Are People “Getting It” Any Better Today? | Travel Research Online

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Are People “Getting It” Any Better Today?

This particular whack in the head came via Annapolis, Maryland, the home of the United States Naval Academy. Annapolis is one pretty town…especially on a bright, clear Saturday morning in late May. Weather-wise, my wife and I hit a homerun as we sauntered in and out of the cute little shops.

We eventually wandered into a Christmas Shop down near the docks and began browsing. We both overheard a woman with an accent (Russian) ask the young lady behind the counter if they could take a picture of this lovely “shop” as they had never seen anything quite so beautiful?

Between bites from a bagel with cream cheese, the young gal uttered with absolutely no eye contact whatsoever, “No. Store policy.” Of course being the guy who spends most of his waking hours teaching people how to “treat their customers like dogs,” I found my attention drifting toward something that was none of my business. Nonetheless, I figured that here was an ideal opportunity to spread some old fashion American hospitality to a couple of guests to our country. (We should all be on active alert for opportunities like this one.)

Understanding that this had little to do with me, I silently approached the counter and asked the same question from my intermediary position. Same response as I dodged some cream cheese flying in my direction. I then asked if I could plead my case to the store manager hoping to reverse the store policy just this once. “He is around here somewhere, but I don’t know where he is at!”

(By the way, although now used as if it is acceptable, the word “at” has no place at an end of a sentence. You heard it here. If you want to show the world that you are uneducated, throw in a few “at’s” at the end of a sentence. And, while you are at it, use “aks” in place of the word “ask.”

Final Result:

Store clerk = 1

Marchev = 0

Click Here!

Upon leaving in defeat, I mentioned to the counter help that the store policy probably had some small print somewhere between the covers that alludes to the point that the help should not toss cream cheese missiles in the direction of potentially paying customers. My wife very politely suggested that it would be in her best interest if she actively started looking for a job she actually enjoyed.

Because I value your readership and applaud your intelligence, I am not going to explain the glaring lessons in this sequence of events. There is more than one. I will simply mention that it is not always in your best interest to blindly follow your procedure policy manual…and it is not advisable to say “no” while eating cream cheese. If by chance, today’s shoe fits, you might also want to consider looking for a job that isn’t a “job.” (I can feel the bristles now!)

Mike Marchev is a world-renowned motivational speaker who urges owners and managers to teach the youngsters (and oldsters) how things are done properly in a competitive environment. “The tail is wagging the dog folks. This trend must be reversed…quickly.”


Mike Marchev

Mike Marchev freely shares his experiences, strategies and observations with travel professionals in an effort to keep them on top of their game. For a complimentary copy of his 12-Word Marketing Plan send him an email at mike@mikemarchev.com.

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: To be placed on the distribution list to receive Mike’s Marketing Memo filled with tips and proactive ideas send him an email by CLICKING HERE.

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