Stan Phelp's Blog

The Goldfish Chronicles

Sharing insights on customer experience, employee engagement, and brand strategy.

How Coach Bruce Arians is tapping into a key element of employee engagement

Coach Bruce Arians told his staff he would fire them for missing their kids’ events. The Super Bowl winner took over in Tampa Bay in 2019 and laid down the rule early. He recently shared the strict rule with journalist Peter King,

“I told my coaches in our first meeting, ‘If you miss a ballgame, a recital, anything to do with your children, I’ll fire you.’ Because I missed a lot of mine. And those years don’t come back.”

Thanks to Jacki Nordman for bringing the interview to my attention. She is a working mom of 3-year-old twins and shared an article by Business Insider (link in comments).

Arians is tapping into a key element of employee engagement. The #GreenGoldfish of Flexibility.

Flexibility is about control, and everyone wants flex. According to the Center for Talent Innovation’s research, if there’s one work perk that rises above the rest, it’s flexible work arrangements. The study showed that 87% of boomers and 89% of millennials cite flex as important.

HubSpot found that 45% of millennials would choose work flexibility over pay.

Takeaway – Family first. Be like Bruce and SFCU. Schools Financial Credit Union has a program called School Activities Leave. Employees may take off up to 40 hours per year for participation in a child’s school activity.

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Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Walt Disney’s idea of “PLUSSING”

“Snow White is dead to me.” Why did Walt Disney prefer amusement parks over movies? A year ago I watched “The Imagineering Story” on Disney+. The miniseries chronicles the origin and development of WED Enterprises. Why WED? WED stands for Walter Elias Disney. The group of Imagineers was formed to concept and create Disneyland. Imagineering is a portmanteau of “Imagination and Engineering.”

Episode 5 shares a recording of Walt reflecting on movies and parks:

“A picture is a thing that once you wrap it up and turn it over to Technicolor, you’re through. Snow White is a dead issue with me. I wanted something live, something that it could grow, something I could keep PLUSSING with ideas. The park is that… I can’t change that picture, so that’s why I wanted that park.”

Never heard of PLUSSING? According to John Torre,

“To Walt, ‘plus’ was a verb—an action word—signifying the delivery of more than what his customers paid for or expected to receive. He constantly challenged his Imagineers to see what was possible, and then take it a step further … and then a step beyond that.”

TAKEAWAY: Your product/service is the movie. The amusement park is the differentiated experience (DX) you create, reimagine, and constantly improve.

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Imagine a gift that comes with a crowbar

Imagine a gift that comes with a crowbar. “I received a box that contained a wooden crate similar to the dad on ‘A Christmas Story’ when he received his ‘Major Award’ that turned out to be a leg lamp. The box also included a crowbar and instructions to ‘limber up’ because these crates are ‘a stubborn adversary.’”

Thanks to Jeremy Watkin of NumberBarn for sharing the Pink Goldfish example of Man Crates.

Jeremy didn’t get a leg lamp. He received a whole set up for making stone-grilled pizzas and was thrilled with the experience. “While I don’t consider myself to be a manly man, I felt compelled in that moment to toughen up and accept the challenge of figuring out how to open the crate. I also smiled the entire time and was thrilled when I finally saw the contents.”

Man Crates is an opposing brand when it comes to effort. Shouldn’t unboxing be easy? The brand intentionally creates a high-effort experience. Their mission is “to make awesome gifts that guys actually want, gifts that reek of excitement and bring people together. We’re in the business of making memories with a hint of mischief.”

Takeaway – Jeremy sums up this successful approach to CX design, “Unique and fun experiences make for repeat customers and compel them to share with their networks.”

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Would you try this hot sauce? Mad Dog 357 No. 9 Plutonium is the world’s hottest

Would you try this hot sauce? Mad Dog 357 No. 9 Plutonium is the world’s hottest. It’s so hot, you have to heat it up just to coax it out of the bottle. The 9 refers to 9 million Scoville.

Not familiar with a Scoville Heat Unit? That’s the measurement for heat. According to The Manual, “To put that in perspective, a bell pepper is 0 SHUs, because it contains no capsaicin, the ingredient responsible for the pain, terror, euphoria, and everything else involved in eating spicy foods. A jalapeño? A paltry 5,000 SHUs. A Carolina Reaper, one of the hottest peppers on the planet, clocks in at 1.5 million SHUs and pepper spray — the stuff used to stop criminals — is around 5.3 million.”

Mad Dog is classic example of the #PinkGoldfish of Lopsiding. How do you take one thing that make you unique . . . and then triple down on it.

In case you want to give it the college try, it’s not gonna be cheap. Mad Dog is $100 for an ounce. If you make the leap, you’ll have to agree to disclaimers such as:

– This product can cause serious injury if directly consumed, ingested, or applied to the body…

– I am not inebriated or otherwise not of a sound mind.

Is too much of one thing also a good thing? Here’s why lopsiding can provide a “halo effect” for your other products:

When you walk into any car dealership, you’ll most likely find one car on the showroom floor. It’s the highest-end version of their most expensive vehicle. Usually with a unique paint job and all the bells and whistles. The dealership is trying to take advantage of the Halo Effect. The effect refers to how a general or overall impression of a thing influences the perception of other attributes of the thing, or related things.

For Mad Dog 357, this is a smart move for the Ashley Food Company. They share on the product page, “At Ashley Food Company, we do one thing. We make great-tasting and award-winning hot sauces, extreme hot sauces, and pepper extracts. We make each sauce in hand-measured, small batches to ensure incredible flavor and quality. All of our products are made in the USA, using only the finest, all-natural ingredients.” https://maddog357.com/products/357plut-1

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Ketchup has both a saucy and fishy history

Ketchup has both a saucy and fishy history. The word stems from the word Malay word “kecap.” Back in the 17th century, catsup comprised of spicy, pickled fish sauce and was popular in Europe.

Europeans resisted putting tomatoes in catsup. Why? Because they looked nearly identical to deadly nightshade berries. In the 1800s the fruit began to bloom in America. The tomato was purported to have medicinal qualities and became a staple in catsup. But filthy production and harmful preservatives made it in some cases lethal.

Enter Henry J. Heinz who began bottling in 1876. He changed the name to ketchup, used clear bottles, and focused on employees.

According to Fast Company,

“Heinz was a visionary, a morally strong man who believed that “heart power is better than horse power.” [His] factories were models of progressiveness. Not only were Heinz employees given free life insurance, doctor/dental services, but also access to onsite cafeterias, gymnasiums, and roof gardens. The workers were also encouraged to be meticulously clean. At a time when many factory workers didn’t even have running water at home, Heinz provided fresh uniforms, free laundry service, and even an in-house manicurist.”

Takeaway – Treat your employees like they matter. . .and they will.

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

How USPS uses technology to deliver a “next level” of added service

Many organizations talk about superior service and the importance of going the extra mile for customers. How many though actually walk the talk? To steal an immortal line from former Texas Governor Ann Richards when describing George W. Bush, customer service is typically, “all hat, no cattle.” Or more aptly, “all promise, no action.”

Yet, there are some organizations using technology to deliver a “next level” of added service. One service I love comes from an unlikely place. It’s a free service from the United States Postal Service. It’s called the Informed Delivery Digest. The daily email allows you to digitally preview your mail and manage your packages scheduled to arrive in your mail. The email shows greyscale images of the exterior of letter-sized mailpieces and tracking details for packages in one convenient location.

Signing up is a simple three-step process:

1. Create Your Account
Use your personal USPS.com account or sign up for one.

2. Verify Your Identity
Protect your privacy by verifying your identity + address.

3. Receive Notifications
View notifications from any device.

I (used to) travel a ton for speaking. It was nice to see what was in my mail while away. And FREE is a great 4-letter-word.

Do you use it?

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Employee Engagement: 11 Takeaways from Green Goldfish 2.0

“Satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers. Long-term employees lead to long-term relationships with customers.” Employee experience matters. This is one of 11 takeaways from the book Green Goldfish 2.0, co-authored with Lauren McGhee.

Here’s a handful of others:

NEED TO GO BEYOND DOLLARS
Studies show financial compensation is not a strong long-term motivator for employees. Money can be more of a hindrance than a help.

LEADERS CREATE THE EXPERIENCE
As many as 75% of employees voluntarily leaving jobs don’t quit their jobs … they quit their bosses.

CARING COUNTS IN LARGE AMOUNTS
Of 75 possible drivers of engagement, the ONE that was rated as the most important was the extent to which employees believed that their senior management had a sincere interest in their well-being.

HEED THE 3B’s OF BUILD, BELONG, AND BECOME
Green Goldfish fall into three categories:
Building: Creating a stable environment where people can thrive
Belonging: Enabling high functioning teams and recognizing their efforts
Becoming: Empowering employees to learn, give back and take control of their destiny

START SMALL, START NOW
Start small when adding a signature extra and add more gradually. The best brands are those that boast a whole school of Green Goldfish.

https://www.slideshare.net/9INCHMARKETING/employee-engagement-matters-green-goldfish-20-top-11-takeaways

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” Over 100 million people watched the #SuperBowl LV. After the commercials, the Halftime show is always a highlight. But I have to admit I didn’t know much about the artist and I had no clue about the weird facial bandages.

Abel Tesfaye is from Canada. He is the only child of Ethiopian immigrants. Tesfaye began his career in 2010 and has since nabbed 3 Grammys. He worked under the aliases of the Noise and Kin Kane before becoming “The Weeknd.” I love the name. It reminds me of when controversial NBA player Ron Artest changed his last name to World Peace. He reasoned, “No one is going to say, ‘I hate Word Peace.'”

Back to the bandages. The gauze came out to support his latest album. Tesfaye told Variety the symbol, “is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated.”

The Weeknd is committed to lopsiding the narrative. He’s sported artificial facial bruising at major events, wore a fully bandaged face to the AMAs, and posted a prostetically altered selfie on Instagram.

“I suppose you could take that being attractive isn’t important to me but a compelling narrative is.” says Tesfaye. Mark Twain would be proud.

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

The “Bezos Effect” on Customer Experience

The “Bezos Effect” on Customer Experience. It’s hard to think of anyone who pushed for customer-centricity and a focus on experience more than Amazon founder and soon-to-be Ex-CEO Jeff Bezos.

Steve Jobs once remarked, “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.” Bezos took this to heart. His vision was to become “Earth’s most customer-centric company.” Here are some ways he brought it to life:

ONE EMPTY CHAIR
Bezos had a peculiar practice. At every meeting, he mandated an empty chair at the table. That empty chair represents the customer. He never wanted to make a decision without a reminder of its impact on its customer.

TWO DAYS EVERY TWO YEARS
Bezos mandated that thousands of Amazon managers, including himself, attend two days of call-center training every two years.

TWO PIZZA RULE
Day One is the entrepreneurial mindset that kept Amazon on a continuous cycle of experimentation and innovation. Bezos reinforced being agile and productive with the two pizza rule. No meeting should be so large that two pizzas can’t feed the whole group.

Takeaway: The Bezos Effect is your need to be customer-obsessed. In his words, “Obsessing over customer experience is the only long-term defensible competitive advantage.”

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Iconic Rimsky-Korsakoffee House a classic example of Pink Goldfish

“Casually threatening atmosphere with dessert and coffee to die for.” That’s a description for Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, a legendary coffeehouse in Portland, OR.

Last month I wrote about Kraft’s Pink Candy Flavored Mac & Cheese. In the comments, I mentioned another PDX landmark named Le Bistro Montage and their different types of Mac & Cheese. I was disheartened to hear that the restaurant succumbed to COVID. It had me thinking about Rimsky’s and their fate.

I’m going to assume you’ve never been to the coffeehouse. Let me paint the picture of this Pink Goldfish. Rimsky-Korsakoffee House was founded by Goody Cable in 1980 in the Buckman neighborhood. Named after a Russian composer, the classical music-themed coffeehouse operates from the former living room of an allegedly haunted 1902 Craftsman-style house.

Good luck finding it. There’s no sign out front. And you better bring some cash. Rimsky doesn’t accept credit cards. Beyond tasty desserts and strong coffee, I fell in love with some of the micro-weirding at the coffeehouse. Here’s one of my two fav’s:

HAUNTED TABLES – three of the tables have tricks built into them. They all move imperceptibly. One goes up and down, one next to a wall slides in and out, and a big roundtable rotates. The “possessed” tables are cool. Each of the tables is named after a composer. The Sergei Rachmaninoff table shakes when a button in the kitchen is pressed.

The second micro-weird element of Rimsky’s is their upstairs bathroom. The unisex bathroom has an “under-the-sea” theme and according to Wikipedia, “regularly induces screams.” I can vividly picture the toilet paper holder. A mermaid painted on the wall with outstretched hand fixtures that held the TP.

Back to their fate. Did they survive the pandemic? According to reporting by Willamette Week,

“The business has survived several waves of economic upheaval virtually unchanged. But as with pretty much everywhere else, COVID-19 is presenting Rimsky’s with an existential threat it’s never before faced. For that reason, several loyal patrons and staff—with a nod from the owners—have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help keep the lights on and the tables spinning.”

The GoFundMe campaign had a goal to raise $5,000 to assist with operating costs. They didn’t raise $5K, the effort netted over $20,000. hashtag#FTW

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

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Stan Phelp's Blog

The Goldfish Chronicles

How Coach Bruce Arians is tapping into a key element of employee engagement

Walt Disney’s idea of “PLUSSING”

Imagine a gift that comes with a crowbar

Would you try this hot sauce? Mad Dog 357 No. 9 Plutonium is the world’s hottest

Ketchup has both a saucy and fishy history

How USPS uses technology to deliver a “next level” of added service

Employee Engagement: 11 Takeaways from Green Goldfish 2.0

“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

The “Bezos Effect” on Customer Experience

Iconic Rimsky-Korsakoffee House a classic example of Pink Goldfish

Find Your Best-Match Program

Meet Your Presenter

Every time we do business together, Something amazing happens in the world!

When someone downloads a GOLDFISH eBook, we give one brick toward building school facilities in Cambodia