LeadershipConneXtions

Satisfaction Guaranteed: Not at Cloister Car Wash

Boy did I ever have a bad Customer Service Experience at Cloister Car Wash the other week.

It is early afternoon... they are understaffed... it is a "little full" but not too bad. But it is taking longer than normal.

I am standing outside waiting for the final touches on the car I brought in for cleaning. The sign outside says Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed (Note:  It does not say Money Back Guarantee).

My car is done.

I get in.

I drive up away from the drying area. I look around and see obvious dirt that was not cleaned up. I look a little further and I see pieces of paper/trash lying between the seats (and then under the seats. (By the way - this was not my car!)

My first thought is just to sigh and drive away. But then I remember the sign and LOOKING at the sign, and I thought, "Hmm, I'll pull in, go talk to a manager and tell them I am a Dissatisfied Customer." 

Now, here is what I expected.

I expected Good Customer Service.

I expected them to be concerned about the inadequate service I received.

I expected them to be proactive about getting me the Customer Satisfaction they guaranteed.

I received NOTHING of this.

Here is what I did receive.

Rationalizations and explanation about why they didnt' clean my car very well. It actually became kind of comical listening to it. Oh, by the way, I paid for their TOP OF THE LINE cleaning.

A blank stare when I asked the manage to tell me how she defined Customer Satisfaction. Literally, all she could do was repeat the phrase. 

I asked her what she felt would be good customer service when they had a dissatisfied customer? She had NOTHING to say... except the LUDICROUSLY FUNNY point I'll make next.

I asked her if she had a recomendation about what she would like to offer to make up for this bad customer service and their failure to provide what they promised. And here is where it became comical. She suggested that THE NEXT TIME I COME BACK... they will make a note to "really clean the car" with some specific instructions.

It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud. I smiled and said, "So you are saying that you'll give some special instructions so that NEXT TIME, when I pay for your most expensive car wash service, they should work a little harder at cleaning my car?  She said, "yes."

I drove away thinking... Next Time?  Hmm...

Some of the work of leadership has to be helping our teams deliver the quality customer service so there is a next time. 

Enjoy the Cartoons.

Brian K. Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
BrianRice@lcileaders.org 

 

 

Shared Leadership ...

I have been wrestling with leadership models in the church lately. What I mean is that the "traditional" model is to have a senior pastor/CEO type and then have some staff who help that leader's vision be effective.

And let's be honest... it works a lot of the time!

But sometimes it doesn't And when it doesn't it can be pretty destructive.

So what about a shared leadership model? Like Geese flying in formation. Let's call it "tag-team leadership" or something like that.

Is there a new model of church leadership for the 21st century? I hope there is.

- Brian Newman

Crisis in Leadership

Here are some words from James MacGregor Burns on the crisis in leadership.

One of the most universal cravings of our time is a hunger for compelling and creative leadership . . .

The crisis of leadership today is the mediocrity or irresponsibility of so many of the men and women in power . . .

The fundamental crisis underlying mediocrity is intellectual . . . we know far too little about leadership . . .

Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth.

Without a powerful modern philosophical tradition, without theoretical and empirical cumulation, without guiding concepts and without considered practical experiences - we lack the very foundation for knowledge of a phenomina that touches and shapes our lives.

He wrote these words in 1978 and was one of the people who launched a more serious study of leadership. Nevertheless, I am still struck by the implication of his words. Even if there is a more substantial body of theoretical knowledge about leadership out there (on the Internet or in the books on library shelves), what about you personally? Do you understand leadership is penetrating ways? If you don't, then Burns is concerned that your leadership will be mediocre.

Brian Rice

Rebecca Rice and Women in Leadership

Becky was one of the presenters at the Living Word Community Church Leadership Summit this past weekend. Her presentation was on Women in Leadership: Transforming the Voice of Change, Influence and Power.

Becky opened her workshop with a quote:

Women, whether subtly or vociferously, have always been a tremendous power in the destiny of the world. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Becky spent the workshop helping those present understand some of the unique contributions that women can offer to the task of leadership, whether in the church or in the marketplace.

In the new season of life that we are in, Becky and I are increasingly finding ways to do leadership development together. Becky is a strategic partner with me in the Leading Edge ministry of LWCC. She is investing more and more of her time in mentoring leaders. She is also helping Leadership ConneXtions International attend to many of our administrative needs.

From time to time, Becky posts on the Leading Edge blog site. One of her topics is that of women in leadership. She will have some new posts appearing on that topic in the weeks ahead on the Leading Edge site. To check out that site, just click: HERE

Brian Rice