Keeping The Pledge by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Geri Stevens had a passion for jury duty. She was the head of jury selections in the judiciary department for the city of San Diego. Every Monday she would address a new group of potential jurors, reminding them of the special place they had in our justice system and would review their responsibilities.

The majority of people who receive a jury summons immediately begin to think of what they can do to get out of it. It is not a happy place to be!

Geri finally convinced John Maxwell to attend one of her jury orientation sessions, and he was beyond surprised by the experience.

Maxwell recalls Geri standing before her unreceptive audience with an air of excitement and said,

“This will be one of the most wonderful weeks of your lives.”

That got everybody’s attention.

She proceeded to express her passion “about the greatness of America and the right of each citizen to have a fair trial. She explained to the jurors how their decisions would make a difference and that they were examples of why America is a nation coveted and admired by others. At the close of her 45-minute inspiring talk, the potential jurors gave her a standing ovation!”

Geri Stevens’ passion for America transferred to the prospective jurors. They were transformed from an uninterested group of citizens, serving their civic duty to an inspired group of Californians who looked “forward to being selected to serve on a jury.”

My family emigrated to America and became American citizens. They embraced a dream of hope for a better life and opportunities for their families.

My mother’s parents Mary Chernick Leader and Earl D. Leader’s parents were from Russia and Hungary. My Grandmother Mary Chernick’s parents escaped to America from Lithuania, Russia with her two older brothers Michael and Harry. They traveled by ship to escape the violent massacres in Russia of Jewish families condoned by Czar Alexander 111.

(Related: “From Humble Beginnings”)

https://ezinearticles.com/?From-Humble-Beginnings&id=8575538

My Grandfather, Earl D. Leader, his original name Emil Ungerleider, talked about how his father, Mendel Ungerleider’s parents, 13 siblings, spouses, cousins and other family members died in Hitler’s concentration camps while he, his sister, their spouses, children, and their parents were in America safe and sound.

Emma Lazarus was an American poet who wrote her poem “The New Colossus, in 1883 “to raise money” for the construction of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. In 1903 her poem was engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the pedestal’s inner wall on the Statue of Liberty.

“Give me your tired, your poor, 

your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 

the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46550/the-new-colossus

The framers of our Constitution were wise enough to realize that our unalienable rights did not come from government or man; they came from God.They were also wise enough to create the Constitution and Bill of Rights to be exclusionary (explaining what Government cannot do, rather than all the things it could do).

The very freedoms that most of us take for granted like the pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government to right wrongs are what make this country great. It is also why this great nation of ours is a magnet for people from all over the world who answer the battle-cry of their souls to be free by seeking citizenship. 

Where my family is from (Russia and Hungary), there were no rights, no choices, no opportunities, no free speech, no right to a fair trial. You did what the government officials told them to do. There was no freedom of expression.   There was no choice in anything. When you argued to try and protect yourself, they would throw you in prison and kill you.

President Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. … It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

Let your voices be heard as American citizens. Share your stories of the greatness of America just like Gerri Stevens and my grandparents did and elect political candidates who will protect and defend your constitutional and unalienable rights so the next generations can continue to enjoy the American way of life!

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, conductor, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

First Watch Gives Awesome Customer Experience by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Is the customer experience “Awesome” at your business? Do your customers wait outside your business to get in?

First Watch restaurant began serving breakfast and lunch in 1983 from 7am to 2:30 pm and is privately owned and has franchises. In 2015 there were 153 franchise restaurants in 18 states. Last weekend my husband and I met our family for breakfast at First Watch at 9 am in Newport News, VA. It was our fifth time at First Watch. We put our name on a wait list where there were thirty-one people in front of us in an already packed restaurant with happy customers eating breakfast. They had coffee set up for folks waiting to get in and several chairs and coaches to sit on.

With the thirty-one-people waiting, the wait staff used military precision to put the tables together and get the first twenty-five people seated and waited on, and then the other groups. They were prepared and did not leave anything to chance. They practiced and rehearsed to address these issues multiple times and were ready as their guests finished eating to immediately clean and reset the tables and get the new guests seated.

Twenty-five servicemen were a head of us. They were seated at 4 tables the staff quickly put together with silverware glasses, etc. They were then seated. Two waiters walked around and took orders. Meanwhile another party of six was also set up and were led to their table. Then it was our turn. We were seated by 9:15am and led to our table. The hostess saw the food on the chairs and went and got a soapy rag to clean it off.

We sat down and the table was set with everything you can think of. The energetic waiter came over with a smile and asked what beverages we wanted and also took our order for omelets, pancakes with vegetables and fruit. Our beverages arrived a few minutes later. Our waiter put a fresh pot of coffee and a pot of decaf on the table. Another waiter came by with a pitcher of water. Fifteen minutes later our hot breakfast arrived even though the restaurant continued to fill up with many waiting to be seated and served.

Every few minutes the waiter came by to check on us and asked if we wanted more coffee, juice, or any other beverages and asked how the food was.

Next to our table the customers had left and a different waiter cleared the table, wiped it off, and another brought clean silver ware, napkins, and cups.

First Watch’s wait staff cared and wanted to do a good job! The service staff was well “rehearsed and attentive” to details like a choreographed ballet. Everything was intentional. Nothing was left to chance.

What three things did the First Watch waiters and waitresses do to give an "awesome customer experience" to their customers?

1) The waiters and waitresses had a positive attitude, smiled at their customers, and worked quickly and efficiently.

2) The wait staff immediately removed the dirty dishes after their customers left the table, then wiped the table, and set up the table with everything their customers needed.

3) Waiters /waitresses worked as a team. One brought a pitcher of ice tea or water; another brought coffee, another soda, another brought the food. Next to our table the customers had left and a different waiter cleared the table and cleaned it off, another brought the silver ware, napkins, and cups.

Don’t leave your customer service to chance. Plan your customer service expectations in advance and rehearse how you want it to be done with your staff. Your standards for hiring are clear.

What three traits do you look for in your employees?

1) You hire staff who have a proven track record for positive attitudes, are energetic, and are effective communicators who are passionate about the products you sell.

2) You hire staff that have a good work ethic (show up on time), are patient, and listen to what their customers need and want, and they work efficiently and pay attention to the details.

3) Your staff have a leadership service attitude, work well as a team with military precision, and are willing to pitch in when the need arises just as the hostess was willing to clean off the food on the chairs.

Where do you find your employees?

Keep your eyes and ears open for excellent team members for your business. Look for new opportunities.

First Watch gives us an "Awesome Customer Experience” every time we visit and always has a line of people waiting to get in. By following First Watch’s model and rehearsing and practicing with your team members, your business will give your customers an "awesome customer experience" too! 

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, conductor, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com