Oct 24, 2007

Engaged - Meeting in Process!...More Bathroom Blogfests

Based on yesterday's story about employee engagement and customer service in a Devon toilet...Eric

Bathroomblogfest

Fraterman e-mailed me this story

"There is a service legend story that goes back well over ten years. Greyhound bus lines had a new CEO who was rejuvenating the brand and trying to break out of the mould of bus travel being only for those who could not afford anything else.
Of course, the bathrooms in bus stations were notoriously un-clean more often than not. The CEO issued several edicts to have them cleaned up and of course explained why... The change resistant organization did not respond very well, though.
His solution to communicate that he meant what he said?
When travelling around he started convening his meetings with the station managers, guess where... 
You got it! 
The word spread fast of course. And guess what happened to bathroom cleanliness from there on?"

Thanks Eric...as I always say actions speak louder than words.

If you have a story for the Bathroom Blogfest then e-mail me at [email protected]

 

24 Oct 2007 15:58:03 | Customer Service

2 Comments

Sandy Renshaw

Anna,

That's the first time I've heard this story. What a terrific solution! More businesses ought to try it.

Sandy

Posted by: Sandy Renshaw | Nov 01, 2007 at 05:54 AM

john

Take a look at this website for the best bathroom accessory ever !!!
http://www.biffy.com

Posted by: john | Nov 07, 2007 at 11:53 PM

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Bathroom Blogfest - A Story of an Engaged Consumer and Toilet Attendant! I was delighted to be asked to participate in the Bathroom Blogfest 2007 which runs from Sunday, October 28 through Friday, November 2. It features 22 bloggers from around the globe, writing about the importance of bathrooms in the customer experience. Today I wanted to talk about a bathroom that I visited several years ago - unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the family store in Devon, not because it wasn't memorable but because of my age! I remember speaking to the person cleaning and saying "Thank you, you must be very proud of how beautiful you keep this room?" The lady turned and said "My boss is a very strange man, he understands women!" After laughing I asked "What do you mean?" She said "When I was interviewed he told me that this was part of the retail store. That women make the majority of the buying decisions and did I want the chance of helping to influence the ladies! He asked me to think of how I could make the restroom a marketing tool! Well, I didn't even know what marketing was, I am 64 you know, but I just thought how do we make this a place that makes people leave and want to buy from us. So I brought in a couple of soft chairs for older people to sit whilst waiting, fresh flowers to give that natural smell, decorated inside the cubicles like you were at home with scenic photo's etc and put a few of our products on display saying if you like this there is one waiting for you in store....I even added little promotions at different times of the year." I was desperate at this stage to go to the toilet myself by this point!!! But I said "Your boss made a great decision in recruiting you" She smiled and said "It helped being his mother!" I laughed - maybe her engagement was because she wanted the retail store to succeed, but the most telling part for me was that the running of the bathrooms was done by the owners' mother! ...Because that room was an extension of the retail experience....wow! Do you have any stories or if you would like to contribute, please e-mail me your photos and explanation , and I will link to you and include them in the festival. Here are the links to this year’s participating bloggers: Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads Maria Palma—Customers Are Always Becky Carroll—Customers Rock! Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee Helene Blowers—Library Bytes Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures Katie Clark—Practical Katie Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur Katia S. Adams—Transcultural
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4 Winners of Leadership Books All the way to the end of the year, I will be running competitions for people to win books from my development library. Well we have our first 4 winners based on the party games post! Congratulations to Joanna Young, Ronna Porter, Michael Julson and Michael Fulton. I am away at Podcamp Boston from tomorrow but will contact you next week for your addresses and your choice of books!

Anna Farmery

Social Marketing Architect, Speaker, Author and in spare time completing PhD on the future of the social business model

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