~ The Service Professionals Resource ~

February 4, 2015

Volume 11, Issue 2 $3.95

Publication Data

Mark Matteson publishes his Sparking Success EZine Street newsletter on the first Wednesday of every month. The next newsletter will go out on March 4, 2015

Audio CDs

Mark Matteson gives over 75 presentations each year. Book him now to secure the inspiring message that will spark your group's success! To watch Mark's demo video, go to: www.sparkingsuccess.net. Call 206.697.0454 or e-mail him at mark.enjoythejourney.matteson@gmail.com.

Things Don't Just Happen, They Happen Just!

by Mark Matteson

I am writing this on a flight to Atlanta after my first cruise ship excursion, as an adult, to Nassau, Bahamas on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky. From stem to stern, soup to nuts, it was a fantastic experience. It was one customer service "wow" after another. With festive, modern dance music blaring, guests were greeted by positive, smiling twenty-somethings-modern day Gatsbys-who danced and waved to their new guests at every turn. There were understanding and empathetic stewards directing traffic and caring, extra-mile housekeepers who asked if there was anything they could do. It was surreal. Norwegian is the Nordstrom of cruise lines. Maybe it isn't the Ritz-Carlton, but, hey, this was a speaking gig and my client chose this particular company. (Thank you and well done, Ingrid and Joe!)

With 2,000 passengers and 12 decks, this was a floating modern city with all the amenities. Near the end of my voyage, I had to book a last-minute hotel room. Jenny took great care of me as we sat in her office to finalize details. I glanced up to see several things on the wall that caught my eye. The first was a pennant that read simply, Norwegians are passionate about service! The second was their mission statement, which I read with interest, and a poster entitled "Vacation Hero" with "31 Daily Tips". This last was a kind of calendar of reminders as to how act or treat guests. I can say from experience they supported the mission statement. Here it is, submitted for your approval:

Mission Statement

"To provide a consistently superior cruise vacation by exceeding customer expectations and embracing our passion for innovation that delivers freedom and value for our guests, travel partners, team members and shareholders."

Well, in my humble opinion and experience, they accomplished all that and more.

Now to those "31 Daily Tips." They are short, sweet, and easy to remember. My guess is the idea behind the application is simple: on the first day of January, they focus on #1, on January 2, they focus on #2, and so on, and repeat each month. By year's end, they have focused on each one 12 times. It's a simple system of repetition and change for the good. At least, that is what I would stress if they ever let me be captain (like THAT's gonna' happen)!

31 Daily Tips to Create a Vacation Hero

Make a Positive First Impression
Follow the 5' & 10' Rule
Personalize Service
Smile
Meet, Great, Repeat
Lend a Helping Hand
Quiet please!
Consistency
Be Aware of Surroundings
Proactive, Engaging Service
Lead the Way
Guest First
Service Sells
Up-Sell
Understand the Needs of the Guest
Follow Through on Guest Requests
Be a Problem Solver
Take 100% Personal Responsibility
Positive Attitude
Flexibility
Be Proud and Enjoy the Job
Friendly Tone of Voice
Respect Others
Make Guests Feel Special
Smiling Body Language
Communicate Easily and Clearly
Be Tactful
Be a Norwegian Ambassador
Values and Integrity
Take Care of Yourself
Make it Happen!

As I sat there reading those 31 Daily Tips, I thought to myself, "Things don't just happen, they happen just."

When I disembarked, looking forlorn and sad, I recalled what the cruise director had said, "You don't have to cook! You don't have to do the dishes! You don't even have to make your bed!" I noticed many of the passengers were getting back on the ship in a kind of conga line with Norwegian employees forming a positive gauntlet of loud music, clapping, and singing. It was a "Welcome back on board Wow!" A Disney cruise ship was anchored parallel to the Norwegian Sky and an equal number of people were getting back on board her. The Disney passengers looked jealous. They looked like they wished they were getting on our ship. Norwegian out-serviced Disney!

What are you doing to Wow! your customers?

What kind of system of imparting vital values, behaviors, and attitudes do you employ for your team, associates, or direct reports?

What kind of attitudes and behavior are you rewarding and why?

Take a page from the Norwegian Sky. All aboard!

The purpose of business is to GET and KEEP customers.

-Theodore Levitt, author of The Marketing Imagination

Your customers might forget what you SAY, they may even forget what you DO, but they will always remember how you made them FEEL!

-Mark Matteson, author, speaker, and consultant

The only thing that matters is a satisfied customer. That means putting the customer first in everything we do.

-Jan Carlzon, former CEO, Scandinavian Airlines

Book of the Month

SHRED: The Revolutionary Diet

By Ian K. Smith, M.D.

Going on a cruise this spring? Have a reunion to attend this summer? A wedding to participate in this fall? Need to lose 20 pounds in a month in a healthy way? Try reading Ian K. Smith's book.

I picked this book up in an airport bookstore in Phoenix and read it twice that day. It's a paradigm buster. Here are some ideas from it.

> This is a "Healthy Way to Lose Weight" book, promising four inches or 20 pounds in six weeks. (Most experts suggest one pound a week is safe and proven.)

> He calls it "Destination Dieting" and it's meant as a short-term strategy.

>He teaches "Three Critical Elements" as to why this works:

Negative Energy Balance - Simply put, the body burns carbohydrates first, then fat, and finally muscle. This system attacks the first two.
Calorie Disruption - Like cross-training, mixing up your workouts confuses the muscles and forces them to grow. It's the same principle with weight loss. Changing portions and content keeps your metabolism searching.
Sliding Nutrient Density - Mixing meat and plants in a creative and unique approach, and delimiting heavy meats, cream sauces, and carb-rich foods, your body gets only what it needs for nutrients.

>Exercise is a part of the system, mostly cardio, focusing on high-intensity interval training, which, by the way, works. He also sells HIS 27-minute DVD, food bars, and popcorn.

>He encourages you to continue to do whatever OTHER workouts you do and is flexible in his approach and advice.

>This is NOT shallow-end-of-the-pool, gradual "lose slowly" approach. It's not for everyone. Having said that, I'm trying it for four weeks.

I will keep you posted. I discovered this just in time, as I have scheduled in 2015 another cruise, a reunion, and a wedding! Can I have some more kale?

To order my new e-book, You Don't Have To Be Sick To Get Better, go to http://sparkingsuccess.net/store/.

Now Available on Kindle at Amazon.com.

Mark resides in Edmonds, Washington and takes great pride in the fact he flunked high school English. To watch Markʼs demo video, go to: www.sparkingsuccess.net

Mark Matteson gives over 75 presentations each year. Book him now to secure the inspiring message that will spark your group's success! To watch Mark's demo video, go to:www.sparkingsuccess.net. Call 206.697.0454 or e-mail him atmark.enjoythejourney.matteson@gmail.com.