I saw a feature on NBC’s Inspiring America series that prompted me to think about the most undervalued part of marketing. The story focused on the Rising Tide Carwash in Parkland, Florida, which has experienced a monumental increase in business from 40,000 to 160,000 carwashes in just under three years. Owner John D’Eri stated, “You can’t do that without a great staff.“
Rising Tide’s staff is mostly on the autism spectrum, including his son Andrew. They pay meticulous attention to detail. John notes, “Their attitude is strong, and you can’t beat that.”
Managing the staff is not easy; the leaning curve is constant. Supervisors use both verbal praise and a white board with written compliments. “We want to reinforce positive behavior over the course of the day.”
The workers have gained rewards beyond the normal compensation. They have formed a community and regularly hang out together on Friday nights. Referring to his son and other workers, John commented, “He’s motivated. Motivation is something he never had, but motivation is key to a life, right?”
Business has been so brisk that John has a second carwash under construction four miles down the road. The word about his business has spread locally. Without an ad, he has received over 700 job applications so far for the new location.
“I set out to help my son and others like him have a life,” John admits. His business has done much more. He and his other son Tom have been spreading the word about autism with a TED talk, lectures in a dozen cities, and even testimony before the UN.
While these extra efforts are admirable, what John has done for his business is even more impressive. He has valued the most undervalued part of marketing. He has hired and overseen a motivated staff that gives customers what they want, careful attention to detail.
Making certain customers are pleased is critical to profitable marketing. That only happens if employees are motivated, happy, and well-trained. What fosters those feelings is supervision that reinforces behavior which satisfies customers. The result is consistent excellent delivery of a service or product. That leads to repeat and referral business which adds to the bottom line.
Unfortunately, most employers do not connect employees’ behavior with marketing. They designate that as human resources or customer service. They do not value employees’ part in marketing.
Your employees need to know how they contribute and what actions they take to create customer satisfaction. These need to be reinforced regularly. More than any other communication, your employees deliver your marketing message through their actions . Do they know that message? Are they delivering the message you want?
This week's marketing trivia challenge is How do you ensure that employees deliver the message you want? E-mail me your answer.
Rising Tide’s staff is mostly on the autism spectrum, including his son Andrew. They pay meticulous attention to detail. John notes, “Their attitude is strong, and you can’t beat that.”
Managing the staff is not easy; the leaning curve is constant. Supervisors use both verbal praise and a white board with written compliments. “We want to reinforce positive behavior over the course of the day.”
The workers have gained rewards beyond the normal compensation. They have formed a community and regularly hang out together on Friday nights. Referring to his son and other workers, John commented, “He’s motivated. Motivation is something he never had, but motivation is key to a life, right?”
Business has been so brisk that John has a second carwash under construction four miles down the road. The word about his business has spread locally. Without an ad, he has received over 700 job applications so far for the new location.
“I set out to help my son and others like him have a life,” John admits. His business has done much more. He and his other son Tom have been spreading the word about autism with a TED talk, lectures in a dozen cities, and even testimony before the UN.
While these extra efforts are admirable, what John has done for his business is even more impressive. He has valued the most undervalued part of marketing. He has hired and overseen a motivated staff that gives customers what they want, careful attention to detail.
Making certain customers are pleased is critical to profitable marketing. That only happens if employees are motivated, happy, and well-trained. What fosters those feelings is supervision that reinforces behavior which satisfies customers. The result is consistent excellent delivery of a service or product. That leads to repeat and referral business which adds to the bottom line.
Unfortunately, most employers do not connect employees’ behavior with marketing. They designate that as human resources or customer service. They do not value employees’ part in marketing.
Your employees need to know how they contribute and what actions they take to create customer satisfaction. These need to be reinforced regularly. More than any other communication, your employees deliver your marketing message through their actions . Do they know that message? Are they delivering the message you want?
This week's marketing trivia challenge is How do you ensure that employees deliver the message you want? E-mail me your answer.
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