Johnny
Last fall I was asked to speak to ３，０００employees of a large supermarket chain in the Midwest on building customer loyalty1) and regenerating2) the spirit in your workplace．
One of the ideas I stressed was the importance adding a personal“signature”to your work．With all the downsizing，re－engineering，overwhelming technological changes and stress in the workplace，I think it is essential for each of us to find a way we can really feel good about ourselves and our jobs．One of the most powerful ways to do this is to do something that differentiates3) you from the other people that do the same thing you do．
I shared the example of a United Airlines pilot，who，after everything is under control in the cockpit4)，goes to the computer and randomly selects several people on board the flight and handwrites them a thank－you note for their business．A graphic artist I work with always encloses a piece of sugarless gum in everything he sends his customers，so you never throw away any mail from him．
A Northwest Airlines baggage attend ant decided that his personal signature would be to collect all the luggage tags that fall off customers’ suitcases，which in the past have been simply tossed in the garbage，and in his free time send them back with a note thanking them for flying Northwest．A senior manager with whom I worked decided that his personal signature would be to attach Kleenex to memos that he knows his employees won’t like very much．
After sharing several other examples of how people add their unique spirit to their jobs，I challenged the audience to get their creative juices flowing and to come up with their own creative personal signature．
About three weeks after I had spoken to the supermarket employees，my phone rang late one afternoon．The person on the line told me that his name was Johnny and that he was a bagger in one of the stores．He also told me that he was a person with Down’s syndrome5)．He said，“Barbara，I liked what you said．”Then he went on to tell me that when he’d gone home that night，he asked his dad to teach him to use the computer．He said they set up a program，and each night now when he goes home，he finds a “thought for the day．”He said when he can’t find one he likes，he“thinks one up．”Then he types it into the computer，prints out multiple copies，cuts them out，and signs his name on the back of each one．The next day，as he bags customers’ groceries6)－－“with flourish”－－he puts a thought for the day in each person’s groceries，adding his own personal signature in a heartwarming，fun and creative way．
One month later the manager of the store called me．He said，“Barbara，you won’t believe what happened today．When I went out on the floor this morning，the line at Johnny’s checkout was three times longer than any other line．I went ballistic yelling，‘Get more lanes open．Get more people out there，but the customers said，‘No no．We want to be in Johnny’s lane－－we want the thought for the day．’”
The manager said one woman approached him and said，“I only used to shop once a week．Now I come here every time I go by because I want the thought for the day．”（Imagine what that does to the bottom line．）He ended by saying，“Who do you think is the most important person in our whole store？Johnny，of course．”
Three months later he called me again．“You and Johnny have transformed our store．Now in the floral department，when they have a broken flower or an unused corsage7)，they go out on the floor and find an elderly woman or a little girl and pin it on them．One of our meat packers loves Snoopy，so he bought ５０，０００Snoopy stickers，and each time he packages a piece of meat，he puts a Snoopy sticker on it．We are having so much fun，and so are our customers．”
That is spirit in the workplace．
□by Barbara A．Glanz
个性化服务
去年秋天，我应邀就如何建立对顾客诚信和在工作岗位上激发活力向中西部一家大型连锁超市的３０００名雇员讲演。
我强调的理念之一是在工作中注入个性的重要性。面对裁员、重组、势不可挡的技术进步和工作压力，我认为至关重要的是，我们每一个人要探寻对自己和对工作真正感到称心如意的途径。最有效的方法之一是，做一些能把你和做同样工作的其他人区别开来的事。
我向听众介绍了一位联合航空公司驾驶员的做法。他在驾驶舱里一切准备就绪后，从电脑里随意挑选几名机上的乘客，亲笔写下感谢顾客对机组业务支持的便条。与我共事的一名平面造型艺术画家，总在他寄给顾客的任何邮件中附上一块无糖口香糖。这样一来，你永远不会扔掉他寄来的任何东西！
西北航空公司一名行李员的个性化服务，是收集所有从乘客箱子上掉落的行李签，这些在过去都被扔进垃圾箱。在闲暇时，他把行李签寄回，并附上一张便条感谢他们乘坐西北航空公司的飞机。曾与我共事的一位高级经理决定，在给雇员发他知道他们不怎么喜欢的备忘录时附上纸巾。
我在另外举了几个例子说明人们如何将各自独特的个性化理念融入工作后，要求听众开动脑筋，想出自己的有新意的个性化服务。
那次讲演约３周后，一天下午晚些时候我的电话铃响了。对方告诉我说他叫约翰尼，在那家连锁超市的一家店里当装袋员。他还对我说他患有唐氏综合症。他说：“芭芭拉，我喜欢你的讲演。”随后，他又告诉我那天晚上回到家，他请他爸爸教他使用电脑。他说他们父子俩编制了一个程序。现在他每天晚上回家后就找“当天的警句”。他说，找不到他喜欢的就自己“想一句”。然后他打进电脑，印出多份，剪裁后在背面签上自己的名字。第二天，给顾客买的食品杂货装袋时，“用炫耀性的动作”在袋里放进一张印有警句的条子，提供暖人心房、有趣和颇有新意的个性化服务。
１个月之后，商店经理打电话给我。他说：“芭芭拉，你不会相信今天发生的事。早上我来到营业厅，约翰尼的那个付款台前排的队，比任何别的收款台要长３倍。我气恼地叫喊：‘多开几个收款台！多上些人！’可是顾客们却说：‘不要，不要！我们要站在约翰尼这一行，我们想要今天的警句。’”
经理说，有位妇女来对他说：“我以前一个星期只买一次东西。现在我路过这儿就进来，因为我想要当天的警句！”（你可以想像这对商店营业收入意味着什么！）他最后说道：“你想谁是我们整个商店最重要的人物？没的说，是约翰尼！”
３个月之后，那经理又打来电话。“你和约翰尼把我们的商店变了样！现在我们店的花卉部一有根茎折断的花或没用上的装饰花，他们就进入营业厅，把花别在老年妇女或小女孩身上。有个肉品包装工喜欢小狗史努比，就买了５万个史努比粘胶标签。每次包装肉品时贴上一个标签。我们的乐趣可大啦，顾客也挺高兴！”
这就是工作场所的活力！
NOTE 注释：
1. loyalty [5lCIEltI] n. 忠诚，诚信
2. regenerating [ri5dVenEritiN] n. 激发活力
3. differentiate [7difE5renFieit] v. 区别, 区分
4. cockpit [5kCkpit] n. 驾驶员座舱
5. syndrome [5sindrEum] n. 综合病症
6. groceries [5^rEJsIrIIs] n. 食品；杂货
7. corsage [kC:5sB:V] n. 装饰花
