A bad day at the ballpark is better than a…well, actually, I’m not sure there is such thing as a bad day at the ballpark. And at Marlins Park in Miami there isn’t even a bad seat.
You know what sounded terrific though: the idea of watching a game from the comfort and viewpoint of one of their suites behind home plate. Many of these are rented for the season by major companies in order to entertain their clients in this relaxed yet exciting sky-view setting. I don’t blame them.
So, while watching a game on TV and hearing announcers Rich Waltz and Tommy Hutton promote the availability of renting a suite for just one game I thought, WOW — what a fantastic experience that would be!
So about 20 of us (including friends, family, clients, and MasterMind partners) attended last Thursday night’s game where the “Fish” hosted the tough Pittsburgh Pirates.
This post, however, is not about the game itself but the experience that the Miami Marlins leadership team creates for their customers. First, every customer, whether seated in the bleachers or in the most prime boxes right behind the dugout, are treated wonderfully by the entire Marlins staff.
However, it also makes sense that for those renting a suite, there is incentive for the club to make the experience extra special. For example, the suite itself was a large room stocked with lots of delicious food and beverages and was continually being resupplied.
There was an attendant, Edwin, who took great care of us, had a fantastic attitude and made himself continually available. Oh, and halfway through two people came into the suite with a food cart from which they made fresh guacamole right in front of us. Yeah, baby! 🙂
She Really Made It Happen
To me, though, the true star of the game was our Executive Salesperson, Lysandra Justiniano.
Lysandra did everything right that a salesperson does in creating the ultimate customer experience. To begin, she returned my initial call very quickly and very patiently helped me through everything renting the suite entailed.
Over the next month, whenever I had questions she returned my calls and emails promptly. As busy as I know she was she made me feel as though I was the only customer she had.
Isn’t that so important? And, we can all do that for our customers if we hold such a thing as a high value.
At one point she actually took time over the telephone to walk me through using the internal system in order to make emailing everyone’s tickets and other information much easier for me. Indeed, I’m not the most tech-savvy person and she truly went above-and-beyond…we’re talking some extreme patience.
The night of the game she not only greeted me at the suite; she stopped in several more times to check on us, chatted with the guests, and brought by her boss, Director of Suites, Truscott Miller. After discovering that the Marlins Manager of Corporate Engagement, Tommy Knapp and I knew each other from some past South Florida events, she took him upstairs to visit, as well.
All of this; from the first call, the extra work, and the actual game, took hustle, caring, and effort on Lysandra’s part. And, while again, it felt like it was just for us, she’s doing the same for all her customers. And, she does this at every single home game.
People such as Lysandra who focus on giving value like this at every touchpoint create great customer experiences. They bring customers back, and elicit lots of referrals along the way. Sort of like this one.
By the way, my Miami Marlins lost that night. Though, really, it didn’t even matter.
Okay, it did a little.
But, even Lysandra can only do so much! 😉
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Bob, I like the way you describe customer service. It is the customer experience we are all after. Sounds as if Lysandra is the kind of employee we would all like to have! Oh, being the Pirates fan I am, things worked out just fine for me that night. 🙂
Keep up the inspirational posts!
Gary
Gary, thank you for your kind feedback. Indeed,she was terrific! Wish you could have been there with us but would’ve been a long commute for you. LOL. Actually, there were a number of Bucs fans in the stadium that night, but you’d have been the only one in the suite with us. At least no one else was admitting it, if they were. 😉
Great post, Bob. I knew you were excited for that game! The message was excellent, and highlighting two people in your community who made your experience memorable is something to note. In smaller metro and rural areas, doing this can take the business that person works with to the next level. For instance, writing a post about a server who took incredible care of you at that new restaurant in town will have people waiting to sit in his/her section. The difference between a social media or blog post and a mass media ad is that it’s not generic…it’s coming from a more “trusted” source. it may also raise the quality of service in other businesses if there’s a chance someone there could be “featured”. Thanks for sharing your experience. If I ever make it to a Marlins game, I’ll make sure to look up those two people!
Gary, thank you for your kind feedback. So glad you enjoyed the post! Indeed, I take great joy in giving shoutouts to those people and places who created such exceptional experiences for their customers.
Thank-you Bob for yet again bringing us your personal story and the “high touch” dynamics you as the delighted recipient was able to expierance!
If you’d be so kind Bob, please convey all of the insights we have all shared to Lysandra. in response to your “play by play” articulation of the “Go-Giver” Lysandra actually is, and the testament of her thoughtfulness, kindness and generosity!
Geary, thank you! I appreciate your kind words about the post. And,indeed, Lysandra was certainly all of that, and more!
Bob,
Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful story. It is definitely a great example of the attitude any person providing a product or service is genuinely expressing. I bet Lysandra is genuinely expressing service and edification like that everywhere she goes and with everyone she meets even while away from the ballpark.
Over the years, I have assisted many people with their customers’ perception of the quality of products or services provided to them. I am amazed at how many of those customers would say things like “I know so and so is busy and I’m just a small fish in a big pond”. I will stop them right there and say “wait a minute. This is not about big fish or small fish; this is about you right here and right now.” Wow! I am always amazed at how people feel and how grateful they are after taking the time to say something like that and transform their experience. The point is what in the heck was going on in the mind of the salesperson or business owner or a customer service person that made a client feel that way.
Anyway thank you again for the post Bob. There is always so much to learn from your personal stories as well a the story of others. Enjoy this wonderful weekend.
Steve
Steve, very grateful for your kind feedback and insights. Terrific teaching, my friend!
Everyday is a new beginning and you remind me this every time I read your post. Simple, yet informative. Lysandra Justiniano added one more vital point to understand what needed to be understand. Thank you Mr. Bob for your valuable input as always…….
Rajib, many thanks, my brother. I appreciate your always-kind and thoughtful feedback!
Hi Bob,
Sorry about your Marlins, but this was just such a nice story. Customer experience is what I look for always, and what I try to give….always. It’s also so easy to see when we are looking for it. Thanks.
Jean: Thank you. And, I KNOW you are a great customer experience provider yourself. So glad you enjoyed the post!
Bob. This is such a great example of an organisation consistently and constantly adding value. What is outstanding in this posting is how they added value before you had decided to proceed. This is the key. When someone does this before I part with money, I get a great feeling. What they did at the game was seek to add massive value. This is clearly part of the culture and leads to consistency. There are some real parallels here with my experience at Leeds Rhinos.
Pete, thank you. Great points you made throughout. Yes, I feel the same way when some someone is helpful beforehand. She set a tone that lasted throughout the entire experience. As you said, a consistency that is obviously part of the organizational culture, and her personal value system. Very cool about it reminding you of your favorite team in the UK, too! 🙂
Bob, Agree the service and food at Marlins Park is awesome. Visited there for game on Sept 13. This was milestone as completed our multi-decade tour of all 30 MLB parks. Back to your post, it is so true that we often forget that everyone at every level of an organization impacts the customer experience. Take Care.
Tom, thank you for sharing that with us. And, congrats on completing your 30 MLB park tour. That IS a milestone!