One Minute Manager
by Ken Blanchard
Raving Fans: African Style
Raving Fans service can be found wherever top
management is committed to service excellence.
In our book Raving Fans, Sheldon Bowles and I argue that satisfying customers
today is not enough-you should treat your customers so well that they brag
about you; they become part of your sales force.
People frequently ask me where I find Raving Fans service. I find it wherever
top management is committed to service excellence. This creates an environment
where their people are empowered and believe they can make a difference
to their customers. These kinds of employees act like they own the place.
Is Raving Fans service unique to certain companies in the United States,
or does it cross borders? Without a doubt, you can find it worldwide. Proof
that Raving Fans service isn't geographically limited was evident during
a recent safari my wife, Margie, and I went on with friends and colleagues
in Tanzania.
Our safari was organized by Gary Clarke, a service legend in his own right,
who was the director of the Topeka, Kansas, zoo for many years. When he
took over the zoo, the first thing he did was tell the operators to begin
answering the telephone "the World- Famous Topeka Zoo." Gary contended
they would never be world-famous if they didn't think they were. Today the
Topeka Zoo is world-famous as one of the best small regional zoos. Gary
no longer runs the zoo but is a full-time safarist leading his operation
called Cowabunga Safaris.
Gary accompanied 15 of us on a tented safari that began on the Serengeti
plains and gradually worked its way across the country to the Mt. Kilimanjaro
foothills. Our safari was guided by Tanzania Guides Ltd., owned and operated
by Bjorn Fiegenschou and his Tanzanian operating partner, Frumence J.S.
Mbuya. Gary warned us that "you never see things quite the same after
you've been on safari with Bjorn and his wonderful staff."
Bjorn takes little credit for the way his people operate. In fact, he said,
"I write the checks, Mbuya delivers them, and the staff does the rest."
They insist on only two things: honesty and integrity, and pride in work.
They tell their people, "We're the top-let other companies follow us."
In our 14 days on safari, Bjorn and Mbuya joined us for a few meals, but
95 percent of the time the staff is on its own. There is no supervisor.
Everyone is cross-trained. If the team has an opening, the employees select
their new teammate. Bjorn and Mbuya also interview applicants, but seldom
do they object to a staff choice. In camp, the main responsibilities are
cooking, serving, tent service and laundry. Everyone knows each other's
job and will jump in to help wherever needed.
We moved across Tanzania in four Land Rovers driven by native guides
who were not only incredible drivers but also knew every animal and plant
in sight. Their native language is Swahili, but they are fabulous at communicating
in English. We would stay at a campsite for two to three days and then move
on to a new area. The camp staff would completely break down the campsite,
clean it up, put everything in trucks and beat us to the next campsite and
have everything set up by the time we arrived early that evening.
In addition to this wizardry, we had example after example of Raving Fans
service. Each tent contained two cots with a table in between. One of our
married couples asked if their cots could be pushed together. When we arrived
at a new campsite later that day, not only were their cots pushed together,
but every other married couple's tent was set up the same way.
When our clothes became unbearable, we could leave them on the floor of
the tent, and the staff would launder them. One day I left my sneakers by
mistake near my laundry. When I came back later that day, not only was my
laundry on the bed, but my sneakers looked better than when I had bought
them.
Another safari member misplaced several hundred dollars. It turned up in
the laundry and was returned to her with an apologetic note: "I ironed
your clothes before discovering the money. Hope you don't mind ironed bills."
Our group included three vegetarians. When the staff found out they also
did not eat eggs, they brought them fresh vegetables and salad along with
toast and coffee without any prodding. Nothing was too much for this incredibly
committed and talented staff.
Raving Fans service can occur anywhere. We are Raving Fans of Tanzania Guides
Ltd. and the fabulous Tanzanian people we met. Raving Fans service occurs
when people are committed to being the best. Such service derives from an
attitude more than any certain position, industry or even country.
© 1996 by Blanchard Management Report, Blanchard Training and Development
Inc., Attn.: Bob Nelson, Publisher, 125 State Place, Escondido, CA 92029.
Past articles, interviews and subscriptions are available. Telephone (800)
728-6000, ext. 528, fax (619) 489-8407.
