It was a warm, humid and very still Saturday morning in early
January, typical of the weather you expect in Sydney in the middle
of a hot Australian summer. I was out of bed early as the first task
of the day was to take my car to my local tyre service centre for a
routine wheel alignment, rotation and balance, which normally takes
about an hour to complete.
It is one of those tasks that do not allow you enough time to go
and attend to other duties; you simply have to wait for the work to
be done, unless there is something major that needs repair or
replacement. Having parked and booked in my car ready for the
service, I headed towards the customer service waiting area armed
with my morning paper, ready to take some time out to catch up on
the news of the day and week.
As I crossed the courtyard to the waiting area one of the owners
of the business arrived carrying what appeared to be some household
grocery shopping that he had done before work. We both stopped for a
moment to say hello and exchange belated season's greetings. I
commented with a smile on my face that it was good to see him doing
the grocery shopping, he laughed and replied . . .
'Keith, this is not for home - it's breakfast for the guys, then
he disappeared into the office.
During the 15 years I have been dealing with this business I have
got to know the owners quiet well and have always appreciated the
great service they offer in what is a competitive and discount
driven market. I guess you could say that I am one of those people
who remain loyal to a business when the service is great and the
relationship is strong, besides who really wants to quibble over a
few dollars when your personal safety is at stake.
About five minutes later the owner joined me in the waiting room
for a chat and we talked about business in general, then we got onto
the subject of breakfast for the guys. He mentioned that every
Saturday he buys eggs, bacon, cheese, tomato and a loaf of bread -
then cranks up the barbeque at the back of the office and cooks the
Aussie breakfast icon - the bacon and egg sandwich, for all of his
team who are working on the Saturday morning shift.
He went on to explain that some time ago a few of the team had
suggested that first thing on Saturday and before their day got
busy, they should go to the local caf? and buy some take away bacon
and egg sandwiches and coffee for breakfast, but he had discovered
that this was both time consuming and quiet expensive, when you have
up to ten people to cater for. So now he buys all the ingredients on
his way into work, turns on the barbeque and puts his cooking skills
to the test.
He then excused himself and was off to cook breakfast for all the
team.
Now I suppose it would be fair to say that cooking breakfast for
all his team is not such a big deal, after all he was saving both
money and time, however, setting aside the commercial aspects and
productivity for his business, I viewed this as a guesture that was
certain to build staff morale and make his business a happier place
to work in.
As customers we have an expectation that we will always receive
good service from any business we deal with, however, what
determines the quality of the customer service we receive is the
attitude of the people who work in the business. As employees our
attitude towards what we do at work is influenced by many things not
least of all is how our employer or boss treats us. What he was
doing is rarely seen in business today, he was being of service to
his team and setting an example by cooking breakfast them.
This simple and caring act is no doubt great for morale, work
place relationships and friendship. During my short chat with him I
could see that he also enjoyed his weekly chef duties and did not
view it as anything more than doing something to make the work day
all that more enjoyable for his team.
Some may say that this boss could do far more productive things
to add value to his business, however, the value can easily be seen
in the way in which his team go about their work. In every way it is
a perfect example of genuine and caring leadership, something all
bosses should consider as a number one priority in creating a work
environment where people are happy, look forward to coming to work
and enjoy what they do. The pay off is not just in the job well
done, but in the many satisfied customers who remain loyal to the
business.
Much to my delight my car was ready well inside the allotted hour
with no major issues to be fixed. As I drove away, I could see a
number of the team enjoying their Aussie icon breakfast along with
the early morning cup of coffee. I was certain with a hearty
breakfast cooked by a caring boss; that they would be well prepared
for the challenges of the day and most importantly the continued
delivery of great customer service.
