There was one instance that I thought illustrated both the difficulties we all face in striving to provide the best possible service to our customers and the outcome we all hope to achieve. Here is what happened.
The Disney Coffee Shop Story
I went to a coffee shop in the Magic Kingdom. I was pleased to arrive there when no one else was in line. I ordered two iced lattes (no, they weren’t both for me. Tammy loves ’em, too). I told the man at the counter that I didn’t want any sweetener in the drinks.
Disney Employee 1: “No flavoring, right?”
EJP: “That’s right. No extra flavors and no sugar. Just expresso and milk.”
Disney Employee 1: “They all have sugar, sir.”
EJP: “I understand. Can you just have them skip the sugar, though? Just pour expresso and milk over ice. No sugar, ok?”
Disney Employee 1: “I’m sorry, sir. The iced lattes are pre-made. They all have sugar.”
EJP: “Oh, I get it.” I didn’t really. After all, I could see that they offered regular hot lattes. Why not just pour a hot latte over ice, like I asked? But I’m not going to argue with the guy. So, instead I say: “Tell you what, how about you just give me two hot lattes, no sugar?”
Disney Employee 1: “OK. I’ll have to cancel your order first.”
Disney Employee 1 (Calling to someone behind him): “Cancel those two iced lattes.”
Almost immediately, a second Disney Employee comes to the ordering window. She asks (very nicely) about why I’ve cancelled the order and I explain. She says, “So, you just want us to make a hot latte and serve it to you on ice?” “Yup,” I say. She says, “No problem. We can do that.” And she turns to the first employee and says, “Just ring it up as a regular latte.” The first guy looks perturbed but does as she asks. She tells me, “Go down to the pick-up window and I’ll meet you there.”
So, down to the pickup window I go. There I find a third Disney Employee and two iced lattes waiting on the counter. I’m surprised that the two lattes could have been made so quickly (the pick-up window was only a couple of steps away). So, I say to the third Disney employee,
EJP: “Wow. That was quick. Are these the two iced lattes with no sugar?”
Disney Employee 3: “All the iced lattes have sugar, sir.”
EJP: “Oh. I understand. I ordered mine without sugar and was told to come here to pick them up.”
Disney Employee 3: “Well, these are already made.”
…a brief awkward pause ensues until the 2nd Disney Employee shows up…
Disney Employee 2 (to the 3rd Employee): “Don’t worry, honey. He wants it without sugar so make him a couple of cappuccinos and pour them over ice.”
Disney Employee 3 responds with apparent confusion. She’s not getting it and she’s resisting the 2nd Employee. The 2nd Employee tries to explain it again. Employee 3 still doesn’t seem to get it. Employee 2 says, “Watch.” And then two things happen. First, the 2nd employee starts to make the drinks right in front of me. Second, the third employee turns to me and rolls her eyes, as if to say, “This co-worker of mine does this stuff all the time. She is so pushy.” Apparently, Disney Employee 3 expected me to sympathize with her. In fact, I’m grateful that Disney Employee 2 took the time to listen to what I wanted and then figure out how to give me what I wanted, even though the drink I wanted didn’t neatly fit into their established categories.
Real Life
Don’t we all encounter this scenario outside Disney all the time? We go to someone who offers products or services and we try to tell them what we want. Sometimes, they don’t really listen. They just give you what they have, even if it isn’t really what you asked them for. (That’s what Employee 1 tried to do, at first).
Sometimes, they listen enough to identify a problem but that’s as far it goes. “We don’t have what you want.” So, you end up either not doing business with them or accepting something other than what you really want. That’s what would have happened to me at Disney had it not been for Disney Employee 2.
Sometimes, people actively resist solving the problem, even when the solution has been explained to them. Neither Disney Employee 1 nor 3 were happy about the solution that Disney Employee 2 identified. I could tell that the guy at the ordering counter was faintly perturbed that his co-worker had stepped in and solved a problem that he’d addressed by telling me I couldn’t have what I wanted. And Disney Employee 3 plainly didn’t get it at all. She didn’t want to listen and acted like Disney Employee 2 was the problem.
Wouldn’t it be great if the people you did business with acted like they cared about what you wanted? Wouldn’t it be great if there was someone who listened to you and then figured out a way to get you what you needed? Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place where everybody was a problem solver?
Welcome to Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C..
Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C.: We Listen and We Solve Problems
Admittedly, what we do at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. is a little more complicated than selling coffee. After all, the facts of every case are different, every client has unique needs and wants and there is no magic wand for many of the problems our clients face. Also, importantly, in every case there is at least one lawyer or insurance company with tons of resources on the other side doing their level best to prevent us from succeeding. If we were to analogize our office to a coffee shop, the customers might ask for drinks that quite literally are impossible to make and the shop would have to deal with a linebacker trying to tackle its baristas and slap the coffee from its customers’ hands.
Despite the differences, though, the lessons of the Disney coffee shop nevertheless apply to us just as they should to any business that cares about doing the best it can for its customers. At Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C., all of us are committed to listening to you; to solving your problems; and to improving on our service at every turn. No matter how complicated or difficult your case may be, if we take your case you’ll find that the people at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. are committed to being problem solvers for you.
Contact an Erie Injury Lawyer
Whether you are looking for an Erie injury lawyer who can help you with a car accident injury claim, car insurance disputes , medical malpractice claim , wrongful death case; or other injury claim , you will find experienced Pennsylvania injury lawyers at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. who are committed to doing their best to help you. For a free, no-obligation consult with one of our Erie injury attorneys , call today 814-273-2010 or toll free at 814-273-2010 or use the on-line consult form to the right.