Some may respond, "I see...
- two paper cups \ glasses of water,
- One of the cups \ glasses half full, the other one empty!
- cups \ glasses waiting to get disposed!" and so on!
Can you make a story of it!
(Immediately after boarding a flight) I'd asked for half glass of HOT WATER!
The airhostess promptly fetched me a full glass of lukewarm water!
Second time after a while, while she was on a service round, I 'showed' her the old cup and indicated to fill in it half (glass of) HOT WATER again!
She (ignored the old paper cup &) served me lukewarm water (by mixing cold water in it) in a fresh paper cup!
What's the learning!?
My learning is:
1.. Ask for what you want (here the HOT WATER) clearly specifying (in this cup "please" &) not to mix cold water in it! Merely showing the cup may not be enough. The supplier need to clearly communicate her inability, if any, to supply as per specifications.
2.. Never take the customer's specification for granted. Always confirm specifications of her need!
3.. It's good to share such stories to train your own staff back in your office as also at your home about the - importance of customer specification\s in the JIT¹ way as in point-1 above! - need for sustainability (to re-use) specially when the customer has specified so! - need to express inability, if any, to supply with justified reasons in an honest, caring & gentle manner - importance of observation power and alertness to learn from each moment & from each happening around in order to generate opportunities for improvement (OFI) in self if not in others. The latter may be out of one's control!
4.. Although the above behaviours look commonsensical, they rarely happen. So change in attitude is needed at personal level reflecting it in the desired behaviours.
5.. Rather than being a mere spectator, an observer around may take lead in appreciating such desired behaviours. Positive reinforcement thereby may help recurrence of such desired behaviours!
By the way, this is not a story!
It's an actual customer-experience. It actually reinforces - how much waste (here the cup & the water served in excess over the demand) gets generated in each of such transactions between a customer and a supplier! - how badly there is a need to educate and train people to reduce waste and help the sustainability movement in order to reduce global warming!
¹ JIT is - Just (i.e. exactly) what's needed, - Just (i.e. exactly) when it is needed, - Just (i.e. exactly) how & how much amount is needed! JIT approach to work provides unending OFI's or Kaizens as done by many companies the world over.
