One Minute Manager

by Ken Blanchard



Raving Fans: African Style


Raving Fans service can be found wherever top
management is committed to service excellence.


In our book Raving Fans, Sheldon Bowles and I argue that satisfying customers today is not enough-you should treat your customers so well that they brag about you; they become part of your sales force.

People frequently ask me where I find Raving Fans service. I find it wherever top management is committed to service excellence. This creates an environment where their people are empowered and believe they can make a difference to their customers. These kinds of employees act like they own the place.

Is Raving Fans service unique to certain companies in the United States, or does it cross borders? Without a doubt, you can find it worldwide. Proof that Raving Fans service isn't geographically limited was evident during a recent safari my wife, Margie, and I went on with friends and colleagues in Tanzania.

Our safari was organized by Gary Clarke, a service legend in his own right, who was the director of the Topeka, Kansas, zoo for many years. When he took over the zoo, the first thing he did was tell the operators to begin answering the telephone "the World- Famous Topeka Zoo." Gary contended they would never be world-famous if they didn't think they were. Today the Topeka Zoo is world-famous as one of the best small regional zoos. Gary no longer runs the zoo but is a full-time safarist leading his operation called Cowabunga Safaris.

Gary accompanied 15 of us on a tented safari that began on the Serengeti plains and gradually worked its way across the country to the Mt. Kilimanjaro foothills. Our safari was guided by Tanzania Guides Ltd., owned and operated by Bjorn Fiegenschou and his Tanzanian operating partner, Frumence J.S. Mbuya. Gary warned us that "you never see things quite the same after you've been on safari with Bjorn and his wonderful staff."

Bjorn takes little credit for the way his people operate. In fact, he said, "I write the checks, Mbuya delivers them, and the staff does the rest." They insist on only two things: honesty and integrity, and pride in work. They tell their people, "We're the top-let other companies follow us."

In our 14 days on safari, Bjorn and Mbuya joined us for a few meals, but 95 percent of the time the staff is on its own. There is no supervisor. Everyone is cross-trained. If the team has an opening, the employees select their new teammate. Bjorn and Mbuya also interview applicants, but seldom do they object to a staff choice. In camp, the main responsibilities are cooking, serving, tent service and laundry. Everyone knows each other's job and will jump in to help wherever needed.

We moved across Tanzania in four Land Rovers driven by native guides who were not only incredible drivers but also knew every animal and plant in sight. Their native language is Swahili, but they are fabulous at communicating in English. We would stay at a campsite for two to three days and then move on to a new area. The camp staff would completely break down the campsite, clean it up, put everything in trucks and beat us to the next campsite and have everything set up by the time we arrived early that evening.

In addition to this wizardry, we had example after example of Raving Fans service. Each tent contained two cots with a table in between. One of our married couples asked if their cots could be pushed together. When we arrived at a new campsite later that day, not only were their cots pushed together, but every other married couple's tent was set up the same way.

When our clothes became unbearable, we could leave them on the floor of the tent, and the staff would launder them. One day I left my sneakers by mistake near my laundry. When I came back later that day, not only was my laundry on the bed, but my sneakers looked better than when I had bought them.

Another safari member misplaced several hundred dollars. It turned up in the laundry and was returned to her with an apologetic note: "I ironed your clothes before discovering the money. Hope you don't mind ironed bills."

Our group included three vegetarians. When the staff found out they also did not eat eggs, they brought them fresh vegetables and salad along with toast and coffee without any prodding. Nothing was too much for this incredibly committed and talented staff.

Raving Fans service can occur anywhere. We are Raving Fans of Tanzania Guides Ltd. and the fabulous Tanzanian people we met. Raving Fans service occurs when people are committed to being the best. Such service derives from an attitude more than any certain position, industry or even country.

© 1996 by Blanchard Management Report, Blanchard Training and Development Inc., Attn.: Bob Nelson, Publisher, 125 State Place, Escondido, CA 92029. Past articles, interviews and subscriptions are available. Telephone (800) 728-6000, ext. 528, fax (619) 489-8407.