Going the Extra Mile

At Daisy Mae's Market, we emphasize to our staff how important it is to "Meet and Greet" our customers. We feel that people have lots of choices as to where to shop for fresh produce, and in order to differentiate our company from the big box grocery stores, it's extra important to show our customers that we care about them. Shopping at Findlay Market needs to be more than just hurrying in to buy groceries...It needs to be an experience.
If you saw my post from March 12, you know that I'm not only a big fan of the Cincinnati Reds, but I'm also a big fan of their customer service department. The thoughts I expressed in that piece were reinforced when I was contacted a few days later by Michael Anderson, Public Relations Manager for the Reds. According to Mr. Anderson, my blog post "was the buzz in the office." It seems that the Reds had been spending the month of March training their entire staff, over 2200 employees, in the "Reds Way."  This training program emphasized, among other things, making a connection with fans. As it turned out, timing was everything, and my blog post must have been one of those "teachable moments" where the public relations department could show that the system was working.
One thing led to the next, and I received a phone call from Craig Warman, Director of Ticket Client Services. Mr. Warman expressed his appreciation for my story, and then offered me an opportunity to purchase two tickets that had come available. Of course, I was thrilled, completed the credit card purchase over the phone, and waited for the tickets to arrive in the mail.
If you're beginning to grasp the Reds' philosophy, you'll understand the tickets didn't come in the mail. No, for an organization emphasizing connecting with the fans, you don't just lick a stamp and put it on an envelope...You deliver the tickets in person.

Today, 2 days before Opening Day when I'm sure they had a dozen other things they could be doing, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Warman came to Findlay Market and hand-delivered my tickets. They went the extra mile...Not only did I get the tickets, but we also got another example to share with our staff about customer service...our own little "teachable moment."
Thanks, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Warman. Hope you realize your training goes way beyond those 2200 Cincinnati Reds employees.