QBQ! QuickNote - Simply Helping People  |
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This Week's QBQ! QuickNote Please enjoy a story from Michelle, a QBQ! reader in California. John, I have a wonderful, selfless customer service story to share. Last year I received a heart-wrenching call from my oldest and dearest friend. Her husband had been tragically killed in an accident. I live in California and her home is 2,000 miles away in the Pennsylvania countryside, a town called Scottdale. I immediately flew to Pittsburgh where I rented a car. I knew I had a two hour drive in the dark ahead of me. The challenge was I was trying to arrive in time for the final visitation hours at the funeral home. I had only been to Scottdale once before and my friend's husband had picked me up at the airport and done all the navigating. I was "beside myself" emotionally, and the directions I got from the car rental place were difficult to follow. I was running very late.  I got lost several times and began to feel desperate. So I pulled into a turnpike Quick Stop establishment (gas and groceries) for help. The problem was there was no way for me to to turn around if I needed to. Traffic pulled in and then pulled out heading the same direction. It would be many miles before the next exit if I did have to go back the other way. If that happened, I would definitely miss the opportunity to be there to support my friend. I explained my plight to a woman named Cheryl. She worked in the food section of the Quick Stop. The next thing I knew she was coming out from behind her counter to track down her boss to get permission to leave. He quickly granted her request to close her section early so she could help me. She then went outside and got the okay from the highway officials nearby to open a gate behind her building so I would not have to get on the one-way turnpike again. It seems I had been going the wrong direction! Cheryl then personally served as my escort by letting me follow her car over ten miles of twisty, rural roads leading me to the front door of the funeral home! I made it just minutes before the door closed. I never really did find out exactly where I had stopped for help, but I will be forever grateful to Cheryl and her manager. What an amazing demonstration of true caring and service to another. Michelle California -------------------------------------------------------------------  Michelle, couldn't be more right. Amazing. When I first read the story, I wondered how easy it might have been for the manager to think lousy thoughts like, "Sorry, not our problem!" or "Why can't Cheryl just do her job?" And Cheryl herself could've said, "Sorry, lady." But that's not what happened. They both rose above what's normal and human by simply asking, "What can I do to serve?" Personal accountability taken to the highest level is not only about eliminating victim thinking, procrastination, and blame, but is also about leaving a legacy of service. Actions like this build that legacy. John G. Miller Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch QBQ! QuickNotes may be forwarded by email to others or printed in their entirety with credit given for personal and group use. Copyright QBQ, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved. Host a QBQ! event at your organization and start making personal accountability a core cultural value. Click here for more information or give us a call today at 1-866-988-RAIN - we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about Personal Accountability and the QBQ! at our Personal Accountability at Work website Visit the QBQ! QuickNotes Archives Personal Accountability should be an important part of every organizational culture. Unfortunately though a culture of personal accountability is often times eroded and replaced by a destructive culture characterized by negativity, blame shifting, finger pointing, and poor employee morale. QBQ! The Question Behind The Question seeks to eliminate this noxious culture and replace it with one where individuals take responsibility for their actions and ask themselves what they as individuals can do to help the organization succeed and prosper. For more information about how you can create a culture of personal accountability in your organization give us a shout! 1-866-988-RAIN   |
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