Your Power Hour, Part 2

Continuing the Power Hour idea: When I worked there, Nordstrom would unlock their mall doors at 9:50 a.m., even though the official opening time is 10:00 a.m.

The store manager knew that anyone waiting outside ten minutes before store opening was there with a business purpose. She personally welcomed them early, showing respect for their needs. This jump-started the store's Power Hour with ten additional minutes of customer convenience, based on demand.

At your organization, I am sure that service is often very good for most customers, but who are the ones that fall through the cracks, and who are the ones that truly experience the remarkable? Focus on the first and last hours as "Power Hours" and watch your overall organizational productivity climb. This is the time to reward achievement!

Suggestion: All participants with early or late-day sales can be entered into a weekly or monthly incentive drawing. Have them document their dollar value on duplicate sales slips (all entries qualify) and you will see the overall cumulative financial power of your Power Hours.

A word on the flip side: It may be time to have a private high-level discussion about apparent slackers, too-casual business attitudes, visible computer games on company time, and negativity in the workplace, which can affect any hour of the workday. A valued customer can be unwittingly offended with one "stray f-bomb." You will never know, because they will never return.

Are all employees ambassadors of your corporate brand? Becoming remarkable takes an organization-wide commitment to fine tune every Power Hour opportunity. Just like running a marathon, each effort takes you closer to the goal.

Use Power Hours. Make the choice today to become a remarkable organization.

Janet Bartman is the Communications Director for a large professional membership organization in Spokane. She welcomes your comments.

Next Post: The Opposite of Remarkable

Your Power Hour

"The needs of early and late-day customers are no different than peak hour selling. Be ready for every customer, squeezing excellence out to the edges of each day. This is the time to reward achievement!"

-- Janet Bartman

Today, I share one of my best secrets: "Your Power Hour."

It's rare that I meet someone who has not shopped at Nordstrom. I worked for them for more than 10 years, and in several of those years, I achieved the distinction of being a leader in annual sales volume in my division.

To achieve annual goals, my mindset was that of a marathon runner. One day, the store manager asked me what I was doing to consistently bring in top sales results. I told her about what I called my "Power Hours." They included the first hour and the last hour of my sales day. I knew that the needs of early and late-day customers are no different than peak hour selling, so I took it as a personal challenge to be ready for every customer, squeezing excellence out to the edges of each day.

Have you noticed that retail colleagues often chat at the register at the beginning of the day? Seeing this afforded me several early opportunities to jump-start my daily performance. Also, I never gave up on the last hour of my day - Power Hours were my bookends. Often I could double my daily volume by staying fresh and engaged for late customers, when everyone else was fading and ready to go home.

You may not be a retailer, but how do you use your first and last hour of the workday? Can you squeeze excellence out to the edges, for more daily productivity?

Janet Bartman is the Communications Director for a large professional membership organization in Spokane. She welcomes your comments.

Next Post: Power Hours, Part 2

The Concierge & The Chocolate Chip Cookies

"I am on a personal mission to wipe out the phrase, "No Problem" from the service industry.

-- Janet Bartman

Recently I was traveling, and I was staying at a familiar business-class hotel. Each afternoon, the hotel baker brought a large, irresistible tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to the concierge desk.

On my second day there, I walked up and selected a cookie. As I did, I made the comment that I had been looking forward to this special treat all day. The concierge glanced up and gave me a cursory nod and a brisk "no problem," and then his eyes reverted back to his computer screen.

All that effort into baking cookies, and the goodwill was gone in an instant. I knew it was "no problem," but I would like to propose an alternate ending to this story.

The concierge glances up, hears my comment, smiles and says, "My pleasure. Enjoy!"

Which concierge knows the language of remarkable service?

I am on a personal mission to wipe out the phrase 'no problem' from the service industry. Here's why: Look in the mirror and say "problem." Now, look in the mirror and say "pleasure." Which one makes you smile? If there is no problem, don't bring one up. Just smile, and say, "My pleasure!"


Janet Bartman is the Communications Director for a large professional membership organization in Spokane. She welcomes your comments.

Next Post: Your "Power Hour"