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Think outside the 'cup and saucer'
By Larry Galler
May 01, 2009
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The phrase “thinking outside of the box” has been said so many times it is almost a meaningless cliché.
When it is said, everyone nods their heads to indicate they understand and agree with it, yet so few people actually do it by bringing new, fresh, innovative concepts to market.
I challenge you to look critically at your business this week, find a problem or situation that needs improving, and develop a new, never-before-tried solution that will fix it once and for all.
Unique ideas
Here’s an example from another industry I recently observed as a customer.
There were four of us at dinner.
At the end of the meal, three ordered “regular” coffee and the fourth requested “decaf.”
Every so often a server, carrying two pitchers, refilled the coffee cups and knowingly poured three cups from one pitcher and one from the other. He never asked who wanted which type of coffee.
As we were leaving, one of us asked the server how he knew which of us preferred “decaf.”
“Simple,” he said. “The three of you drinking ‘regular’ coffee have black cups with white saucers. We serve ‘decaf’ in white cups with black saucers.”
Instead of thinking “outside the box” these people have been thinking “outside the cup and saucer.”
What an effective, easy solution. The server doesn’t have to interrupt conversation to find who is having which coffee, there is no mix-up or confusion, and everyone gets what they want.
More importantly, it demonstrates how deeply the “customer satisfaction” thought process has gone in that particular establishment. It is also a brilliant lesson for everyone who manages a business.
Identify the confusion
Imagine how many opportunities for ''little confusions'' that exist in managing your business and delivering your product or service, from not greeting a customer properly to forgetting to return a credit card, and everything in between.
Management that really wants to manage the business effectively and deliver a superior customer service experience systematically looks at every possible opportunity for confusion or error and attempts to eliminate them as they are identified and then integrate the solution into the everyday operation of the business so it becomes “standard operating procedure.”
In the case of the cup and saucer solution,there was no cost expended to solve the problem — just a little time and creativity.
Your challenge for this week is to identify a little confusion or opportunity for error in your business that can be overcome by thinking through the process and developing a low-cost or no-cost solution.
Instead of thinking outside the box, let’s call it “thinking outside the cup and saucer.”
How can you think “outside the cup and saucer” for your business? How do you go about it?
Lay it all out
Start with a clean sheet of lined paper.
Divide it into four columns: 1.Problem; 2. Cause; 3. Possible Solutions; 4. Process.
As you observe errors, misunderstandings, disappointments, wasted efforts, etc. write them down in the “Problem” column.
For each “Problem”, write down all the possible causes. But do not pre-judge these answers… just write down any possible causes.
For each “cause”, write down (without pre-judgment) any and all possible solutions.
For each “solution”, write down the possible process to affect the solution.
Here’s an example that I recently worked on with one of my clients, who has a small fleet of five vans.
He discovered that one of these vans had gone more than 10,000 miles without an oil change.
In time, this could develop into a potentially expensive situation.
Naturally, he wants to keep his vehicles well maintained and he also wants to keep his other equipment in top working condition.
He had a couple options to overcome this problem.
He could start screaming at people until the veins in his neck burst, or he could solve the problem in a quieter, sustainable method.
He wisely chose the quiet, sustainable method.
In the “Problem” column, he wrote: “Oil change interval – truck 2.”
He added: “Better check other vehicles.”
Then he added: “What about other equipment maintenance?”
In the “Cause” column, he wrote: “No one is checking.” “Who is responsible?” “No Standardized Operating Procedure!”
In the “Solution” column, he wrote: “Maintenance log for all vehicles?” “Check log weekly? Monthly?” “Have OM (office manager) responsible for monitoring?”
Under “Process”, he wrote: “Create form to review all vehicle & equipment maintenance quarterly.” “Deduct bonus from crews that don’t monitor their equipment monthly.”
He discussed this situation with the office manager. Together, they created the standardized procedures, forms, and methods of communication to the crews, and assigned responsibilities for each person and each piece of equipment.
He held a staff meeting to explain the problem, the solution, and everyone’s’ role in rectifying the situation.
Then they went through a discovery phase.
The results
During the course of two weeks, they found other equipment that was not being properly maintained (there was a furnace filter that was at least two years old) and continued adding equipment to the monthly inspection list.
Amazingly, the whole monthly review of equipment takes less than ten minutes per month per staff member.
The equipment is being serviced at recommended intervals so it will last longer and require fewer repairs, less down time, and everyone in the company is breathing cleaner air.
There are lots of benefits, lower repair expenses and the staff isn’t losing bonuses for bad maintenance.
One other benefit is that all this was accomplished in a rational, quiet method without undue emotion, stress or screaming.
Now that he has seen the benefits of “thinking outside the cup and saucer”, he is in the process of reviewing everything his company does operationally from the way supplies are ordered, inventory is stored, invoices, personnel records and cash receipts are filed with a goal of making his operation more cost and time efficient.
It makes management easier so more time can be devoted to the important issue of selling more and better satisfying the customers.
Think “outside the cup and saucer” and your business will profit instead of busting a gut by screaming.
Larry Galler specializes in coaching owners of small businesses to grow their businesses through effective marketing, customer retention programs, and systemizing their business practices. Explore how he can help you during a free coaching session by calling (800) 326-7087 or email larry@larrygaller.com. Sign up for his informative free newsletter at www.larrygaller.com.
