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We brought Barbara is to give three full-day sessions to allow all of our staff to participate. Response of staff was very favorable. As part of her program, Barbara had staff identify barriers to providing good customer service and also things we could do to enhance customer service. These lists were provided to the program sponsor for follow-up. Barbara's impact on staff was so positive that some began implementing the ideas even before we got all the lists compiled and could formulate an action plan! I rate Barbara's presentation as "excellent" and strongly recommend her to you.

Bruce Becker, Assistant to Director , Michigan Public School , Employees Retirement System

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Thank you for your marvelous humor, your wealth of positive suggestions, and for stirring us all to transcend our rutted patterns of thinking and interacting. You are truly a blessing and our community will never be the same! Please come back soon and give us another dose of your contagious enthusiasm.

SuEllen Fried, Founder, STOP Violence Coalition

More of Barbara in action.

Idea of the Month from Barbara Glanz

Adding a Personal Signature To Your Work

This idea is from Barbara's book "Building Customer Loyalty--How YOU Can Help Keep Customers Returning."

The Idea:

One of the ways you can express your sense of mission is to find ways to put your personal stamp on all your interactions, whether they are in person or from "behind the scenes." It has been said that "Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence." And, if your goal is to create loyal customers, add "and caring."

The Idea In Action:

Let's look at some ways to do this:

• If you are a payroll clerk, the checks you issue could read "Prepared with care by (your name)."
• On every flight he works, an airplane pilot handwrites a note to several passengers he picks at random from the computer, thanking them for flying with his airline and asking to meet them as they leave.
• If you are a nurse, perhaps you can put a sign by your patient's bed that says something like "I am here to care for you, my friend." Signed (your name).
• A plumber who is also a gourmet cook writes a recipe on the back of each bill he leaves with a customer.
• A grocery store employee had little cards printed that said, "Your groceries were bagged with care by (his name)." He put one of these into every order he worked on.
• A garage mechanic places a card in each car he repairs with a note saying, "This car was lovingly repaired by (his name). Treat it with care."

Tips:

Your personal signature is a declaration of your commitment to the quality of your work and to your customers. I would also add that the human touch--these signatures being handwritten rather than typed--would be even more effective.

If you enjoy funny sayings or quotations, you might consider sharing these with your customers, both internal and external. Some people have written a quotation on their business cards. I have a quote from Albert Schweitzer at the end of my resume: "The only ones among us who will be truly happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve."

Another way I add my personal signature to my job is when I speak, I hand out to everyone in the audience small cards about the size of a business card. On one side it says "Thank you for CARE-ing." On the other side it says "Spread Contagious Enthusiasm--Pass it along." This is a memorable way for me to share my message and for them to share appreciation for someone else.

What creative ways can you think of to add your personal signature to your work?

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