Freeing Your Inner Fred The Fred Factor of Customer Service

What you will learn today What is a Fred? Becoming a Fred Developing other Freds Bringing the Fred Principle to your office

What is a Fred? Fred the Postman Fred Factor Video What distinguished Fred from other Postmen?

Principle #1 – Everyone makes a difference Fred Principles Principle #1 – Everyone makes a difference

Everyone Makes a Difference Do I add to or take away from the experience of students, faculty, staff, and my colleagues? Do I move my office closer to or further away from its goals? Do I perform my work in an ordinary way, or do I execute it superbly? Do I lighten someone’s burden or add to it? Do I lift someone up or put someone down?

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do you wake up in the morning intending to change the world? Your sphere of influence How do you change lives? What kind of difference are you making? Supporting/problem-solving vs criticizing/belittling Everyone makes a difference every day

Three Difference-Making Strategies Strategy 1 – Identify when you will make a difference Strategy 2 – Target the people to whom you will make a difference Customers, Family, Boss, Teammates, Friends and Strangers Strategy 3 – Be the difference Plan ahead; reflect What kind of difference will you make today?

Principle #2 – Success is built on relationships Fred Principles Principle #2 – Success is built on relationships

Seven Bs of Relationship Building Be real Be interested – interested people attract appreciation Be a good listener Be empathetic Everyone you meet is fighting a tough battle Be honest Be helpful Be prompt

Interactions Relational - Interactions emphasize how people are treated in the process of achieving results Doesn’t ignore outcomes, but means are important part of the end Transactional - Interactions focus on results Often at the cost of relationships Go directly to the outcome Can make others feel devalued or used Soup Nazi

Fred Principles Principle #3 – You must continually create value for others and it doesn’t have to cost a penny

“There are two types of people who never achieve very much in their lifetimes. One is the person who won’t do what he or she is told to do, and the other is the person who does only what he or she is told to do.” Andrew Carnegie

Adding Value Tell the truth Practice personality power Attract through artistry Meet needs in advance Add “good stuff” Subtract “bad stuff” Simplify Improve Surprise others Entertain others

Principle #4 – You can reinvent yourself regularly Fred Principles Principle #4 – You can reinvent yourself regularly

Reinventing Yourself Grow yourself, Grow your value Be led by compelling reasons Capitalize your life experiences Increase your IQ (implementation quotient) Improve on the best Practice the one-a-day plan Compete with yourself

Developing other Freds

Find Reward Educate Demonstrate

Find Let them find you Discover dormant Freds Hire Freds Build your Fred team We want a team of Freds led by a Fred

Reward We don’t get the behavior we hope for, beg for, or demand. We get the behavior we reward!

Educate – Increase your Freducation Examples are everywhere Good and bad Dissect and debrief Identify the good idea Adapt the idea to the situation Look for ways to improve it Apply it Teach miracle working Pull, don’t push

Demonstrate Inspire, don’t intimidate Involve Initiate Improvise

Go Spread Fred Recognize the Freds in your life Acknowledge Freds for their contribution Pay Freds back

Thank you!