Image © Shep Hyken and Joe Esposito, the owner of Mama Louise Restaurant
A number of years ago, I read a book by business guru Tom Peters about what he called Management by Walking Around, also known as MBWA.
The short version of the concept begins with the premise that most managers and leaders only come out of their offices when something is wrong. Employees who are approached by a manager then become nervous, knowing there is a good chance they are about to be reprimanded or criticized for a problem or mistake.
Peters wrote about how detrimental that situation was to employee morale and the culture of the company, which, if it wasn’t already, would become a culture of fear. His solution was for managers to leave their offices to talk to employees about positive things going on in the company, or to compliment employees for their good work. Yes, once in a while the manager would have to have a tough discussion with an employee, but if that were the exception rather than the rule, then employees wouldn’t fear their leaders when they were out of their offices “wandering around.”
Just the other night I thought about this concept when I watched Joe Esposito, the owner of Mama Louise Restaurant. He visited each table, not just asking the diners how they liked the food, but holding short, meaningful conversations. Everybody loved Joe. And, who wouldn’t? When he eventually came by our table we engaged in a great conversation about customer service and the success of his restaurant.
Joe is a restaurant operator and a chef. He is most comfortable in the kitchen, but he realized that he had to break out of his comfort zone and spend time “on the floor” talking to his guests to get their feedback and let them know how much he appreciated their business. While appreciation and feedback were his main reasons for practicing this nightly ritual, however, the big payoff came in the form of customer experience. His guests felt special when he visited them. His line sums it up: “Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse didn’t become successful by staying in the kitchen.”
I realized he was practicing the concept of Management by Walking Around, although in his case it was focused on the customer, recreating the MBWA concept as Customer Experience by Walking Around, or CXBWA for short. I’ve seen many chefs come out of the kitchen to talk to their guests. I’ve seen executives in major retail companies spend time on the floor talking to customers. I’ve seen executives in big B2B-type companies spend time with their customers. Maybe it’s what Esposito said that made me realize this was the customer service/experience version of MBWA.
I was reminded of Drayton McLane, the billionaire CEO of McLane Foods, which was eventually purchased by Walmart, giving McLane the opportunity to buy the Houston Astros. He was a master at spending time with his customers. One day we were at a trade show and he spent the entire day talking to the customers who came by the McLane booth. Everyone loved to meet the man in charge. Other than an occasional break, he never left the tradeshow floor. At the same time, he was a role model to his employees on how to practice good customer relations. He had a passion for his employees and his customers.
President Abraham Lincoln was another who understood the value of getting out and talking to his “customers.” In this case, the customers were his constituents who voted him into the White House. He was a master at MBWA, although I could argue it was more CXBWA. It is reported that in 1861 President Lincoln spent more time outside the White House than in it. Back then, the President of the United States was able to walk in public places to “shake hands and kiss babies,” although the casual security cost him his life on that fateful night in 1865 at the Ford Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Penn and Teller are famous magicians who have been working a successful show in Las Vegas for years. One of the things they are known for has nothing to do with magic. At the end of each show they go to the lobby to pose for pictures and talk with their fans. They don’t leave until the very last fan has left the building. People cherish their “brush with greatness.” It’s not often that celebrities will spend that kind of time with their fans. Yes, they are amazing on stage, but the fan experience extends to the rapport and connection the magic duo has with their fans.
Many companies have programs in which leadership spends a day in the field or works a shift at the customer support center. It’s an opportunity to get real-time feedback. So, be it MBWA or CXBWA, take time to get out from behind the desk, off the stage or out of the kitchen and spend time with your customers. You’ll get valuable insights, and you will enhance the customer’s experience while doing so.
