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STOP! Stop right now. If you are still using the co.vid year as an excuse for your poor service, lack of product or the insidious "oh woes me" attitude, stop.
The expiration date for that excuse is long past.
I have been traveling quite a bit the last two weeks. I don't mind the travel, but back-to-back-to-back trips makes me a bit woozy.
For this trip, speaking at a mastermind meeting in Dallas, my assistant forgot to make a hotel reservation. So I did it myself.
The website for making reservations automatically displays a calendar and you can highlight the dates you want and then click 'reserve'.
So I chose the 14th-16th, clicked reserve and sat back satisfied with myself that I did not screw up this technology.
The the confirmation screen popped up, with a confirmation for SEPTEMBER 14-16, not July.
Remember.... woozy.
I went back in to try to change the reservation only to be told I had to call to make the change.
Sigh
Fine, I called and got a message that said "Due to hurricane Elsa, we are experiencing high call volumes, call back at the end of the week". I waited on hold for 30 minutes and gave up.
Ummm.... the hurricane was over a week ago and it was a really tiny storm.
Since I needed the reservation this week, I just called the hotel directly and was able to make the reservation.
When I got to the hotel desk, I was able to check in quickly. I noticed a big sign that said "Happy Hour 5-7 Free beer". I enquired about the free beer and was offered either Bud Light, Miller Lite or Coors Lite.
Sigh
Reminds me of the old joke "Why do they serve Miller Lite in the USA? Because no other country will buy it!"
I went down for the free breakfast this morning.... (I know, should have known better after the 'free beer') I poured my coffee and looked for the cream. It was not to be found. When I asked the attendant, she said "no more cream, maybe tomorrow".
I got my toast and looked for a napkin. Nope, none of those either. The had rolls of uber-cheap paper towels that were so rough they could double as sand paper.
I asked the hotel manager about going across the street to get cream and napkins. I kid you not, he said, "Of course, help yourself"
Insert Homer Simpson Slap: DOH!
I tried to explain that he was not going out to buy Wagyu beef from Japan. (Which is the most prized beef in the world. High-grade wagyu can cost up to $200 per pound.) He was just buying cream. Again he invited me to go myself.
When I asked why things were so sad at his hotel, he said co.vid.
That ship has sailed Jafar! You have had 18 months to get your shiznat together. No more excuses.
This is the last time I am staying at the Hampton Inn in Hurst Texas.
Can you see how this excuse starts at the top of the company and permeates all the way down to line level employees?
The same will happen in your business. If you take your eye off the ball for just a millisecond, you are headed for crappy paper towels. It is insidious. Slowly, imperceptibly, hardly noticed changes will occur. And over time, you end up with crappy paper towels.
When was the last time you did a good show/bad show walkthrough of your business? Now would be a good time.
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