Talk about hitting the ground running after completing L’Etape! The guys dropped me off at Champagne-Ardenne rail station so I could get the train to CDG airport and catch my flight, to Warsaw, to deliver a workshop the following day. I was still ‘buzzed up’ from the ride but I knew that, physically, I needed to look after my body and recover. I arrived at the hotel early which gave me enough time to go through the workshop material for the next day, as it was the first time I had delivered this specific topic, and I needed to get my head around things.
I decided to eat at the hotel instead of venturing out and ended up with a nice early night and, after reading some of my book, I slept well.
The following day went well. I knew that I had to deliver at my best and, surprisingly, I was full of energy so the day went fast. I got some great feedback from the group and that lifted me even more! A quick taxi ride to the airport with no traffic hold-ups and, having already checked in on-line, I arrived with 1.5 hours to catch the flight. Time for a snack and then board as planned.
Everything was going so well…
I landed at Heathrow, breezed through passport control and, with hand luggage only, I was out waiting for my bus early enough to grab a coffee and another snack. Only a 2 hour ride to Bournemouth and I’d be home. With 15 minutes left of the bus ride, I called my Son to pick me up at the station and I was home by 11:30pm – perfect.
I think that has got to be the first time that everything went to plan. I really appreciated the ease of the journey and the service I received. I had been on trains, planes and automobiles and it was a delight, for a change!
I know how it ‘should’ work when you plan things, but it doesn’t always go that way. Now I have experience ‘what good is’ my expectations for my upcoming family holiday have risen. I am expecting everything to go without any struggle, delays or problems. There are 6 of us travelling to Turkey on a direct flight from Gatwick. We have transfers booked from Dalaman airport to the hotel, so it should be effortless.
I do have a slight ‘niggle’ in my head, because of the strikes at Heathrow, but I am remaining optimistic.
When we are dealing with our clients, we try to take all the pain away from them as soon as we can. We understand their situation, their objectives and the investment they have to change things. We then look for solutions to make it all happen.
It seems that some businesses go out of their way to make things difficult, leaving a bad taste in your mouth after having to deal with them. I am currently battling with 3 energy providers who are all trying to charge me for the same gas. None of them are talking to each other and I keep getting threatening emails and texts because they can’t sort out the problem, they have caused, by being lazy. I have spent countless hours on the phone and on ‘live chat’ to rectify things, but it continues!
This makes me want to leave them all and go somewhere else, never to return! As soon as it gets difficult to deal with you or your company, people are open to other opportunities and look elsewhere.
I appreciate that, sometimes, things that are out of your control, can mess things up but it’s how you deal with it that counts. I don’t mind that the metre readings have been estimated instead of actual reading being taken, but don’t threaten me if you have messed up. Send me flowers, apologise and fix it – make me feel valued.
How is your business, do you make it really easy for people to work with you? What one thing could you do to make it even better? If things don’t go to plan, how do you make it right?
If customer experience is important to you and your business then this is a good book to read – “Effortless Experience”