Be reliable and keep your promises....

I’ve always loved Sears: the catalogue, the store, the brands, the people. But it’s now a shell of what it used to be. Today, retail is defined by Amazon - like the old Sears, it has everything: but they don’t have anyone to talk to; it has, like the old Sears, great prices: but it doesn’t give that personal touch. Even so, it’s earned people’s business because it’s reliable, and isn’t that what we want in the things we… well, rely on for what we want and need. For baby boomers like me it seems a bit like blasphemy, because we’re so used to doing business with real people we can talk to, but Amazon’s made the service experience so good that it demands people’s loyalty, even when it’s hard to find a live body there. The standard for service excellence is, and always has been, all about reliability: if you want customers in your store or on your site, give them your word and keep your promise. That’s what gets people’s loyalty today.

Steve Maraboli (b. 1975): Military veteran, Internet radio commentator, motivational speaker and author

Treat people fairly....

The economy’s hot, unemployment is way down, and the war for talent is raging: lots of companies think the answer is putting employees under contracts with non-compete clauses. Wrong. If you’re good to your employees in the best and worst of times, they’ll be loyal; if you care about and nurture their careers in good economies and bad, they’ll stay and progress with you; if you treat them right, they’ll treat you right. Stop and think about what you did in the past 10 years when things got tight - did you lay people off, cut salaries, and talk about them having to do more with less. Or did you talk honestly with them about the difficult times, ask them to stick with you, and invest in their training and security.  Now that jobs are plentiful, people can and will leave you for something better: make sure they never think that anything could be better. People willingly give loyalty to those who demonstrate it in kind. Investing in your employees every day is an investment in their loyalty and your company’s future.  Treat your people honestly and fairly today.

T. F. Hodge: Former Marine and athlete, currently an author and blogger

Honesty really is the best policy....

“Loyalty is the pledge of truth to oneself and others.”  Ada Boardley

People always told me they disliked getting, or giving, performance evaluations. Most companies have policies that require them, but given this antipathy, it doesn’t seem like they’re very well regarded. Feedback is good, but when it’s held for some arbitrary annual date it tends to lose its appeal: too much time passes for it to be relevant. But what if you promised your employees you’d be thoughtful and honest, and pledged to use feedback as a way to help them be better. Better yet, what if you told them you’d be more attentive and let them know in real time when they performed well and would correct them and show them how to be better when they didn’t. After a while, relationships with your employees would be based on fairness and truth: their perception of you would improve and they’d probably be more loyal to you and your company; they’d probably be happier coming to work every day with a good attitude.  Remember that loyalty is the pledge of truth to yourself and your employees today.

Ada Velez-Boardley: Social worker

Great service beats all....

Reward programs are everywhere: from the slot clubs we join, the airlines we fly, the hotels and restaurants we frequent, and the stores we shop at the most. They award redeemable points based on the dollars we spend and think that’s enough to make and keep us loyal. Somebody should tell them: it’s not the stuff you sell but rather the service and staff that ultimately create loyalty. There’s a Kroger’s store right behind my house that gives me great points that I can use for discounts on gasoline, but I regularly drive 5 extra miles to Trader Joe’s because they’re so much friendlier. And the airlines all give frequent flyer miles, but I dread flying any but Southwest Airlines: the staff on all the other airlines are just not as fun or nice. Frankly, my repeat business is not for sale: my loyalty will be to those companies that earn it through consistently good service and smiles. Keep reminding your people that it’s not the giveaways that keep customers coming back, it’s them. Be sure to thank every employee you see giving good service today.

Janey Robinson: Freelance creative and children's book writer based in London

Give em service with a smile....

During the past year I started collecting antique clocks: some are cuckoo clocks, others are the wind-up regulators, some sit on a mantel and others hang on the wall, and all are old. And like most old things, they need TLC, a kind I’m not experienced enough to give. I found a store here that specializes in clock repair and took them in: there were at least 200 old clocks of all sizes and styles and prices...  I was a bit intimidated and out of my element, but not for long.  The owner, probably my age or older, immediately put me at ease, showed me around, and made appropriately appreciative sounds when looking at my relatively inexpensive clocks. He wasn’t sure when he’d get to them but said not to worry. Today, 5 days later, he calls, says he’s already checked them out, gave me a detailed run down of what was needed, and exactly how much each would be. It was great service + sincerity and integrity. Somebody asks you for something, give them that kind of service today.

Donald A. Adams (1878 – 1958): Businessman and 15^thPresident of Rotary International

Say what you mean and mean what you say....

A recent survey found that trust is at an all-time low: fake news is one of the biggest culprits followed by broken promises. While there doesn’t seem to be much that can be done about fake news, each of us can certainly address the issue of broken promises. It comes down to this: if you say you’re going to do something – do it. If you say your company cares about career mobility – post all jobs and give current employees preference and training. If you say your company promotes diversity – make sure inclusion is practiced everywhere. If you say you value employees – listen to them and answer their questions. My consulting company conducts employee surveys and the complaint we most often discover is a lack of communications: employees don’t like that “nobody listens”, “nobody told me”, and “nobody will give me a straight answer”.  People with integrity listen carefully, communicate clearly, and then do what they say they’re going to do.  There are no good excuses for not doing those things. Do what you say you’re going to do today.

Laura Schlessinger, PhD (b. 1947): American talk radio host and author

Don't be a coward....

Like many people, we order lots of stuff from Amazon: we’re Prime members and UPS regularly delivers purchases to our home.  Today a package came and when opened we noticed it was for someone else: inside was a book AND a $50 gift certificate for one of those subscription meal delivery services. At that moment of discovery, the following briefly went through my mind: great gift certificate, returning it could be a pain, and who’s going to know if we just kept the package. The answer, of course, is we would know. Then I thought about my granddaughters and how they look up to me like I’m a good guy: how could I deserve that adulation if I kept stuff that wasn’t mine.  So, back it all went into the package, taped it up, and took it to the local UPS Store. Done. To know what is right and not do it, even when nobody would ever know, is the worst cowardice. When faced with doing something right or wrong, don’t be a coward: do what is right today.

Don Alden Adams (b. 1925): Former president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, the principal corporation of Jehovah's Witnesses