…and sometimes one just falls out of the sky or, in this case, squeals away on four tires.
It’s 10:30 am, March 16th…Sunday morning in Montreal, the day after my daughter’s 18th birthday-night-out, the day of the city’s 200th St. Patrick’s Day parade. The house is full of family and friends. Irish music is playing, green beer is flowing, and we’re all about to get our leprechaun on.
I’m just off of the Peloton, a quick 20 minute HIIT ride with Hannah Frankson (she’s my favourite) – a feeble attempt to clear my conscience of the fried pickles, tequila and random fruity shots bartenders love to hand out to the newly legal (and their unsuspecting moms).
It’s gonna be a good day.
And then there’s a knock on the bathroom door.
My husband: Did you move the car?
Me: No…
Him: It’s gone.
Me: F$%K!!! (my inside voice, of course)
Stolen right out from under the watchful eyes of my sister’s sweet brownstone and 20 feet away from the open window where I slept.
It was a different kind of day after that.
The kind filled with endless account numbers, logins, 1-800 numbers, and hold music looping on repeat, until you find yourself sailing away to the yacht rock lull of Christopher Cross.
And the kind where a sea of customer service reps are holding the keys to your sanity.
It’s worth noting we don’t live in Montreal. We made the trek to visit family (and enjoy the birthday milestone).
We wanted our car back.
We wanted a way to get home.
We wanted everyone to have the same level of urgency as we did.
Most of them didn’t.
Just another day at the office 😜.
Then…I met Leonardo, maybe the most enthusiastic and committed employee ever. AcuraLink theft recovery service, you’ve got a good one there.
He could have been in a movie. Anyone, remember Hank Azaria in The Birdcage? His voice, his accent and his enthusiasm capture it perfectly.
I wish I had a recording.
He was so “IN.”
He was so kind.
He was so helpful.
It felt like he cared – maybe more than I did – about the car, the inconvenience, the overall shit of the matter.
And then…just as we were signing off, he stops mid-sentence and yells:
“Ms. Fearon!! I see the location of your vehicle! Please hold, I have to get in touch with the police!”
Right out of a movie. It was AWESOME.
And that’s as awesome as it got.
The police went to the location. No car.
…still no car at the time of this writing.
Our rental car got us home. Vehicle tracking is still on the case for the next week or so.
Me? I wait. I wait until everyone else gives up.
And then I get another car, minus the deductible.
It’s that simple.
The moral of this story?
I witnessed, first-hand, in the span of an afternoon, the difference between the highly engaged and the apathetic.
And it wasn’t the impact on me that had an impact on me. It was the obvious enthusiasm Leonardo had. The joy and reward he got from the job…from helping me.
Imagine a world where we ALL felt that way?
Gallup research shows 85% of employees are unengaged at work. What a terrible existence that would be.
And what a difference it makes to the customer when the opposite is true.
If there’s one thing worth doing, it’s investing in supporting your team in connecting to the work they do – no matter how mundane the task. If it’s solving a problem or creating value in some way, it matters.
If you want your customers to love your product, make sure your employees love their jobs.
I don’t know who said that, but it’s super smart and I agree.
And that’s it for the weekend I’ll never forget and the service rep who serves as my inspiration.
Molly, remember your 18th birthday? You got ID’d, I got grand theft auto’d.
Mary
P.S. I feel compelled to mention that I didn’t always show up as the best version of myself in these interactions. I wasn’t rude. I never yelled. I definitely fell short of my new Leonardo standard. I’ll do better next time.
P.P.S. We help visionary leaders and organizations achieve more impact through purpose, engagement and storytelling. When you’re ready, here’s how we can help:
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P.P.P.S.
Check out past One Thing Thursdays here.
