In America, we say we have a culture of creating a great
customer experience. You hear about it a
lot. Working at a church, the importance of first impressions is sometimes very
weighty. People are quick to leave a
church when it doesn’t feel right to them. After all, there are tons of other options.
It’s imperative that we make a great first impression on our guests.
Our culture is an interesting thing. We say one thing, but
yet settle for something totally different.
I believe that we are in a precarious time in society. Are we settling for mediocrity? The real
questions I have to ask is, “Do I settle?” My family went to the movie yesterday. After
paying $67 for the movie and popcorn, I began to take in my surroundings a
little: the broken lights in ¾ of the
concession signs, the filthy tile, the lifeless staff, and the carpet that I
wouldn’t touch with my bare feet. I
couldn’t believe that a business that extracted so much money from me would
operate in such a shabby manner. Then I
looked around me. Was I the only one who saw this? Did anyone else notice the
popcorn that cluttered the nasty carpet?
Were they annoyed as I was with the lack of respect or honor for my
patronage? However, it was not the first
time I went to this theater. It was not like I wasn’t aware of how this
particular business operated. So the
question I had to ask was why was I there?
Why did I return and give them my hard earned money? I had to admit that I settled for their mediocrity.
I have just finished reading a book on Steve Jobs. Now that
man had some issues, but one of the things that I have taken away from his life
is his pursuit of excellence. If I want
to achieve great things, mediocrity is not even part of my equation. I have decided not to settle: not in a business
that I visit, not in my work I produce, nor in the way I conduct my
relationships. I invite you to join
me. Don’t settle anymore. It’s time to expect greatness out of
ourselves and others.
