The Fred Factor
I just bought this terrific little book, The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary
Some of it -- on how there's personal reward in doing good -- echoes Chapter 10: It's Nice To Be Nice, of I See Rude People.
"The Fred Factor" was based on the fantastic and surprisingly personalized service Sanborn's postman Fred gives him without being asked -- tucking his mail away when it piles up (when Sanborn's on a speaking jaunt) and even retrieving a package UPS misdelivered to another house. Fred brought it to Sanborn's house, and hid it under his mat with a note when Sanborn was away.
A quote from the book:
"Indifferent people deliver impersonal service. Service beomes personalized when a relationship exists between the provider and the customer."
Some more quotes:
"You, too, can replace money with imagination. The object is to outthink your competition rather than outspend them."When people are worrying about being downsized, he tries to "refocus their attention from being employed to being 'employable.'"
He points out that there is a "less observable competitor: the job we could have done." (Mailman Fred represents this.)
Liked this: "If Fred could bring such originality to putting mail in a box, how much more could you and I do to bring originaIity to what we do?" (Basically, Fred was a very entrepreneurial mailman -- figuring out ways to serve the customers, to bring value to the customers.)
That above is what I try to do in my column. To have been in the running to take over for Ann Landers, syndicators told me I needed to write daily, but I want to put out quality, not quantity. I sometimes research a question for weeks or even think and read about it for months, and I see the difference between the work I do and other columnists do when somebody sometimes writes to more than one of us.
The cool thing is, I feel the work, research, and thinking I've done paying off when I talk on the radio (on my new weekly Sunday night radio show/podcast)...when people call in and I have to answer a question on the fly, and the answer is just there, in a few pieces, on shelves in my head, ready for me to pull it together to give to the person.
Hey Alkon!
Thanks for the post, I've always been very thoughtful to my dates and well-the gesture isn't always returned. Being thoughtful doesn't mean I'm a doormat but I like to keep my word. I recently got stood up and was feeling a bit glum but you reminded me "how there is a personal reward" in doing the right thing (like never standing anyone up).
Thanks!
Purplepen at October 29, 2011 12:42 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/10/29/the_fred_factor.html#comment-2719246">comment from PurplepenHey, Purple! Sorry to hear that -- about your getting stood up. How rotten. But, so glad I reminded you of this. I love the story of Fred the mailman in the book -- we actually used to have a mailman who was pretty wonderful, and who told me that he'd still be a mailman even if he won the lottery because he loves his job so much. I wrote the post office to tell them how great he was.
Anyway, I do think it's important to let your standards be your standards, even if other people are jerks, and to take pleasure in doing good. It's there -- as part of it -- if you just remember to do that.
Amy Alkon
at October 29, 2011 5:26 AM
It's interesting that his mailman is the inspiration for this as my carrier (she is not a mailman to be sure) goes very much out of her way for me. I have "mobility issues"and sometimes the box gets a bit full if I don't go down the block for a few days. (BTW, I really do hate townhouse "cluster boxes.") She will bring a wad of mail to my door.
So I make sure to provide her with such things as a pie before Thanksgiving, something of value at Christmas and a little more effort to not make her have to deliver to me in lousy weather. But all in all, she goes the extra steps and I appreciate it.
Also, Amy - I think you're doing quite well on your show. It's not easy to fill time talking and you keep up the flow nicely. I'm thinking I may call you this week if I get my thoughts a bit in order beforehand.
BlogDog at October 29, 2011 6:41 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/10/29/the_fred_factor.html#comment-2720081">comment from BlogDogThank you so much, BlogDog...I hope you will call. It's better for me when I have callers!
And great to hear about your mail-lady. I'd like to see service like that become more standard, and not because employers tell you it's a must.
Amy Alkon
at October 29, 2011 6:55 AM
There's a staffer at the Sears Automotive in Portland, Maine who wonderful when I was in there with my daughter to get her Pathfinder worked on. He anticipated questions and answered them, was cheerful and knowledgeable and even trotted out to the service bay several times to find details and change the directions to the mechanics as I changed the scope of work on them. All without an appointment.
What a contrast with the local Chevy dealer - who, when I mentioned that he missed a few opportunities to ask about offering other service and accessories, was actually offended, saying: "we fixed your problem, right?"
That guy missed it: If you make people happy with your work, their happiness will reflect back on you!
Radwaste at October 29, 2011 8:59 AM
Tweet and tweet.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at October 29, 2011 10:14 PM
Purp—
Date older men. Shorter ones, with crooked teeth and hearing aids.
Huh?
'Bouta quarter after.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at October 29, 2011 10:16 PM
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