Dazzle

10/2/2022

‘Every McDonald’s is the same, except that it isn’t.’ (Shirley Moorse)

Nothing beats a dazzling encounter. The global Mc-giant prides itself on brand consistency, yet the actual customer experience is influenced as much by what she or he encounters in real, individual members of staff as whatever is on the menu. The same is true for any organisation or business that depends on interpersonal interface between people. One stroppy glance or unhelpful remark and you’ll hear the door clunk/phone click as the person leaves. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

A boss can’t instruct staff or team what mood to be in any more than a person can herd cats. A supervisor can’t maintain a constant watch for any slightest shift in facial expression, subtle gesture or tone of voice that could result in delighted customer on the one hand, or one lost to the eager competition on the other. The tighter the grip, the higher the risk of rupture. A stranglehold always suffocates. Positive spirit can be invited and influenced but never managed or controlled.

Apple guru, Steve Jobs remarked, ‘It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.’ That’s about releasing magic, human, talent and potential. I had a dazzling encounter with Emma this week, an estate agent from Harper & Co in the UK. Bright natural smile, listening ear, creative ideas – and a stunning personal and professional style that lives and breathes passion, integrity and effectiveness. You can’t order that with fries.

What have been your most dazzling encounters? How do you release this talent and potential in others?

6 Comments

Tony Nudd

25/2/2022 06:36:55 am

Its definitely the individual human element which makes or breaks.
For example, we had x3 small village pubs near us, and one was a standout, the place to be.
When the landlord retired and a new person took over that pub lierally died within 3months.
Same furniture, carpets and decor.
Same beer, drinks, food.
Same staff.
Same prices.
Same visitors.
It just lost its soul.... down to the landlord and his wife.
Of course, the question is, how do we capture, bottle, analyse and reproduce the "soul" of the customer experience?

Nick Wright

26/2/2022 12:02:44 pm

Thank you, Tony. That's a great illustration of the influence of the human element in customer experience. 'How do we capture, bottle, analyse and reproduce the "soul"..?' is such an important and challenging question.

There are resonances in these 3 short related pieces that you may find interesting?

*Spirit: https://www.nick-wright.com/blog/spirit8863776

*Leadership as transformational dynamic: https://www.nick-wright.com/blog/leadership-as-transformational-dynamic

*Leadership as a relational dynamic: https://www.nick-wright.com/leadership-as-a-relational-dynamic.html

Let me know what you think!

Andrea Johnson

26/3/2022 12:59:00 pm

Thanks Nick. When I go into a McDonald's, it's not just the staff that make a difference. It's the attitude and behaviour of other customers. It's also about how easy it is to get there, whether they have a kids playground and whether I can find a place to park my car.

26/3/2022 01:06:23 pm

Thank you, Andrea. I really like how you identified so many different contextual factors that can make a big difference. You have also illustrated well why it's so important for organisations to ask and listen very carefully to what customers value most - and to act accordingly based on what they hear.

Paul Meadows

26/3/2022 01:03:19 pm

Hi Nick. Thank you for writing this blog. When we think about big businesses, we sometimes forget how important individuals are to business' success. This is why it upsets me when bosses in whatever sector pay themselves big salaries, as if their work is most important, where the actual value is experienced by the customer at the front line.

27/3/2022 02:23:02 pm

Thank you, Paul. As I read your comment, I was immediately reminded of a mechanic, Steve, that I used to call upon when I needed any work on my car. Along with his friendly manner and technical expertise, his ethics were outstanding. He rarely had to advertise his services because he was known locally to be so trustworthy on pricing, quality of work etc.

Before setting up his own business, he had worked for a large and well-known business that was only interested in making a financial profit. He resigned from his job there when they demanded that he charge a frail, elderly customer for 'essential repairs to their air conditioning system'...when the car didn't even have an air conditioning system. What a star.

Your comment about who adds greatest value in a business is a very interesting and important one. Many organisations still operate on what I regard as an outdated pyramid-style paradigm; as if (a) strategic responsibility and authority and (b) talent attraction and retention at that level, are the most significant variables to an organisation's success.

A more holistic-systemic cultural view of an organisation's eco-system can re-shape everything in terms of how we think of value and value-generation. My sense is that research in areas such as dispersed/distributed leadership and social media networks/influencers will force organisations to re-think who and what influences success...and how.

Dazzle

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