In the Puddin'

Lola's - Tableside Values - Final Edition

  In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

First and foremost - Let me apologize for some drafts accidentally being emailed out of the Puddin' Factory. For those of you subscribing by email, we are aware that a couple of these got out the door without being fully cooked. I believe we have identified the issue and can prevent it from happening in the future. You have my most humble apologies for our error and any confusion it may have caused.

Which brings me to my next point and the final installation of Lola's Tableside Values: Recovering from mistakes.

Today, it is time to let my alter ego come out to play - we'll call her 'Lola' - and I will let her rant as she pleases:

Lola: In restaurants, the consumer knows they are paying for the experience of dining. You are not just paying for the food, you are paying for:

• the convenience of having someone else prepare the food
• the convenience of someone else setting and clearing the table, dealing with the dishes, etc.
• the service of someone else for you and your guests
• the entertainment of menu choices and culinary discovery
• the entertainment of the atmosphere and all of the touchpoints
• the pleasure of having your needs and wants attended to

And if all of those elements come together, consumers are pleased with their restaurant experience and will consider returning or recommending. Often, though - unexpected problems occur throughout the course of the experience that interfere with enjoyment.

And that is OK, too - Nobody's perfect. As long as the restaurant and its brand representatives take responsibility for the mistakes and the impact on the experience. Once it has been established that a guest has the right to feel inconvenienced, disappointed, etc. and the restaurant takes responsibility - then an adequate solution can be found and the guest can go back to enjoying their experience.

Sounds simple, right? Amazingly enough, the most difficult aspect of that super simple formula seems to be apologizing and taking responsibility for the guest's disappointment. Instead of a simple mea culpa, many restaurants have gotten in the poor habit of sending a manager over to the table to 'explain' what went wrong and then attempt to convince the guest that there is a very good reason why their experience does not have to match the guest's disappointed expectations...why it is not as 'bad' as it seems.

Here are a few recent personal examples:

• When at Yard House and toward the bottom of my fresh fruit cup, I find a black bug. My guest then finds a dark foreign object in her fruit cup several minutes later. The server sends a manager over to the table that first says, "How are you doing?" Silly question. Then his next words were "I understand you didn't like the fruit." Was he suggesting our dissatisfaction with having bugs in our food is a matter of personal preference? Why not just apologize?
• When at Islands Restaurant, there seemed to be some sort of fuzzy-stringy items stuck to the fries. Not just one fry - I stopped counting after a dozen. They sort of looked like fine hairs and definitely were not potato, so we questioned the server on her check back (which by the way did not happen until we were half-way finished with our meals). Before we could finish explaining the problem, our server interrupted us and told us "It's not hair if that is what you are thinking." She went onto to tell us she gets that complaint all of the time, but we shouldn't worry - it's not hair. We asked for the manager who then assured us it was "only burlap" from the potato sacks (they cut their fries in-house). Only burlap? Why down-play their chronic issue with multiple foreign objects in one of their most popular menu items? Wouldn't it be simpler to take responsibility and solve the chronic issue? 
• At Thai Elephant, I was finishing my lunch with another guest while the third person in our party was still waiting to receive their lunch. We called the server over and inquired on the missing lunch. He stated that the third person would need to wait because the dish they ordered took longer to cook. When we asked if that made sense to have parties dining together for a business lunch receive their food over 20 minutes apart from one another, his reply was, "If you order the BBQ chicken, that is how it comes out." Absolutely no concern for our experience. I didn't even bother trying to explain that normally restaurants would time the cooking of their dishes so that the experience of having lunch together is actually that for their guests. 
• At Wally's American Pub and Grill, my guest expressed dissatisfaction of poor service to our server and got up to use the restroom. The server, walking behind him, began mocking him behind his back as he walked. Outrageous. Upon relaying our experience to the manager on duty, he flat out told us that was not possible. When we clarified that he was suggesting we were lying about our experience, his response was "Yes". When we then suggested that we felt the need to let the owner know what had transpired, the manager confidently told us "to go right ahead - he was sure the owner would 'back them up'." And I believed him. Chances were that no one in his organization would take responsibility for our experience. So we didn't call the owner - We've just never gone back.

Yes - These are extreme examples of restaurant mistakes and very poor management responses. Most often, restaurant errors are more minor, but the principle is the same.

A restaurant is a dining experience and creates a specific expectation and brand promise. There are a million things in and out of the control of the restaurant that threaten to break their promise. The question is, despite challenges that occur in restaurants, big and small, how important is the promise of a great dining experience to the establishment? Is it more important to take responsibility and create a great experience even when a guest is disappointed or is it more important to convince the guest that they should be satisfied and/or attempt to downplay the guests' personal experience?

The irony is, studies have proved for decades that consumer loyalty is 10 times more likely in a situation where a brand takes the responsibility to recover well from a moment of dissatisfaction. What an opportunity to create powerful fans by simply taking responsibility every time something goes wrong.

And things will go wrong - every single day - countless times a day. If you want to build value into your restaurant brand and powerful devotion from your guests, then please make sure you take genuine responsibility for the experiences you provide with sincere empathy and without excuses. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Brand-ching Out

In the Puddin' - Brand You Series

There are two brand principles that I emphasize more than others:

1.  Brand strength comes from what you own - what you distinctively do better than anyone else, placing you in a market position that transcends competition.

2.  A brand is a promise - and brand value is determined by how well your brand delivers on its promise through the experiences you offer.

I am constantly looking to find my clients' unique strengths and partnering with them to find new ways to leverage those strengths into their offerings and performance.

And while I place a great deal of emphasis on pushing forth what you / your brand is extraordinarily good at, that - in no way - should diminish the tremendous importance of working on the things that are not currently your strengths today.

A great basketball player can shoot with their left or right hand. Sure - one is more natural and probably has a much higher percentage of success, but a champion knows the time might come when their team relies on them to take a shot from their weak hand in order to clinch the championship. So, they will spend hours of frustrating practice to work their weaker shot for the sake of the team.

I could go on for hours with like analogies, but the point is this: to be a champion that your team can count on, you've got to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself to do things you are not 'the best at' today, in order to be an asset to others tomorrow. You must branch out in order to be able to provide new skills, services, offerings, etc. to continue increasing the value you currently provide.

It's painful to try new stuff that is not your strength. It's uncomfortable to step into a world that is not your own - especially if you are an 'expert' in something. And that is exactly why you should do it.

·       Innovation comes from stepping into the uncomfortable unknown

·       Courage and Bravery come only to those who allow themselves to walk into a fearful situation

·       Wisdom only comes to a teachable spirit who allows itself to be humbled by those wiser

·       Change only comes from new perspectives that require placing yourself in a position you've never ventured to stand in before

Big talk from a consultant who makes a living telling other people what they should do differently, right?  (It's OK if you were thinking it - I agree with you). No one should give recommendations or advice they are not willing to take themselves. I ask a lot of people to stretch and get uncomfortable by thinking and performing in new ways. It would be easy to lose sight of how difficult that truly is if I didn't practice it myself on regular basis. So, I do my best to stick my own neck out there and place myself in situations where I am personally responsible for creating new experiences that are not my current areas of expertise. And most of the time I don't broadcast it. But this experience is different:

On Sunday, October 5th (six days) I will be participating in a 10K to benefit the courageous Women of the Congo whose suffering has been unimaginable and extreme due to the violence that has plagued their area.

It is important that you know I am not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, a nasty spill down a flight of stairs last year (and other bothersome physical limitations) have kept me from normal exercise - period. And I've never, ever participated in a 10K before. So there is absolutely no glory in performing this experience for me personally. In fact, if I was worried about how this made me look, the real possibility that I will be one of the last to finish (or THE last) would probably be enough to stop me from taking on this experience. As is always the case when you find yourself in situations that stretch you past your normal comfort level, there are a myriad of 'reasons' that can be found not to this:

·       No adequate time to train, prepare or run a large campaign (wasn't sure I'd be in town & available until now)

·       It's still 100 degrees in Phoenix – upping the level of difficulty substantially

·       I have no idea 'how' to run a 10K (strategy) - can't really conceive where the finish line will be

·       It's 'ramp-up' season with work - very busy right now

Those are all great excuses, right? So why am I doing this? Here are a few reasons:

·       I have the blessing of intelligent people who challenge me to stretch and be my best. A lovely woman named Renee M. challenged me a year ago to stay vulnerable

·       Then another inspiring woman named Laura A. invited me to do this

·       Then there is the spirit of another woman, Marilyn M., who cannot run but has put her faith in my abilities to make a difference

·       And then, most importantly, there are the many women of the Congo who have experienced the devastating loss of 5,400,000 people due to one of the deadliest wars in history - struggling to re-build their lives and community. How much more motivation could I possibly need?

·       THE BOTTOM LINE IS: You don't have to be great at something to do something great for other people.

Maybe I will look foolish - But I'm willing to help

Maybe I will look as if I've failed every time I stop - But it's my victory to be active once again

Maybe I will finish last - But I will finish for the cause: the Women of the Congo

Maybe I will raise a modest amount of proceeds - But I will help someone

I am not a 10K expert. I am not even an exercise enthusiast. Running is nowhere in my current personal brand strength. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to stretch to improve this area - Especially if there is a team counting on me.

Please consider 2 things:

·       Supporting this very import cause and the lives it impacts by visiting my fundraising page at:  http://www.active.com/donate/runforcongoaz/DMcKay34

·       How can you step out of your comfort zone and work outside of your expertise for future strength and the benefit of others? What’s stopping you?

Thanks for thinking about joining me in Brand-ching Out for the Women of the Congo. I won’t win anyone a gold medal, but I won’t let the team down, either – I’ll finish the 10K and we’ll help as many people as we can.

Yours (in earnest if not speed),

Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Brand Champion Award - September 19, 2008

Chris Moorehouse - Project Manager

Lucky Dog Creative

Brand Champion Awards - Awarding individual team member's actions & how it delivers their organization's brand promise in an extraordinary way

"We're a client's best friend."

Not a difficult brand promise to imagine for a B2B creative agency named 'Lucky Dog.' A clever name when you think about what images and emotions 'man's best friend' evokes. I mean, really, who wouldn't want a third party agency that fit the description of your typical canine: loyal, eager to please, obedient, a little playful and prepared to protect you if necessary. Throwing 'lucky' onto the name leads you to believe that they see themselves as fortunate to have the jobs that they do, too.

Responsible for a variety of creative work such as: graphic design, advertising, brand and interactive on-line experiences, their success - like all of their competitors - is reliant on making your concise point for you while making you look good - on time and within budget. That is a lot to deliver without then tacking on the ornate promise that you're going to be my best friend, too.

Priding themselves for being a boutique agency that can deliver the kind of personalized attention and service that the larger agencies sometimes struggle with, I believed Lucky Dog could deliver on extra attention, but the 'best friend thing' I assumed to be simply a clever slogan. Until I met Chris Moorehouse, project manager for Lucky Dog.

It isn't difficult to find friends when you are launching an entirely new brand. That is a lovely piece of work for any agency to entertain. From creating a mark, graphic standards, website, marketing materials and corporate collateral - well, let's just say there is quite a bit of meat on the bone that would attract any neighborhood dog. So, when I had the recent launch of a highly anticipated restaurant and Lucky Dog was selected to design the physical brand identity, I was not surprised by their initial enthusiasm to "fetch the identity".

As openings and brand launches are one of my stronger points of experience, I am used to the initial enthusiasm when an agency secures the contract. I am equally accustomed to such positive energy beginning to fade as construction dates slide, principle decision-makers delay pulling crucial triggers and project budgets begin to be value-edited. And that is all before things really start to go sideways. If you have personally never had the opportunity to be an integral part of a brand launch, I highly recommend it for character-building purposes...

True to form, a few weeks before the grand opening - practically concurrent with the Super Bowl being held in the same city, by the way, things really started to get interesting. What was totally unexpected, was Chris' response and dedication to loyally sticking by his client and honestly not leaving their side until things were stabilized and on a successful track once more. As problems well beyond his scope of responsibility arose, Chris sought out solutions when most would have given me their sympathy while they waved good-bye. Above and beyond does not begin begin to cover it.

• The photo shoot (which had already been delayed) for the restaurant was canceled and there were no images for the website (Super Bowl traffic would be arriving to the city any day now) Chris races over to the site, takes pictures with his personal camera and immediately goes to work with his Art Director to create gorgeous options - in hours. Wow. Who does that? It wasn't his problem that the photo shoot was canceled. But that what best friends are for, I suppose.
• The Super Bowl Village committee decides they need a hard copy promotional piece about the restaurant days before the Super Bowl. Now it's a really good thing Chris shot those images with his camera, because now we needed the images for that one, too. From providing the images, to laying out the artwork to finding a printer who would produce it at lightning speed, Chris took care of it.
• One too many last minute emergencies means all forces who were responsible for producing the intricate wine lists are now in the dining room hours before the grand opening instead of making the books. Chris gets himself up to speed on the corporate printing machinery and spends the next several hours producing the specialized lists for our crucial grand opening. Completely not his responsibility and no one ever asked - It was offered up out of his understanding that his client needed help and he had a pair of valuable hands.
• A little trouble with the spot lighting from the ceiling of the restaurant meant some tables were better lit than others. As I am mentioning that we should purchase the credit card sized magnifying lenses with built-in lights, Lucky Dog decides that they can go purchase that for us and deliver it before the next dinner service. Unbelievable.

I could go on for quite awhile listing all that Chris did for my group that was nowhere in the contract, nowhere in his implied scope of work, etc. Most decent agencies will deliver to the letter of what they've committed to in writing. And everybody is your friend on a sunny day. But through his performance, Chris proved that as a project manager for my contract, he was there to act as my best friend and loyally stick it out right next to my team even through the tough storms of a grand opening in conjunction with the Super Bowl. I think perhaps it is I that is really the lucky dog...

Congratulations to Chris for making Lucky Dog's brand promise absolutely true and to Lucky Dog for hiring such a great talent that honestly lives out what it means to be the client's best friend. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO.

Champion Awards Guidelines:

• Each Friday beginning 8/8/08, an individual team member selected by ZAG Group and In the Puddin' will be selected and awarded 'Brand Champion'
• Brand Champions will be featured in 'In the Puddin', and receive an honorary certificate
• A Brand Champion's direct supervisor and corporate office will also be officially notified
• Each weekly Brand Champion is then eligible for the ZAG Grand Champion prize at the end of the year.
• On September 1, 2009 - the ZAG Grand Champion will be announced. More details on the prize coming soon, but will include: airfare, hotel room and a very cool experience (of course).

Lola's Tableside Values - Part II

In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

First of all, thank you to the readers who took the time to email me and let me know the last edition of Lola's Turn satisfied your need for brand experience carnage. From this point forward, you have my word that she will make it a point to serve a satisfying portion of graphic details. We are now back on track from where we left off.

With that said...I’m letting my alter ego come out to play today - we’ll call her Lola – and I’ll let her rant a bit:

Lola: First, a refresher of where we were a couple of weeks ago:

I am amazed that the concept of value for price paid is not honored nearly as well on the service side of restaurants as it should be. I find myself sitting in restaurants wondering how in the world it is possible for me to be paying twice or three times as much in some 'finer' establishments versus their more casual counterparts and yet, the service is frighteningly similar.

· Pricing: Don't forget how the consumer looks at it. Take your menu price and automatically add on twenty percent. Because the minute I sit at one of your tables, that is the REAL price I'm going to pay. Naturally, the more expensive the menu price, the more expensive the twenty percent mark-up of my overall bill for gratuity due to service. And that's fine. If it is worth it.

·  Are the steps and sequence of service and attention to detail equitable to the respective price points (more refined for more expensive restaurants)?

·  Is the service more personalized at the higher price points?

·  Is the overall showmanship and entertainment value greater when you pay a higher price point?

The answer to the three questions above is: Not nearly enough to justify the price point in many cases.

If service, personalization and overall showmanship value is supposed to be greater for the larger amount of money I am paying to the restaurant and the team's gratuity - Then someone please explain to me why so many service people say exactly the same thing - regardless of the level of dining and respective price point?

In fact, the moment some team members deliver certain 'lines' to me, I am unavoidably aware that they are simply going through the motions and it will be nearly impossible for me to have a truly extraordinary, personalized experience. Technically proficient and well-timed, perhaps, but from an experience stand point - mediocre at best.

Here is a sampling of phrases that, when they are said to me in a restaurant, make me feel like I am chewing on a sandwich of tin foil and Styrofoam:

·         “Reservation tonight?”

o    Welcoming me and my guests first would be a thought. Then learning my name. This impersonal 2-word common greeting makes it clear that you view my party as just another potential name on the list or a potential problem to fit in if I don’t have a reservation.

·         “Hi. How many?”

o    In four syllables you just let me know that I am personally irrelevant. This greeting makes it clear your values are counting derrières in seats and my party is considered as covers to be ‘fit in’ …once we’ve been processed for counting. Incidentally, my name is usually taken for the wait list in these circumstances and never used again (once in a while when receiving my credit card back upon paying)…

·         “Hi, My name is ____ and I’ll be taking care of you tonight…”

o    This is my all-time dreaded ‘bad line’ mistake. Servers who open with this statement are highlighting the fact that the experience is about them and their presumptuous great service, not getting to know the needs of their individual guests.

o    I am glad to know the name of my server if they took any interest in learning mine. This greeting has a strong failure rate for name recognition execution.

o    Setting the bar kind of high aren’t you? ‘Taking care of me’? Really? How is that possible when you don’t even care to learn my name or any other details about what I enjoy, I’m in the mood for or whatever. Chances are, when a server leads with this statement, they are there to take my order, not to take care of me.

·         “Is everything to your satisfaction this evening?”

o    Satisfaction is a “C”. You want to know if my experience is living up to the goal grade of a “C”? This makes it clear you want to make sure I am not displeased to the point of complaining about anything and equally clear that the focus is not on creating an exceptional experience with memorable wow factors that exceed my expectations.

·         “How is everything?”

o    ‘Everything?’ That’s not a real question. That’s like when most people pass you in the hall and say, “How’s everything going, Joey?” It is a pleasantry – not a real, empowering question that prompts a genuine response. Most that are ‘taking care of me’ are satisfied with an ear-candy response of “Fine”. Ask me a real question about a specific aspect of my experience and then listen for a genuine answer if you wish to take care of me.

·         “I’ll just leave this here for your convenience (the check). I’ll be your cashier whenever you are ready. No rush.”

o    That is like handing someone their coat and hat toward the end of a cocktail party ‘for their convenience’. It’s a silly, disingenuous thing to say. Don’t present the check at a point where it could be perceived as rushing me. And then have it immediately ready to present if it is requested (fine dining). Yes- that requires reading your guest, but that is what it means to ‘take care of someone' at a table.

How is it conceivable to say such generic things to guests and then expect a distinctive, memorable experience will be created? Team members need to see how their words are so powerfully capable of either creating a phenomenal experience or how they can make it perfectly clear the team is only there to be order-takers. Regardless of which experience they offer, strangely, it is still their expectation to make a similar percentage in gratuity.

With that said, there are some incredible service professionals out there who see their work as art and every guest experience as a new canvas waiting to be masterfully crafted into a great memory. These experience creators are not who I am referring to in this article. These experience experts are the ideal and what the public is hoping for every time they set foot in a restaurant.

Words are incredibly important in service. And just as you would be the laughing stock at the company Christmas party for having the exact same conversation with each person you talked to, or throwing out the same ‘line’ to each person down the row of bar stools in a lounge, your impression holds no more value when you do the same with your restaurant guests.—Lola for Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

As You Wish Performance

In the Puddin - Puddin' in the Movies Series

When facilitating Learning Experiences, I sometimes utilize movies as an entertaining example of certain brand and experience principles. Recently, a participant suggested that I use movies as a series subject for the Puddin'. Great idea.

Once a week, for the next while, I will focus on some of the messages played out in some of Hollywood's finest. This week: The Princess Bride. A 1987 Rob Reiner film classic, The Princess Bride not only features the debut of Robin Wright (‘Jenny’ in Forrest Gump) but an all-star cast including Cary Elwes (Robin Hood: Men in Tights), Billy Crystal, Peter Faulk, Fred Savage, Carol Kane  and Andre the Giant.

If you have never had the opportunity to watch it, stop reading now. I will completely ruin the movie for you and that would be a shame. Go out and rent it, or NetFlix it or whatever and get back to reading this entry after you had a chance to take it in.

The perfect blend of fantasy, adventure, romance and comedy, The Princess Bride is cleverly stitched together with the common theme of the matchless power of “true love”.

Told from the narrative perspective of a grandfather reading a storybook to his sick grandson, the story begins with a poor farm boy, Wesley, who is in love with the beautiful girl, Buttercup, which he works for. Buttercup assigns him chore after endless chore – to which Wesley has but a singular response every time: “As you wish”.

And here is one of the best moments in the movie: The narrative voice explains that when Wesley is saying, “As you wish”, what he was really saying was’ “I love you”. Rob Reiner is then clever enough to show several vignettes of Buttercup giving Wesley random orders and then zooming in to show the sincerity, love and desire in both Wesley’s eyes and tenor of his voice as he consistently responds: “As you wish.” He means it – sincerely, completely and passionately.

And in return, after Wesley has consistently demonstrated his unwavering devotion to whatever Buttercup desires, Buttercup reciprocates the feelings of loyalty and devotion to Wesley.

And that’s the provocation. If you are a brand that promises service customized to the desires of the consumer:

·          Is that promise being delivered in a manner that makes whatever is being said to the consumer sound as if you were saying, “As you wish”?

·          Do your team members mean it – Sincerely & Completely?

·          Are you passionate about it?

·          Do your team members ‘love’ taking care of their consumers and solving their problems?

It is not a simple as just saying the words, “As you wish”. You and everyone in your organization who has any influence on points of contact with your consumers have to actually mean it.

More often than not, the words “As you wish” are spoken with a tonality of obligation and resentment. In most movies, when the servant or next in command is being given their duties and they respond, “As you wish” (or the like) it is quite clear that they will respond out of duty  but it is not something they want to do – they are being forced.

Unfortunately, in business experiences, that “forced attitude” is often the case as well. Team members are often scripted to say things like:

·          “Of course”

·          “My pleasure”

·          “I would be glad to take care of that for you”

·          “I will be happy to take care of whatever you need”…

…But the sincerity is not there. And instead of it being the positive affirmation of how much that consumer’s business means to the brand, it leaves the indelible impression that “I will help you if I have to, but I don’t really want to.”

Check your messaging. Do you make statements to the public and your internal team about:

·          How you want to go the extra mile for them

·          How you will do whatever it will take to make them happy

·          How you are a family

·          How the world revolves around them

·          How it is a pleasure to ‘do more’

I could open most any travel magazine or organizational manual and find statements not far off of the above remarks. They are certainly not difficult to write – the market is saturated with them – and promising such things is tempting…

Check your performance: Regardless of whatever words come out of your team members, what are they really saying? Like Wesley, are they really saying that they love taking care of the consumer’s needs or that they would love to tell you ‘no’ if they could?

And if Rob Reiner were shooting a close-up of each of your team members’ faces, what truth would it capture? Would it compel your consumers to reciprocate loyalty or are they aware that your team member sees themselves as a subordinate who has no choice but to acquiesce?

In the movie, the writers make it clear that the genuine sincerity of Wesley’s love can overcome all – including corruption, evil and death. It also shows the redeeming power of devotion to a cause and loyalty. I know - it's just a silly movie. But the wonderful thing about comedy is it allows us to point out things in human nature in a way that is larger than life – as if looking through a magnifying glass – in order to better see what is there.

Although incredible fun with a completely unrealistic plot, The Princess Bride is a very true to life example of the human response to sincerity and the compelling difference between what a person in service says and what they truly mean and ultimately, how that impacts loyalty. Rent it again and enjoy the message,the fun and ask yourself what you are really telling people... –-Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Brand Champion Award - September 12, 2008

James Richter - Lifestyle Services Supervisor

GRIGIO Contemporary Living

Brand Champion Awards - Awarding individual team member's actions & how it delivers their organization's brand promise in an extraordinary way

"Your Wish. Our Pleasure."

That is the Brand Promise of GRIGIO Contemporary Living. What is 'Contemporary Living'? It is an innovation in multi-family housing that takes the best elements of: hotel, resort, country club, condo and apartment products and has created a new, luxury lifestyle living environment. Basically, it is the inversion of the 'co-tel' (a condo that is built within a luxury hotel or resort). GRIGIO, developed by Gray Development Group and managed by Gray Clow Residential, is a leased living environment that adds the amenities and most importantly, services, of a luxury hotel or resort.

Imagine - a condo type property in which everything can be maintained for you - including: housekeeping, turning down your bed with rose petals and even 'in-suite delivery' of your favorite snack and bottle of wine: Room service to your own home. Now that is luxury living.

Unlike the other current market offerings of million dollar for sale co-tels, Contemporary Living suites are available for rent - Making this luxurious lifestyle tangible to the upwardly mobile 'not-yet-millionaires, but working on it' consumers who are currently prioritizing their time and convenience as their most prized assets.

What does it take to make the brand promise of "Your Wish. Our Pleasure." true? A few things:

• Amenities: Does the physical space of the lifestyle community provide the basic, luxury amenities that I am wishing for? With a poolside cafe, full gym, Pilate's room, modern indoor and rooftop lounges as well as a convenience retail center with DVD 'rentals' (they are free) and wine shop...yes.
• Service Offerings: Are there basic personalized services offered that address my 4 star and diamond wishes? Yes - GRIGIO offers a myriad top requested services for their members. From delivered laundering and dry cleaning services, to housekeeping, to concierge services to arranging private parties and even in-suite spa services plus more.
• Great Orchestration: Are there brand team members who are prepared and desire to execute all of the other things I am wishing for that are not on the standardized menu as well as all of the details that accompany my requests?
• Trust: Fostered from a relationship of continual reliability on the part of the brand, why would I trust telling you, let alone ask you to try to create something I really wish for? Unless... I have a basic level of trust that you:
  • Respect me as an individual and let me know I am important to you
  • Care enough about me to listen to my desires attentively - with the same concentration as if it was your own wish
  • Have the basic knowledge and expertise to deliver on what is being asked
  • Have the professionalism to see my request through with meticulous detail until all aspects have been complete.

The individual responsible for the performance delivery of the Amenities, Services, Orchestration and Relationship of Trust for GRIGIO is Lifestyle Services Supervisor, James Richter.

Simply being responsible for the aforementioned does not make a brand champion. Every 4 or 5 star hotel has someone in a role similar to James with the task of overseeing the execution of personalized services to consumers. James' title, crafted specifically for him, is not what makes him a champion - It is how he earned the title that is important.

James was originally hired as part of the opening team for GRIGIO in the beginning of 2007 as a Maitre'd - the essential first impression and welcoming presence of the experience. A gentleman with a genuine demeanor and approachable kindness, James won over prospective consumers and journalists alike while introducing them to the unique offerings of the GRIGIO lifestyle experience.

Through the trials of opening a brand new property and dealing with the stress-charged challenges that are inevitable in the moving process for people, James continued to build valuable relationships with the current and prospective members of GRIGIO. And as a result, James gained their trust and confidence both in what they desired as well as their faith in James' ability to deliver it.

Now, almost 2 years later since the opening of GRIGIO, James has been entrusted with overseeing the specific, resort style requests of the GRIGIO members as well as coordinating special events such as:

• Sport tournaments for the members to socialize and have a little competitive fun with their neighbors
• Food and beverage themed events such as "A Night in Venice" - (They are, after all, a lake front property) with Italian food, wine and live music (James also happens to be a former wine sales rep - he knows his grapes)
• Complimentary relaxation evenings for the guests complete with chair massages
• Fund raising charity events to give back as a community to local neighboring charities
• Even Yappy Hour  - socialization time for members who love their dogs
• Plus, countless private special events for individual members - from setting up the perfect romantic evening to arranging a flawless move-in.

In order for 'Your Wish. Our Pleasure.' to be a successful brand promise, GRIGIO must build a reputation of trust from its members that the GRIGIO team members will deliver on both: sincerely caring about their members' wishes and professionally following through to execute those wishes on a consistent basis.

Fortunately, for the GRIGIO brand, they hired James to champion their brand promise from the beginning to make that promise true and he has continued to find new ways to deliver value to its GRIGIO members.

Incidentally, I am not the only one impressed by the performance of GRIGIO. GRIGIO Tempe Town Lake won the National Apartment Association’s prestigious PARAGON 2008 Community of the Year Award.  The NAA has in its federation nearly 200 state and local affiliates, comprised of more than 51,000 multifamily housing companies representing more than 6.3 million apartment homes throughout the United States and Canada.  GRIGIO competed against 9 other property finalists (other Paragon award winners) from around the country for Community of the Year.

Congratulations to James for being a superb brand champion to GRIGIO's brand promise and to Gray Development Group and Gray Clow Residential for retaining and evolving James' role as a valuable asset to the GRIGIO brand. I look forward to seeing the next evolution in GRIGIO's execution of lifestyle experiences. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Champion Awards Guidelines:

• Each Friday beginning 8/8/08, an individual team member selected by ZAG Group and In the Puddin' will be selected and awarded 'Brand Champion'
• Brand Champions will be featured in 'In the Puddin', and receive an honorary certificate
• A Brand Champion's direct supervisor and corporate office will also be officially notified
• Each weekly Brand Champion is then eligible for the ZAG Grand Champion prize at the end of the year.
• On September 1, 2009 - the ZAG Grand Champion will be announced. More details on the prize coming soon, but will include: airfare, hotel room and a very cool experience (of course).

Puddin' Recall

Dear Puddin' Readers -

A picture is worth a thousand words - I'm afraid I'm no better off than my friend pictured to the left. I'm really no good at being sick, but seem to be getting plenty of practice over the past few days with some kind of incredible flu bug. And then of course, Lola caught it as well...Needless to say those batches of Puddin' were contaminated and were not fit to send to you.

I'm serious about the contaminated Puddin'. I tried to write a couple of Puddin's with a fever that were ridiculous at best. One of these days I'll post them as 'out-takes' due to the fact that I was mostly out of my mind when attempting to compose them. Not good - And we at the Puddin' factory have a responsibility to putting out quality brand experience nourishment.

Still, the Brand Champion will prevail and a new winner will be announced for Friday. I am officially signing off until then when I will be better than ever - And so will be the Puddin'. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Tackling Your Performance

In the Puddin' - Puddin' at the Movies Series

When facilitating Learning Experiences, I sometimes utilize the movies as an entertaining, universal example of certain brand and experience principles. I should not have then been surprised when a participant recently suggested that I use movies as a series subject for the Puddin'. Great idea.

That said, I am aware how very clever and vocal some of you readers are. I have no doubt there are a few of you out there prepared to quickly point out that the platform of The Puddin' is to provide real-life examples (not crafted). Technically, you've got me on that technicality, but I will argue that since movies are virtual experiences that the masses share, with characters that we identify with as "friends", "enemies", "love interests" etc. - leading to thoughts and discussions about them and their circumstances as naturally as we would talk about 'real people'. So I say perception is reality and it meets the intention of The Puddin' if not the letter of the law. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Not convinced? Have it your way. It just so happens that I have picked a movie based on a true story. Problem solved. As it is also the first evening of Monday night football this season, it only seemed right to choose the cinematic classic, 'Rudy'. If you have never had the opportunity to watch it, stop reading now. I will completely ruin the movie for you and that would be a shame. Go out and rent it, or NetFlix it or whatever and get back to reading this entry after you had a chance to take it in.

Besides the fact that the movie in well-written, directed, acted and has an unbelievably inspirational story-line - Rudy also draws out one of the most overlooked advantages of having a devoted brand champion - they are ready and willing to tackle your brand performance.

The beginning of the movie sets the stage quite nicely as you watch Rudy, conditioned as a boy, into the importance of being loyal to the Notre Dame football brand. One of my many favorite moments in the movie is the scene where Rudy and his childhood friend, Pete, are gathered around the Rudiger family TV set watching a game. Pete respectfully asks Mr. Rudiger (Rudy's father) if at half-time, it would be possible to watch a few minutes of another college game. Sternly and with a tone of solemn importance, Mr. Rudiger explains, "We only watch one team in this house...Notre Dame. Isn't that right, Rudy?" Rudy utters a positive response with a proud grin - never letting his eyes leave the experience of the Notre Dame game on TV.

What an incredibly clear example of total brand devotion.

For those who have seen it, you already know the majority of the movie focuses on Rudy's passionate pursuit to play Notre Dame football against all physical, intellectual, financial and social odds. Very moving. For those who have not seen it, I really did attempt to persuade you to stop reading...

Rudy does eventually make the team as a walk-on player. Basically, a live tackling dummy for practice. The movie shows scene after scene of Rudy being pummeled by teammates twice his size during team practice. Bruised, bloody and most often defeated, Rudy consistently scrambles back to his feet to perform yet another tackle.

By far, my favorite scene sequence occurs when one of the largest players on the team avoids tackling Rudy on the next play. Rudy immediately responds with anger that his large teammate avoided him instead of tackling him directly.

Shortly thereafter, Rudy performs a tackle on another player who is furious and picks a fight with Rudy for "playing so hard at practice - like it was the SuperBowl".

After practice a group of the players stop Rudy to ask him why he plays so hard at practice and attempt to talk him out of pushing everyone so hard. Rudy then goes on to explain that, "If I let up, if I take it easy on you, then I'm not doing my job to make you better and getting you ready for the next game".

I could play that scene over and over it is so perfect. Why? Because that is what a truly devoted brand champion will do. Fight. Attempt to force you to become better so that you can continue to be the best.

And here's the irony. Unlike the movie Rudy who is showered with incredible honor beyond his wildest imagination at the end of the movie, most devoted brand champions are rebuked for tackling a system, service, product or business to make it live up to the grand place in their mind they feel it should be.

Think about it. How do organizations usually treat the customer who is disappointed in their experience compared to their higher expectation of what brand promise should have delivered? Pretty much exactly like Rudy's two teammates treat his efforts: with avoidance or some level hostility due to the fact that he demanded more from their performance.

Unlike the movie, organizations do not carry customers around on their shoulders for tackling processes, procedures and products that need practice. But they should. Instead, they are unfortunately usually labeled as "unreasonable", "high-maintenance", "difficult" or just plain "crazy". Too bad. It is these customers that think so highly of your brand, they are willing to tackle you in order to improve and live up to the elevated status of your brand in their minds. 

It was Rudy's passionate faith and respect for the strengths of Notre Dame football, that made him willing to do whatever it would take to have that brand be a part of his lifestyle - performing as many bloodying tackles necessary to help his favorite brand continually perform at a higher level.

Who are the 'Rudys' in your customer base? How about in your own internal team? Who is willing to tackle you in order to make you stronger? Who is willing to go out of their way to tackle whatever 'plays' you are running with the expectation that their devotion, passion and efforts will make a difference and create a better performance. I'll take those high-maintenance, crazy, tackling brand champions all day long.

Do your brand a favor and take the example of Rudy to discover:

• Who your tackling brand champions are,
• How you can embrace and honor their challenge to make your performance stronger, and
• Who your team members are that resent acting like everyday is the SuperBowl.

As far as your consumer brand champions are concerned - every experience your brand performs should feel like the SuperBowl. Otherwise, be prepared to be tackled for your own good. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Brand Champion Award - September 5, 2008

Sabry Abdeen - Service Agent

FedEx Office - Phoenix: Tatum & Thunderbird

Brand Champion Awards - Awarding individual team member's actions & how it delivers their organization's brand promise in an extraordinary way

"FedEx Office - Our office is your office."

That is the tag line and brand promise of FedEx Office. For those who have not yet received the memos, "Kinko's" became "FedEx Kinko's" a couple of years ago and now has recently been re-branded under the new name "FedEx Office" - providing a number of printing and business services. They currently operate 1,900 locations with 22,000 team members in 11 countries.

Interesting choice of a tag-line from a company, that from inception, has had a history of great branding slogans. In fact, when you mention FedEx to most people over the age of 30, they will still retort, "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight." That's some brand power.

But consider their current brand promise for FedEx Office.  A clear take-off of the common phrase: "Mi casa es su casa" or "My house is your house". These messages quickly evoke the ideas of:

• The spirit of a generous host
• A welcoming environment
• Gracious hospitality
• A place where I can comfortably be myself
• Helping myself to anything I want
• Total access to whatever I need***
• A standing invitation to return

***Incidentally, another reason why this particular brand promise is genius for FedEx Office, is that the parent brand, FedEx Corporation's entire brand strategy is centered around the idea of providing access to it's customers. It is brilliantly well tied and orchestrated throughout its sub-brands.

But is it raising a customer's expectations too high to hope that when they walk into a FedEx Office location, they will be treated in such a hospitable manner? Perhaps. But not if they happen to stumble into the Phoenix location at Tatum and Thunderbird and are greeted by Sabry Abdeen. In that case, their tag line, does not do the experience justice.

I have been in their store at least a dozen times (up until now, they have had no idea exactly what I do) when Sabry is working on the floor to assist customers with the self-serve equipment. One of these days, I will have to remember to bring some popcorn to go along with the great show I have the pleasure of observing in their store.

From inside the store, I look out the entirely glassed storefront and get a great view of customers approaching. Their expressions are similarly grim - mentally working through their to-do list and seemingly determined to have these transactions done and over with as quickly as possible. They swing the door open and are hit with the unexpected honor of Sabry's warm and boisterous greeting:

"Welcome to FedEx Office! It is so wonderful to see you today!" (or the like)

Totally shocked, most people stop dead in their tracks. That overly-concerned wrinkle in their brow quickly transforms into a variety of pleased expressions - from a sheepish grin to a full 'I might as well have just won an academy award, I'm so honored' smile. "Well, thank you!" Is often the customer's response. Imagine - a customer thanking an establishment in the first five seconds of the experience. Wonderfully done.

So what's the big deal? So Sabry welcomes everyone into the store. That happens at a lot of places, right? Not the way Sabry does it:

• He's watching them walk up to the front door and, like the host of a surprise party, is preparing for the 'big moment' they come through the door. Sabry knows that 200 people might walk through the door during the course of a business day from the store's team member perspective. But that is not the perspective that matters. It is the individual experience of each of those customers that matters. How many other people walk through those doors is irrelevant to the individual customer. It is the experience created specifically and solely for them that provides the value.
• His body language tells the whole story. Standing at alert attention, Sabry often throws his arms out to the side and, quite literally, welcomes customers with open arms. Complete with a million dollar smile and total eye contact, his hospitable gaze stays with the customer until their acknowledgment tells Sabry they have accepted his graciousness.
• He is sincere. There is no doubt to customers that Sabry is truly glad to see them, and even more importantly, to be of service regarding whatever they may need.
• He is consistent. I mean, really consistent. It does not matter where Sabry is in the store, he keeps the front door in his consciousness and provides a bellowing welcome from any corner of the store, if necessary, ensuring not one of his precious customers goes unnoticed. Does it bother the other patrons? Not at all. The perpetuation of positive greetings and responses actually adds an element of joy and fun to what most customers would expect to be tedious tasks.
• His role as host does not end with the greeting. Sabry roams the floor an applies the same level of personal attention and concern to his responsibilities of assisting customers with the various aspects of self-service in the store. Sabry extends the experience of a wonderful first impression of the store with the invaluable follow-up of customized, concerned service. Fantastic.

I think I might actually enjoy going to the dentist if Sabry was there to help create my experience (no offense intended to dental care professionals...)

"My office", huh? Who wouldn't want their office to be staffed with someone as excited to see them as Sabry is? Who wouldn't want an office with someone like Sabry to help them with the office equipment or to fulfill a rush job, etc? "My office?" I'm willing to bet most business owners would be envious of the 'office experience' Sabry creates in comparison to their own office personnel.

Bottom line: I believe Sabry when his actions say louder than any tag line ever could, "My office is your office". And, like so many customers that have a myriad of other options - Boy,  do I love coming to your office.

Thank you, Sabry, for being a perfect example of a great brand champion and making the FedEx Office brand promise absolutely true for your store. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Champion Awards Guidelines:

• Each Friday beginning 8/8/08, an individual team member selected by ZAG Group and In the Puddin' will be selected and awarded 'Brand Champion'
• Brand Champions will be featured in 'In the Puddin', and receive an honorary certificate
• A Brand Champion's direct supervisor and corporate office will also be officially notified
• Each weekly Brand Champion is then eligible for the ZAG Grand Champion prize at the end of the year.
• On September 1, 2009 - the ZAG Grand Champion will be announced. More details on the prize coming soon, but will include: airfare, hotel room and a very cool experience (of course).

Trouble at the Puddin' Factory

Our Apologies...

We're experiencing some unexpected trouble at the Puddin' Factory that is interfering with our ability to deliver your daily Puddin' - Please accept our most sincere apologies.

Never fear - This will not effect selection of a weekly Brand Champion for September 5th. We will simply get the rascally gremlins out of the factory soon and send you your Puddin' over the weekend announcing this week's champion.

Thanks for your patience,

Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO