Article contributed by Mike Berman, COO, Day & Nite/All Service, with Tia Tassava
When venerable Lord & Taylor and ubiquitous Tailored Brands filed for chapter 11 the same day, the news barely rippled. Engagious’ Back to Normal Barometer most recent wave of research reports further consumer confidence erosion. Totally disorganized, late-breaking, confusing, and even downright conflicting school reopening plans dominate the headlines. Except when wicked tropical storms still leave portions of metropolitan areas without power or the latest COVID-19 statistics are posted.
2020’s steady disaster drumbeat is enough to dull all of our senses. This weekly column has been dedicated to providing essential crisis management guidelines, all rooted in fundamentals from inception. Given it all, there is no better time to reinforce the most important fundamental of all: the most memorable, permanent loyalty-building experiences are shaped during a crisis.
My lifelong friend and world’s greatest dentist, Dr. Jerry Statman, lives by the credo “being a professional means being at your best even when you don’t want to be,” a phrase taking on even greater meaning today than ever before. Like hospitality, dentistry is a high stakes services field requiring both great technical and interpersonal skills. For Jerry and his team, no matter how challenging any day might be, no matter how depressing local, national, or global news might be, they are always at their best—consistently delivering delightful customer experiences in a field not typically associated with anything close to that.
Not paradoxically, there is no better time than now to create greater brand loyalty by rising above it all. Consider:
A young at heart but rather elderly couple now swears permanent allegiance to Delta Airlines because Delta masked, badged and uniformed employees rather than someone from airport “aviation services” personally took them from curbside to check-in. Then, the airline arranged for special in-flight seating to accommodate them and their wheelchairs. Air travel is notoriously dehumanizing; the airport is a cauldron of anxiety, airline employees wake up every morning fearing layoffs, and ticket prices are now below bargain basement. These Delta employees exhibited being more than their best, displaying uncommon customer empathy, and having secured unparalleled brand loyalty as a result.
The Pittsburgh Pirates may not be a very good team, major league baseball is playing to empty stadiums, but the Pirates are stepping up as world champions for their fans. When a foul ball lands in a season ticket holder’s seat, a team representative retrieves the ball, boxes it up, and ships it to the fan’s home address with an accompanying note. A professional sports team unifies a community, and what the Pirates are doing with this will most certainly compensate for the team’s poor win-loss record.
The Pacific Island Forum recently started humanitarian flights to bring much-needed supplies and support to 20 nations, particularly hard hit by COVID-19. Pacific Island Forum was established to promote cooperation between various countries and territories; the organization is going beyond this charter to be even better than its professional best, and;
Despite and because of the severe toll public health, economic, social justice and now extreme weather have taken on the hospitality industry, the Day & Nite family of companies is pledging 10% of new Performance Solutions and 5% of new service contract revenues to the James Beard Foundation Open For Good Campaign. In small ways like getting a surprise foul ball, to personal ways like assisting wheelchair customers at an airport, and to large ways like sponsoring humanitarian flights, we can all be at our inspired best even when we do not want to, and conditions suggest we cannot be.
Day & Nite’s partnership with the James Beard Foundation allows all to rise above these conditions by doing well and good by others. Learn how you can reduce your operating expenses and ensure more excellent workplace, environmental, employee, guest, and food safety, with a contribution in your name going to Open For Good by sending an email to jbf@wearetheone.com.
