The business lunch with no food
It is important that we get much closer to customers than ever before, so that in a fast changing world we can try to respond to their needs.I am driving to Winchester on Tuesday where I had arranged to meet a special client for lunch. At Swindon an accident has stopped the traffic. I ask my PA to ring Jane and they agree we will meet half an hour later than planned at the Black Boy pub. The yellow petrol light is flickering but I must get there for the new time of 1230.
Can’t believe that I may even miss this new deadline so I put on a cd to deflect my thoughts. It goes into the slot OK but the screen does not tilt back to vertical. That means I’ve lost my Satnav.
Sometime later my PA uses her Google map to talk me to the pub for 1225. I ask to see the menu but am told the pub does not do lunch on Tuesdays. I am waiting outside in the rain and Jane appears at 1230 precisely. She smiles, waves and parks. I tell her the news. Now Jane is a very attractive female and is clearly not used to being messed around by idiots.
We agree that I’ll follow her into town and eat there because she has another meeting at 1330. But now my petrol light is full on and she drives fast, round two full car parks where we must have been just a blur to the good folk of Winchester. Eventually we find a multi storey. Jane parks up by the entrance and I carry on up, round and round. It’s a Pay and Display. No coins, so I race back down, round and round to find Jane clicking her high heels impatiently by the entrance. She has no more coins so I jog back up and just lock the car.
I’m sweating now but Jane nonchalantly sweeps us into an adjacent hostelry. It’s 1310, we’ve got 20 minutes. We order two lamb burgers and at 1320 there is no sign of any staff. I find a waitress smoking outside and plead for faster service.
At 1325, the fire alarm goes. Everyone gets up and makes for the exit. I remember my credit card is behind the bar. I say to Jane, “You wait outside I’ll just get my cr....... but Jane is looking at her watch. Our time is up.
And so we shake hands. I’m finding it impossible to know what to say. So Jane says, ”Goodbye and thank you.” Then she is gone.
Labels: delighting customers, high content discussions, meeting changing needs of customers, timely meetings
posted by Tim @ 1:53 AM
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