Rain or shine, Manny the coffee guy is there every morning at the Middletown train station. In addition to dispensing a piping hot cup of coffee and a big grin, Manny greets everyone by first name and wishes them "god speed" on their daily journeys.
Manny is a great example of someone who takes the time to nurture his client base and perform at a consistently high level of customer service. While he may not be a Harvard MBA, Manny instinctively knows that, by treating people well, he’ll develop deep, long-lasting relationships.
Contrast that, if you will, with three recent examples of very "un-Manny-like" performances we’ve encountered.
In one case, a small client of five years faxed a termination notice in which they misspelled our name twice in the body of the message (I thought that was a nice touch). In two other instances, we’re still trying to get five minutes of time from a couple of large, multinational organizations we recently pitched. In letting us know we hadn’t won either account in their form-letter e-mails, both corporations said they’d be available to provide additional, personalized feedback. Yet, despite repeated attempts on our part, neither has had the courtesy to respond. In an industry where most agencies win approximately 1 in 10 pitches, this behavior isn’t shocking.
I’ll bet if Manny was head of corporate communications for any of these organizations, he’d have acted very differently. Manny would know that his actions reflect on the image and reputation of the organization, and would have treated us gracefully and in a timely way. And knowing Manny, he would at least have remembered our name.
Unfortunately, Steve, even your mild mannered Manny will not continue his courteous behavior should he make it big in the corporate world. My experience has shown me that as you grow, your manners often shrink. The “I knew him when…” attitude.
Still, I love your takes on simple things that most people would just pass by and learn or experience nothing.