Squidward: Will you let go of that stupid pizza already!!!

SpongeBob Squarepants: No! I can’t. It’s for the customer.

Squidward: Who cares about the pizza??!!!!

SpongeBob: I do!!!  

Squidward: SpongeBob, let go of the pizza!!!

SpongeBob: No! It’s for the customer.

In a time when customer service is mediocre at best, I think a simple solution should be to sit your employees down and have them watch the SpongeBob Squarepants episode, “Pizza Delivery.”  The message is plain, simple and to the point: Deliver what you promise to your customer and do so with great enthusiasm all while wearing a smile (even if you are tucked away in a cubile and never have interaction with the customer).  If you can’t do that, I’ll tell you this:  you are probably working for the wrong company. (And that’s not necessarily the company’s fault.) You’re wasting your time and you’re wasting the company’s time.  Find a job and/or company that will make you be like SpongeBob in “Pizza Delivery.”

Plus, who wouldn’t want to watch SBSP?  Don’t tell me you’d rather watch some boring training video on customer service.  Don’t put them through countless customer service sessions and seminars that they’ll probably fall asleep in anyways.

If a component of your brand is customer service, don’t neglect it.  Hire employees that are going to be as excited about delivering the brand (and brand experience) to the customer as SpongeBob is about delivering the “first Krabby Patty pizza ever.”  SpongeBob never once loses excitment, energy, dedication or most importantly his smile when delivering pizza.  He ran out of gas, got lost, had to deliver by foot and face horrible weather conditions yet he never once lost sight of delivering the promise to the customer nor lost his smile.  Don’t you want employees that are like that?  Don’t you want to be an employee like that?  Just sayin’.

Adios,

Michael

PS-It’s okay to be an adult and let your self watch cartoons and be a kid at heart.

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Filed under: Branding, Business, Marketing Innovation, Strategy