Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar

Great customer service will place a business into a class by itself. But, the craving to offer awesome customer support isn’t something in which we're born. It’s a selection we succeed. The subsequent account is one that you might have heard already, however it bears repeating.


Harvey Mackay, the well-known novelist and motivational speaker, recounts the amazing account about a taxi driver, who demonstrated this aspect. Harvey was waiting in line for a ride on the airport. When a cab pulled ahead, the first feature Harvey observed was how the taxi was polished to a dazzling shine. Tidily dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and recently pressed black slacks, the taxicab driver jumped out and rounded the automobile in order to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed Harvey a laminated card and said, "I’m Wally, your driver. While I am loading your bags inside the trunk I would like you to look at my mission statement." Greatly surprised, Harvey examined the card. It read: Wally’s Mission Statement: ‘Get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest way possible inside a friendly environment,’


This blew Harvey away … mainly as soon as he noticed that the interior of the taxi matched the external. Spotlessly clean!


As he slid behind the steering wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I’ve a thermos of regular and one of decaf." Harvey said teasingly, "No, I’d prefer a soft drink." Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and diet Coke, water and orange juice."


Caught in surprise, Harvey said, "I’ll take a diet Coke."


Handing him his diet coke, Wally said, "If you’d like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today."


As they ended up pulling away, Wally handed Harvey a different laminated card. "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d like to listen to the radio." Plus, as if that weren’t adequate, Wally advised Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. At that moment he advised Harvey on the best path to his destination for this time of day. He additionally let him know that he’d be glad to speak and enlighten him about various of the sights or else, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.


"Tell me, Wally," Harvey inquired the driver, "Have you always served customers like this?"


Wally smiled into the rear-view mirror. "No, not at all times. As a matter of truth, it’s merely been in the preceding two years. My first 5 years driving, I exhausted most of my time cranky akin to all the remainder of the cabbies do. Subsequently I heard on the radio one day that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, ‘Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and grumble. Eagles soar over the crowd.’


"That struck me precisely between the eyes," said Wally. "That was certainly talking about me. I was continuously quacking and complaining, thus I decided to vary my way of thinking and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty; the drivers were unfriendly; and the clients were unhappy. Subsequently I decided to create a few corrections. I put in a few at a time. When my users responded in a good way, I did more."


"I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said.


"It positively has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the earlier year. This year I’ll most likely quadruple it. You have been lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands any longer. My purchasers request me for appointments on my cellular phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t gather them up myself, I catch a trustworthy cabbie colleague to perform it, and I receive a piece of the action." Wally was unparalleled. He was managing a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.


Harvey most likely told that account with more than fifty taxicab drivers over the years, and no more than 2 got the picture and ran with it. At any time he goes to their metropolitan areas, he gives them a call. The remainder of the drivers quacked like ducks and explained to him all the reasons they couldn’t do any of what he recommended. Wally the taxicab driver made a out of the ordinary selection. He decided to finish quacking resembling a duck and began soaring like an eagle.


How about us? How do we achieve it? Absolutely the manner Wally did … by going the added mile:


• Permanently plant your best foot forward: Be neat, clean, and well groomed. Have breath that smells fresher than home-made cookies. Exhibit a good smile and give off special warmth.


• Take time to get acquainted: Prove to your client by speech and manner that you appreciate them opening his/her residence to you. Be gracious, however not familiar. Do not hurry them. Take as long as they need to acquire relaxed with you before you go to your sales presentation.


• Be knowledgeable: Be acquainted with the Company. Know the products, and all the time make definite the service you recommend is the best fit for the prospect. In no way advertise a policy just to create a sale.


• Be available when your prospect has a claim: Take a special interest. Make sure the claim is carried out swiftly and smoothly and offer any assistance required. Treat them like your own mother and dad.


• Stay in contact: Send out birthday cards, holiday cards, etc., to users so that they recognize all the way through the year that you appreciate them. Acknowledge weddings, new babies, graduations, funerals, and other family events. Let them know their families are significant to you too. Make them feel unique at each chance.


We can all seize a example from Wally! Remember, ducks quack, but eagles soar.





Summary: You have 2 selections. You can blend in with the mold or you can soar above the rest.