How to Motivate Employees Who Otherwise Might Feel They're Doing Grunge Work

An Inc. Magazine article about a hair-drying chain contained some interesting tips on creating excellent customer service.

As reported in Inc., Leonardo Inghiller, author of "Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization," said one of the most important things a company can do is to "give employees permission to wax creative."   Inghiller, who once worked at Walt Disney, said:

"We always told the housekeepers, "You are not here to clean rooms. You are here to create a memorable experiences for your customers. We had housekeepers who would take little Mickey Mouse plush dolls and put them in children's beds with a note, 'I was waiting for you.'

"If your employees understand the mission and have the freedom to do great things, then they will do great things."

 He's right -- an uncleaned room would certainly detract from the wonders of Disney. And what an interesting way to motivate employees!