Zingerman’s Deli is one of my favorite businesses, and yet I’ve never tasted one of their sandwiches. They’re highly profitable, with their community of businesses earning over $13 million in annual revenues. They’re consistently innovating, always looking for new ways to get better. They boast a fantastic culture with employees who care. They even write, speak, and teach prolifically to anyone who’s interested, including their competition. But none of it happens by accident. Everything is intentional.
Take their recent blog post, “How to give great customer service over the phone.” Plenty of businesses give lip service to customer service, expressing it via a banner that hangs on the wall. But Zingerman’s takes the time to envision what great service might look like. They codify, teach, and measure it. And they inculcate it into everything they do.
Can you imagine the pleasant service surprise for customers who call them? What message does that attention and care on the phone send about the food and service on the premises?
You don’t have to work in a deli, or speak with customers on the phone, to learn from Zingerman’s example.
Most people reading this are involved in things they care about. Family, work, a project, a team, an organization, an event, etc. Do you have a vision for what it could be? Have you thought about how you might bring that vision to fruition? And most importantly, are you laying the tracks, day by day—and doing so with intention—to get there?
Your vision paints a compelling destination. But you’ll need some intentionality to get where you’re hoping to go.