Surprised by Service

"Good morning, sir!"

It caught me off guard.  The bathroom isn't typically a space that I'm used to receiving a greeting, let alone one with such enthusiasm.  

"Have a great day!"

I was traveling through Charlotte, and I was walking to my connecting flight, and I decided to duck into the restroom so I didn't have to walk on a turbulent plane to a bathroom that is smaller than a linen closet.  

"How are you, sir?"

I was surprised to be greeted as I walked in with my hurried pace.  At first I thought, "surely he's not talking to me." The idea of being greeted in the restroom was, well, uncommon and uncomfortable.  The men's bathroom is typically a non-social and private place - even if it is a public one with many people coming in and out.  Seeing someone have the purposeful role as a bathroom attendant and greeter changed that.  I even saw other guys stutter a response back as they were greeted out of their travel trance.

There is something to be said for this dying (I might say dead) role in society--the bathroom attendant, the elevator attendant, the gas station attendant.  It is the role of catching someone off-guard and providing an unexpected positive experience in an environment where a solitary and silent experience is commonplace and expected.

In this day of cutting corners to improve profitability, it is easy to do away with the tasks that take us away from executing the critical.  Sending out receipts.  Closing a deal.  Accomplishing the "to do" list.  We don't even have time to say 'hello' and 'thank you'.  We are too busy seeking the next thing to reach out to a donor or client who isn't reaching out to you.  Yet, this is what separates one business from another - going the extra (and often small) step of recognizing a gap and filling it to separate yourself from a competitor.

On the same round trip, I was confronted with a cancelled flight.  I woke up at 4am to catch the first flight out, and now I was calling the inevitable 1-800 number to rebook my flight while 70 other groggy caffeine seekers tried to dial faster that the person next to them.  I was surprised, however, when the customer service line recognized my cell phone number and immediately knew not only who I was but why I was calling. Within a short few minutes, my flight was rebooked, and I was off the phone to seek the nearest Starbucks.  

Now, I realize the airline already had my cell phone number because my frequent flyer account, but sometimes when I give businesses all of what seems as unnecessary information, they rarely use it for anything useful. I was pleasantly surprised by this painless experience!

In transferring these thoughts, I began to examine what we do at Blood:Water. We take the time to personally sign receipts we send to our donors.  We write notes to those who spend energy and effort to engage their communities on the issues of water & HIV/AIDS.  We include a photo that had been taken from a recent trip to Africa, introducing our friends from one continent to our friends in another.

There are places we can continue to grow as a small organization, but I think the man in the restroom and the service from the airline reminded me that it is worth the extra effort  to:

Be surprising.  Be places your donors, your customers, your clients least expect you to be. 

Be genuine.  Once your in that unexpected place and you've caught their attention, don't go overboard.  (Have you ever been surprised at how a business may use or remember your name, only to be annoyed when they use it at the end of every sentence?) You just being there is sometimes enough to cause a reaction. 

Be available.  Be there for them - and be aware of their needs, even when they don't know what their needs are at the moment.

Be impactful.  You have the ability to be a memorable part of their day in a positive way.  How are you going to do that? 

This is how we strive to communicate with those who have chosen to invest in our communities.  Whether its in Africa or at the airport, we could all use a little surprise.

 Blog post written by: Mike Lenda - US Programs Director