The reality is that there is no sign above the entrance telling customers how to behave, and sometimes they behave badly. So the responsibility for appropriate behavior falls on the service provider.
-Holly Stiel
Featuring the service wisdom that served her so well during 17 years on the front line, Holly Stiel has immortalized her unique philosophy as the Neon Signs of Service. Invented on the job, this simple, yet profound wisdom gives people memorable anchors that they can use to make an immediate difference in the outcome of any customer interaction. In fact, these skills are guaranteed to serve the server as well as the customer. Holly is convinced that service doesn’t occur from the outside in, it comes from the inside out. Putting these Neon Signs into practice will elevate the work you do to art – service as an art form.
This topic transcends the acknowledged boundaries of the hospitality industry; it can be given at every level of an organization from front line employees to top level executives. It can be adapted to any size audience. Holly has received standing ovations from Bank of America executives, Coldwell Banker real estate agents, NASCAR employees, Forest City Property managers, Aveda salon owners, Cirque du Soleil staff, the box office staff of the Baltimore Ravens and LA Philharmonic, members of the Grocers Association, as well as numerous restaurant and hotel associations.
Holly Stiels’ keynote addresses, workshops, trainings, coaching, DVD courseware and consulting are based on her signature material, Neon Signs of Service.
By being aware that you are paying yourself a psychic salary you are able to think in a different way and reframe your work. The psychic salary helps people become more aware of what they receive at work other than the paycheck. The provocative question, “How does serving others serve you” helps to teach that compensation is a great deal more than money. The psychic salary expands people’s thinking and allows them to enjoy their work in a deeper and more fulfilling way instead of watching the clock, you could be present to when you are earning your psychic salary. For example, solving a problem, finding the humor in a situation, sharing a moment of comradeship. Knowing you are receiving and not just giving also helps to relieve stress.
This is an overarching neon sign as it is a challenge to work with people on a daily basis. It helps you to access the other neon signs. It challenges you to become self aware and to earn a psychic salary. The more you understand the challenge, the more you can access your ability to Make a Difference.
When you understand the power of choice and the responsibility you have to choose your experience moment to moment you will reduce the possibility of feeling like a victim at work. Knowing that you are at choice helps you to become self motivated by allowing you to recontext each situation to find a better way of looking at things. Being aware of your choice in the situation puts you in the drivers seat of your own experience. You become responsible for your own development. Since choose is an overarching neon sign, the first step and technique will be to discern the choices you have available and put choice into action.
This sign focuses on the human needs behind the business needs which help make the business needs easier to handle. (The human needs are heard, acknowledged, remembered and respected. )It is a customer relationship building technique and a stress reliever as it helps you to not get so annoyed with your customers. It focuses on the humanness which is at the heart of every interaction. When you operate from this point of view, the way your job is experienced is enhanced. Develop the skill and awareness to listen to what is not being spoken.
This neon sign is in tandem with It Isn’t Personal. It is a self management skill and interpersonal relationship skill. The end result helps you to resist your desire to teach customers how to behave.
This is a stress prevention technique. It is a skill to master, but once you do it is a way to protect yourself. It will support you in doing your job more effectively. It will help you maintain a connection with the customer and not shut down. It is a self management technique to help you in managing your own emotions.
To be open to the concept of forgiveness is truly a gift to yourself. It is really for the service provider and less about the customer. It is a huge stress reliever and it helps in emotion management. Forgiveness helps you stay connected to your customer. It is an interpersonal relationships skill. Forgiveness and health have been scientifically proven to be linked.
This is similar to the one word sign of Choose, however it requires some pre work. It is about noticing what “pushes your buttons,” before you are in the middle of a situation. This technique helps you stay aware and present. It is used to prevent problems before they occur. By knowing what pushes your buttons you can think of them as alarm buttons. It is proactive, a simple step by step process that puts you in the drivers seat.
This is a stress reliever as well as a time management technique. Letting go of being right is a technique for conflict resolution and managing customer relations. It is a communication technique that helps to deliver consistent service as it helps you to solve a problem without playing the blame game. When you have to be right you tend to alienate the customer. When the service provider lets go of being right it protects the self esteem of the customer and creates an environment where the customer feels valued. It is an interpersonal relationship skill building tool and paradoxically builds personal self esteem.
Bringing the concept of love to the workplace teaches compassion and integrates with other areas of your life. This neon sign is an interpersonal relationship skill, a stress technique, and helps service providers cope with demanding customers. Learning to ask, “How can I bring love to the situation, “ helps to connect to your customers and co-workers, builds self esteem and creates and ambiance of feeling valued.
The concept behind this neon sign is that healthier, less stressed employees make happier ones which translates to happier customers. Implementing this neon sign improves health, lowers stress, increases well being and develops a congruency between mind, body, feelings and intuition.
This is a very effective communication technique. Practicing The Wings of No ™ develops empathy, helps you to say no without sacrificing customer satisfaction. It is a stress technique, it handles the humanness in an uncomfortable situation while managing the expectation of the customer.
Through research we know that customers are not satisfied until they receive an apology. This neon sign teaches exactly how to do that to restore customer satisfaction. The art of the apology is a mastery technique that builds loyalty after a service breakdown has occurred. It is about finesse over function, it concentrates on the humanness. It gives a step by step procedure that builds confidence in employees by reducing the angst regarding handling a difficult situation.Keep Dancing
This is a technique to help relieve stress and make crunch times more bearable By following the technique of Keep Dancing, work literally becomes more fun, you release fatigue, your body is less tired. You will keep a bad moment just that, and not turn it into a bad day. By creating a rhythm in your work, customers feel the difference and are more likely to spend money in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
This neon sign emphasizes what you can learn about your own job from looking at a performing artist. It compares working with people to being on stage. It introduces the concept of service as a performing art. It lays the foundation for delivering service as art. It is a technique for having more fun at work.
Bringing your sense of humor to work is a strategy for stress release. It reframes how you look at daily activities. It helps you to lighten up and brighten up your experience at work. You will learn techniques to find the humor and to continually capture it on a consistent basis. Where employees are enjoying themselves, customers keep coming back. An atmosphere of humor builds camaraderie with customers and colleagues.
This neon sign was written specifically for the concierge, but can easily be adapted to other service positions, especially retail. It was written in response to “where would you go”. The first thing to remember is, you’re not going. Recommend for the customer. Mastering this neon sign gives you a communication boost because many people ask for something one way, but really mean something completely different.
This is an organizational skill that will save you time, help you to avoid errors, create order and reduce stress.
This is a communication skill that once learned and practiced will help avoid miscommunication problems and unnecessary work. It is a way to help you stay in rapport with your customer.
Learning the power of these four words is the core essence, the purpose of being a service provider. Thank You Very Much encompasses gratitude not only from your customer, but toward the customer as without them there would be no business, thus no job. Putting Thank You Very Much at the forefront of your jobs purpose impacts co-workers as well, as it is impossible to deliver Thank You Very Much service alone. Hearing and saying these words enhances everyone’s experience. Hearing the words become proof of customer satisfaction. Thank You Very Much becomes a core value, and a way to measure performance.
For more information, contact Holly at holly@thankyouverymuchinc.com or 415.302.8026.