E-couragement: The NAME of the Game
“Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Dale Carnegie
On a cool Saturday morning, with my daughter in tow, I was intent on securing my mid-morning coffee fix. We had just opened the door at Starbucks on 1603 Battleground Ave. in Greensboro and taken a few steps toward the counter when we heard it: “Half-caff, Grande, no room, Americano…for Rich!” My daughter looked up at me like I was a celebrity and wondered out loud, “They know your name and drink here?” Pretending like this was an everyday occurrence wherever I go, I replied, “Of course they do!” At the magical moment of hearing my favorite four-letter word…R-I-C-H…I traversed the chasm from “regular” customer to “loyal” customer.
I am pleased to part with $2.42 almost daily for the experience of having my very own coffee and name announced to the public upon my arrival. The cost for Starbucks to pull this off is another four-letter word. The “F” word…F-R-E-E…and they receive a robust return-on-investment. I continue to offer my hard earned money in exchange for a daily coffee drink, pounds of ground beans for home, specialty drinks for my daughters, and occasional treats of oatmeal cookies for myself or pumpkin bread for my wife. All because they paid attention to me as a person/patron, asked my name, and committed to remembering and using it.
The NAME of the game is a person’s name. Behind every name is a person. Bravo to the Starbucks at 1603 Battleground Ave. They get it; they’ve earned my loyalty. Howard Behar, who runs Starbucks' retail operations said it best, "We’re not in the coffee business serving people. We’re in the people business serving coffee."
What’s the lesson here for engaging leaders? You’re also in the people business. Often, I’ve heard employees recount the time that a leader in their company greeted them in the hallway, or on the plant floor, by using their name. The experience leaves an impact on them. They feel appreciated, valued, and known. Unfortunately, the opposite is more common. Employees proclaim, “Our senior managers walk right by me and have no idea who I am.” This is not for you. People have names and lives and interests that you should know. The NAME of the game is a person’s name. Ask for it, pay attention, remember it, and use it. Your return-on-investment will be priceless.