In search of service excellence: Joseph Michelli

Recently I was supposed to attend a talk by Joseph Michelli
A schedule change meant that it was moved and I missed it BUT! It was great because it caused me to read three great books of his.

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Starbucks
But my biggest secret is
that it has very little to do with their Coffee
It's about the environment and the service level
the fact that I can take a client there
and it's like...or better than meeting in my office

Mitchelli focuses on the "5 key leadership principles" of Starbucks Co.:

1. Make it your own
2. Everything Matters
3. Surprise and delight
4. Embrace resistance
5. Leave your mark

I loved this book because it was about picking up
- the best tips to create service excellence
- the best ways to create memorable customer moments in any business
- how to take an everyday transaction and raise it to a loyalty level event

No airy-fairy coffee-house writing here.
Michelli actually shares how Starbucks does it all.
Worth your time in a service economy world.

His second and most recent book is a similar format book
the case study is the famed Ritz-Carleton Hotel Company

Again, he defines the critical values, company promise and employee environment

Value is found in the exact methods used to create excellent
- employee hiring practice
- employee training
- cultures of accountability, integrity and engagement

This book was filled with golden nuggets anyone can apply to their business
I like that the book was written to acknowledge all employees and customers
ARE HUMAN BEINGS
and because of that we're going to get clouded with emotion and baggage
- why not make all that work in your favour?


Lastly, a book about a fish market?
It was actually my favourite book of his.

Although it is not as literal and case study heavy
it is written in the voice of John Yokoyaman
owner of the world famous "Pike Place Fish Market" in Seattle

Because of the story format, this was the quickest read
I retained the most, I enjoyed it the most. Michelli as steward of the story - every business learning is properly conveyed

I did like the way the owner admitted his mistakes
Lots of learning here for business owners and managers
He went from employee obedience to fierce loyalty in a tough environment

These are three great business reads.
My peers who attended his talk said it was a home run, not hokey or contrived

If you seek service excellence from your team, read or call Joseph..

Here's a fascinating quick talk from him about innovation yesterday and today



Here's Joseph talking about the books above: