style service in every day businesses. I am toying with the idea of packaging that process into a blueprint that anyone could use. Let me know if that would interest you by sending a message to vance@deliverprofitsnow.com . Put “I like the idea” in the subject line.