In this series of posts, I’m unpacking what it means to Get R.E.A.L, which will help your perfect client find you. You can read about being realistic (the “R”) here.
You may be wondering what a cruise ship vacation could possibly teach you about engaging with your customers (especially given the unpleasant experiences of some passengers aboard Carnival cruises earlier this year.) My answer would be a lot. I recently spent nine days cruising through the eastern Caribbean aboard the Norwegian Gem with my family and noticed a number of things Norwegian’s crew did to make sure we had an amazing vacation.
Adopt these same five principles and watch your business sky-rocket.
Live your mission
When we boarded the ship in Manhattan, the cruise director (a hilarious character from Turkey named Sinan Ulucray) made it clear that they had one mission and one mission only, which was that all 2,400 of us have a good time. From the moment we walked on board to the moment we docked back in New York City, nine days later, every crew member (all 1,100 of them) lived up to their promise by infusing every moment with excellent service, a great attitude, lots of laughter, and most importantly, fun. It’s fine to have your mission statement on your website and your business cards, but you need to live it and stand behind it. Every. Single. Day.
Drink the kool-ade
Have you ever been to a place of business where the employees all acted like robots who lived in Stepford? Or acted bored? Or acted like they would go postal if they had to smile for one more bleepin’ second? On the Norwegian Gem, every crew member was happy, not in a fake, robotic sort of way, but in a genuine, authentic sort of way. Most of them are several thousand miles from their homes and families, living on a ship in cramped quarters for 6-9 months, missing the things we take for granted, like watching our kids grow up, and yet they are really, truly happy. And, willing to do whatever you need, whenever you need it. I was fascinated with how this could be, so I asked several of the crew to explain it to me.
“If we think about how hard something will be, it will be hard,” said Reymund Reyes, a lounge technician. Michael Blackwell, a principle musician, who was a sales rep for the garment industry in a previous life, put it another way. “We’re here because we want to be,” he said. “Plus, I think about the alternative, which was driving all over Canada when it was 40 below and I like this better.”
Treat everyone equally
If you travel by plane, the airlines try to make sure every passenger has as pleasant a flight as possible. But, let’s face it. If you’re flying first class, you get treated better. Way better. You get to board first, you get more leg room, and you get as many peanuts as you want.
On a cruise ship, they don’t care if you have a tiny cabin near the engine room or a villa on the 14th deck. You’re getting the same treatment as everyone else and it’s all five-star.
Roel was our assistant maitre’d. Just about every day, we’d see him in one of the dining rooms or the specialty restaurants. And, every day, he’d stop by our table and ask how everything was or answer our endless questions about where he lived, whether he had family, what it was like to be away from them for months at a time, and on and on. He didn’t do this just for us. He did it for everyone.
Joseph was our room steward. He took care of 16 cabins with a minimum of two people each and knew everyone’s names. And, although it may not seem like a big deal, the little things do count. After a long day of sightseeing or watching my six-year-old jump into the pool for the three thousandth time, nothing made me smile more than to come back to our cabin and find that day’s gift from Joseph, like a towel monkey hanging from the ceiling wearing a bathing suit.
As a business owner, you should generate 80% of your revenue from 20% of your clients, but they all need to get the same five-star treatment. No exceptions.
Show your appreciation in a big way
When employees are asked what motivates them, one of the top answers besides money is almost always to be recognized or appreciated for the value they provide. Such a simple thing, yet many of us don’t do it.
On the last day of our cruise, in addition to the showstopping entertainment, was an opportunity for the passengers to acknowledge the crew for fulfilling its mission (to make sure every single person on board had a good time). Watching the seemingly endless parade of chefs, servers, room stewards, guest services staff, and even the “washy washy’ girls (who spritzed us with hand sanitizer before we entered the dining room) take the stage to a resounding standing ovation was an emotional sight. It’s not an after thought. It’s built right into the company’s culture. Laurie Anne Gardner, a principle musician, thinks there’s a mixture of luck, personality, and nice people that makes the gratitude authentic. “When I do a show in New York City or back home in Detroit, to most of the people, I might as well be wallpaper,” she says. “On the ship, I am the center of fun, the comic relief. I’ve met a lot of great people and there’s a give and take, which is what makes this worthwhile.”
Be transparent and apparent
If you have an unhappy customer, do you handle it, or do you delegate it to one of your staff? Do you get out in front of your customers or do you hide behind your secretary? Being transparent and available is one of the most important ways you can engage with current and prospective clients.
On the Norwegian Gem, we regularly saw the captain and other key staff interacting with the passengers. One day, there was a question and answer session in which the captain, chief engineer, director of housekeeping, and chef, answered important questions from us like how many fruits and vegetables do they serve (25,000 pounds), what’s the life span of a cruise ship (40 years as long as it’s maintained), what happens when ships are taken out of service (they are broken up and recycled), and how many hours do the staff work (12-16 hours a day, depending on whether they’re in port).
One question asked of the Gem’s Captain, Roger Gustavson, referred to the ship’s ability to handle waves during a big storm. To me, the answer was significant for a much different reason than he intended.
He said, “There’s no limit to how high the waves can be. The ship can handle it. It’s how we handle the ship. If the waves are high, we slow down and turn the ship a certain way so it’s not as rough.”
What do you think? Can you draw a connection between these principles and your business? Please let me know your thoughts by commenting below and feel free to share this with anyone you think would benefit from it.
Thank you for sharing this space with me!
Robin Taney is the owner and founder of Studio 4 PR and the “Get R.E.A.L Girl.” She works with creative, independent, and “kitchen table” entrepreneurs who are highly motivated to be found by their perfect client. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, and sign up for her newsletter, Get R.E.A.L. You are welcome to use this post on your blog, provided you do not alter it in any way and include a link to this blog.