December 2003: On Business Success

Aloha mai kakou,

Ready for December? Ready to say Aloha to 2003?

Forces collided in this past month, causing me to reflect on this: what is it that makes a business successful today?

These were the forces at work:

1. My daughter Ashley got a part-time job at a retail store in Ala Moana Center called White House, Black Market. After only two visits there I am bound and determined to learn more about them, for I can guarantee you they offer the best customer service in retail - and probably across other industries as well. As you can imagine, I am thrilled that my daughter has discovered this gem to be her employer. After a short 3 weeks of only part-time hours, my 19 year old daughter - the same girl who'd proclaimed no more retail unless she was desperate - is being transformed by how good she feels inside when she delivers unexpectedly good service to others. "Well you know mom, the customer comes first..." peppers her sentences about work as the given, the goals are much bigger.
2. Second I had a discussion with one of my own customers about ethics and integrity. Emotional and revealing stuff.
3. Unfortunately for me, other more physical forces collided making it necessary that I buy two new cars in the short span of 6 days. In doing so, I experienced the great, the good, the bad, and the truly ugly of customer service. In short, I remain a Raving Fan of USAA, I can highly recommend you buy a car from Big Island Honda, but whatever you do, steer way clear of the JN Automotive Group on Oahu ... bad news, and beyond their pushy sales staff the system is undeniably and irrevocably broken there.
4. I read Purple Cow by Seth Godin, and found out I agree with most of what he has to say: that you "transform your business by being remarkable". Even if you do not agree with him he is highly entertaining: the book is a great read. You can preview it and read some of it absolutely free by visiting www.apurplecow.com

So I have concluded that you succeed in business today if you are able to pull off these 3 things:

1. Choose your values, act accordingly, and stand up for what you believe in, understanding that integrity = telling the truth. For example, at White House Black Market they will never tell a customer "that looks great on you!" unless it really does.
2. Learn to truly serve your customer, including learning to say no to them when it's the right thing to do. You can choose your customers you know...
3. Be remarkable. In these last 5 months of freedom I've been able to encounter a good variety of businesses, and it's a sad statement as to the health of the customer service business today, but I don't think it's that hard to be remarkable in the face of what else is out there. Numbers 1 and 2 are much harder.

I'm challenging myself to have my own newly created business be a poster child for this philosophy. It won't be easy-that ethics discussion I mentioned above as my "force b" is already causing me to change some things-but I need to fall asleep at night knowing all is pono in my own thought processes. However for December I've committed to my family that I will take lots and lots of time off in pure holiday indulgement and excess - what an easy promise to make to those you love! Resolutions, for business and otherwise, will have to wait for the new year.

Mahalo nui to those of you who wrote back to me in November sharing your own stories of thankfulness. I really enjoyed hearing from you, and I am humbled that you'd choose to share your thoughts with me.

Have a merry and magical Christmas, for it comes but once a year. Give yourself a gift: make a promise to yourself and keep it.

Rosa

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.
Kulia i ka nu'u Isaiah 9:6

Visitors may use the information contained in this e-newsletter by placing the following credit line:
"This article is used with permission from Rosa Say's free monthly e-newsletter Ho'ohana available at www.sayleadershipcoaching.com"
This information cannot be used for resale in any manner.
Copyright © 2004, Ho'ohana Publishing.