September 25, 2007
It is Monday evening and I am returning from a very stimulating week on the west coast. In fact, my assignment last week was one of my favorites of the year. I was the facilitator for the World-Class Service Executive Institute. It is an event for CUNA which was held at the Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena, CA. For four days, we stayed at the Ritz and experienced what it was like to stay in a five star hotel and receive exceptional service. We also took a field trip to Nordstrom. Both places were fabulous about sharing with us their philosophies and strategies for achieving a very high level of service.
As both businesses opened up to us and shared their service "secrets," I was struck by their generosity. It reminded me of the concept that Stephen Covey taught us in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – live life with an abundance mentality. That mindset believes that there is enough to go around. The opposite of course, would be a scarcity mentality.
The Ritz and Nordstrom are both considered the best of the best. Their willingness to share their success principles only makes them all the more attractive. There were 60 attendees from across the country, and today, 60 people are sharing Ritz and Nordstrom stories with whoever will listen to them. In fact, that is their marketing strategy. They don’t put much money into advertising. They do put a lot of time, money, and energy into developing their people. Having well trained, empowered people is the core advertising/marketing strategy for both companies.
It is a very healthy thing to learn from others outside your industry. Keep your eyes wide open. And don’t forget to be generous (there is enough to go around) and to put a lot of energy into developing the talent that you have within your credit union.
Keywords: abundance mentality, Nordstrom, Ritz, scarcity mentality, World-Class