People
“Everything’s designed for us to learn about people
- about ourselves - better. And we understand that we, as a human race, will always try to find out how different
people act or how they look or how they feel, in order for us to realize that we are all the same.”
- Chuck d. -
Country Western singer Toby Keith and Scotty Emrick co-wrote the lyrics
to Toby’s recent hit song “I love this bar” and those words go something like; “We got winners,
we got losers / chain smokers and boozers / and we got yuppies, we got bikers / we got thirsty hitchhikers / and
the girls next door dress up like movie stars / Hmm, hmm, hmm, I love this bar.” That song goes
on to describe the various people who populated his favorite bar and the neighborhood that surrounds it.
Everywhere we turn there are people, people of all ethnicity, creed, size, gender, intellect, and status. There
are always people of contradictions - rich and poor, married and single, free or oppressed, smart or dumb, tall
or short, fit or out-of-shape, happy or sad, healthy or ill, fun or boring, handsome or ugly, pretty or plain,
quick or slow, a full head of hair or bald, slim or hefty, neat or sloppy, professional or amateur, erect
or slumping, eager or reserved, and this list is endless. reserved, and this list is endless.
There are always people who have things in common. From the moment of our birth we become a member of a family
and inherit a pedigree. Some people are able to document their lineage back century upon century and the tracing
of the family tree has become a satisfying hobby for many. One of the most watched TV Specials ever was the saga
of Kunta Kinte as related by his maternal descendent Alex Haley in "Roots". That
story inspired countless thousands of people of color to attempt to establish their own roots. One of my ancestors
can lay claim to being the first Caucasian female to cross the Gobi Desert on camelback.
Another thing that most people have in common is that they work, and in most instances it is not in isolation.
Workplaces are as varied as are the people who are employed there. Some workplaces are so large that one can get
to know but a few of those who work there and other workplaces are small enough that you know every one of your
coworkers. Regardless of size, it is of great importance that each workplace operates as a cohesive group that
some have identified as the ‘People Principle’. People are any organizations greatest asset, and enduring success
comes to organizations that have farsighted leadership, inspired employees, and satisfied customers.
At my primary workplace, Scottsdale Camelback Resort, we have about 60 employees. While that doesn’t
seem like a lot of people it is difficult to know them all. On the second Thursday of each month the resort employees
are required to attend a full staff meeting. At the business session of this meeting we cover areas that impact
every employee such as benefits and policies and because our staff is very culturally diverse we attempt to conduct
the meeting in both English and Spanish. At this gathering we award a prize for ‘Trip Reduction’ which is our version
of promoting alternative transportation such as carpooling, riding the bus or bicycle to work. The Team Player
of the Month Award is given to an associate who has raised the bar in service during the most recent period. After
the general business session is over we, break into department or division meetings except once each quarter we
stay together in some kind of team building session. Early on in the agenda each department supervisor introduces
new employees and those in attendance welcome them. Because this monthly meeting is mandatory we do a roll call
where each resort employee's name is called and they are required to stand and be acknowledged. Sometime ago Lori
Entwistle (General Manager) invented what she calls the ‘Name Game’. In this game two staff members either
volunteer (one Caucasian and the other of Spanish decent) or Lori selects two that will attempt to name each of
the other associates. This sometimes funny and effective item on the agenda is our attempt to assist and motivate
each team member to get to know each of their coworkers a little better regardless of position within the organization.
Yells of encouragement typically ring out and spirited congratulations come with each successful naming, no matter
how badly the name was butchered.
I hoped you noticed that, in addition to leaders and associates, customers are included in the ‘PeoplePrinciple’.
In our business (resort timesharing) the overwhelming number of our customers is uniquely different from customers
at a retail establishment. That difference simply stated is: The typical retail customer comes to the workplace
to make a purchase or purchases, and, within a relatively short period of time, departs and while service is an
issue, the primary customer satisfaction comes from the quality of the product. At our workplace, our customer
comes with the intent to stay for an extended period of time (typically up to a week or more). Because of this
extended time, our customers have the opportunity to interface time and time again with our staff, thus the quality
of service provided by our people becomes the predominate factor in customer satisfaction.
Over the years we have bemoaned the image of our industry that the people who make up the general public have.
We have brainstormed this problem time and time again and have yet to come up with an effective method that the
predominate segments of our industry (developers, marketers and exchange firms) alike are willing to embrace.
I contend that the answer to this industry dilemma is clearly apparent and the resort operations segment of our
industry has known it for some time. The predominate segments of our industry acts as if they are retail establishments
and treat their customers accordingly.
Once the sale has been achieved these segments proudly proclaim that over 80% of those customers are satisfied
with their purchase. These predominate segments acknowledge that resort operations exist and give lip service to
its importance in the protection of the ‘Brand’ image, producing reloads, referrals and membership retention however,
they think that these factors are important so long as they influence or effect the next sale. As retail establishments
we place great importance on the ‘profile’ of the prospect and this profiling is all about their likelihood to
become a buyer however, the way we treat these people, pitch these people, gift these people and dismiss over 80%
of these people simply because they did not buy, is perceived by them as degrading. The backlash of our ‘retail
establishment’ attitude that ‘a sale is the only important thing’ is multitudes of newly degraded people
are being added to those who already had a low opinion of our industry.
Final Thought
Being a ‘retail establishment’ is not necessarily a bad thing and every segment of the industry
understands that continued sales in the primary and secondary market is what propels our continued growth, however
we need a collective attitude adjustment about the people who cross our thresholds.
A recent ad placed by one of our nations renowned fashion retailers stated the following:
“It may be the incredible selection of apparel, shoes and accessories. It may be
the warm, inviting atmosphere. It may be the little extras like personal shoppers, gift boxes and bows at every
counter, or the soft notes of a single piano. Whatever it is that transforms shopping from errand to experience,
somehow you just know that you’ll find it at XXXXXXXXX.”
A visit to this retailers web-page revels these words:“In 1901, XXXX XXXXXXXXX using his stake from the Alaska
gold rush he opened a small shoe store in Seattle, Washington. Over the years the XXXXXXXXX family of employees
built a thriving business on the principles of quality, value, selection and service. Today, we remain committed
to the simple idea our company was founded on, earning the trust of our customers, one at a time.”
A visit to their employment opportunity section revels these words: “XXXXXXXXX is a leading fashion specialty
retailer who believes that success is build around people. Our commitment to encourage and support the success
of each employee makes XXXXXXXXX an exciting and vibrant place to build a career.”
In their diversity section these words: “At XXXXXXXXX, the strength of our company rest on the opportunity
for each of us to realize our potential and contribute to our common business objective - - providing excellent
customer service.”
And one final quote from a 5/20/04 press release: “Nordstrom First Quarter Earnings Increase 153 Percent.”
They must be doing something right!
The ‘People Principle’ is very basic, simple, and bears repeating: People are any organizations greatest
asset, and enduring success comes to organizations that have farsighted leadership, inspired employees and satisfied
customers.
The real final thought is that if the farsighted leaders in our industry made a commitment to inspire their
employees (or independent contractors) to treat every prospect as a valued customer regardless of whether a sale
was achieved or not we would “one customer at a time” begin to turn the tide of our public image. Any front
desk clerk at any timeshare or vacation ownership resort knows treating every person who enters the lobby as a
valued customer is the very minimum first step in achieving customer satisfaction … WITHOUT MAKING A SALE….
