|
|
By Jan Addison
Nice? I know we’re supposed to be nice to
each other and our guests. I’m always nice! When I was two years old, my
parents taught me to be nice. I admit that got some quizzical looks from
staff during a recent training and strategy session for our division,
when I explained that we were going to talk about “The Power of Nice.”
Even though I feel fortunate that most of our division staff is nice,
being nice doesn’t necessarily come naturally to everyone.
Nice Information
Being nice is big business. Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, who own
an advertising firm, credit the success of their firm to the “nice”
factor. They recently wrote a book entitled The Power of Nice: How to
Conquer the Business World with Kindness. They believe that “nice
companies have lower employee turnover, lower recruitment costs and
higher productivity. Nice people live longer, are healthier and make
more money.”
Thaler and Koval relayed a study that discovered for every two percent
increase in the service climate — that is, in the general cheerfulness
and helpfulness of the staff — revenues increased one percent. That math
works in our favor. A facility’s service satisfaction level with clients
climbs, and the bottom line increases accordingly. What’s not to like?
The authors reiterated that being nice doesn’t get the credit it
deserves because some consider nice as being a Pollyanna, wimpy or
milquetoast. But being nice isn’t being a doormat; it’s just the
opposite. It means “moving forward with the clear-eyed confidence that
comes from knowing that being very nice and placing other people’s needs
on the same level as your own, will get you everything you want.”
Even though our clients have choices, incorporating “nice” in the
workplace shouldn’t be seen as a win for customers and a loss for the
facility. William Ury, coauthor of Getting to Yes, believes that “in
negotiation, the cheapest concession you can make is to be nice,” and it
pays big dividends.
Nice doesn’t equate to offering free or discounted rental and services
to accommodate a client’s request. We know how to say “no” in a nice
way. We prefer to offer options so it can still be a win/win for both
parties. And being nice doesn’t mean keeping employees on board when
they’re not performing well. It means handling issues in a professional
yet courteous and ethical manner.
Nice Anecdote
Several years ago, we knew we wanted a more formalized customer service
recovery program — but better yet, we wanted to stop having customer
service issues from happening in the first place, or at least mitigate
them. We wanted to increase service levels without increasing our
workforce.
After much discussion at all levels, we decided that we wanted the OCCC
to be the Center of Hospitality (CoH), and we wanted each of our staff
to be Centers of Hospitality. We identified five SCORE values that would
be part of the CoH philosophy: Safety, Courtesy, Ownership, Results and
Extra Steps.
As a Center of Hospitality, we want everyone who works at the OCCC and
our service partners to be knowledgeable, professional and hospitable
(nice) to our clients, exhibitors and attendees, as well as to each
other.
Over the years, the CoH values have been ingrained in the culture of our
organization. We’re judged by them in performance appraisals; we screen
for the behaviors when interviewing.
Sounds good, but does it work? Yes. We’re not perfect, but most of our
staff embrace being Centers of Hospitality. We recently hosted an event
with 104,000 attendees. Staffers were reassigned and everyone helped. I
noticed HR workers in building services uniforms pushing brooms. They
may not have been whistling while they worked, but they were smiling
even though they were picking up debris.
Financial and contracts staff donned aprons and worked in the toll booth
lanes collecting parking fees to assist the regular toll booth
attendants in moving the cars through the lanes quickly. Sales staff
helped monitor food service.
Staff in all areas helped to monitor restrooms. It helped to have
additional eyes all around the facility so when problems were spotted,
they could be remedied immediately. It was a great feeling knowing that
we all pulled together as a Center of Hospitality.
Guests are encouraged to recognize staff Hospitality Heroes. Those
employees have the opportunity of their name being entered into a
drawing to be eligible for a parking spot close to the building or a
seat at the Chef’s Table, etc.
Nice behaviors need to be constantly reinforced. Top management
completely supports the CoH concept, and we have CoH Ambassadors that
help keep the program focused and energized.
The gist of the Power of Nice is that being nice can transform how you
work and live. In our business, happy employees equate to happy clients.
Jan Addison is the
business manager of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
She can be reached at
jan.addison@occc.net. |
|
Back to Facility Manager
Contents
