At Your Service

I am a big fan of service that goes above and beyond what a customer might expect. A few years ago, on my way to the station, I stopped at a local drive thru to pick up some breakfast. It was 4:15 AM. The voice at the other end of the speaker said politely and clearly, "Good morning and welcome! How may I serve you?" I thought it was a dream. Surely this was not what I was used to, especially at this time of the morning.

When I reached the window, a delightful lady named Ruby introduced herself and in a very mom-like way announced, "We're making some fresh bacon for you, so it will be a second. Now, you said you wanted two sugars?" All the while, she was actually putting the cream and sugar in the cup, stirring, and even pulling back the opening on the lid. (Mind you, this is not exactly Starbucks.)

I couldn't wait to get on the air to share the experience with my listeners and write a letter to the president of the company she worked for.

Every morning thereafter she would have my order waiting. Then one morning, Ruby did something that taught me a lesson I will never forget.

Since we give away so many prizes on the radio, it is not unusual for listeners on the street to stop us and ask for a CD, etc. After handing over my order, Ruby asked, "Sonny, I was wondering whether or not you had tickets for tonight's (San Antonio) Spurs game?"

I thought to myself that if anyone had a right to ask, it was Ruby. I shook my head and replied, "No, Ruby I'm afraid I don't." She then reached into her pocket and said, "Good! Because, I would like you to have mine. You see I was chosen Employee of the Month and given theses tickets. And, since I can't use them, I would like you to have them. After all, you are my best customer.

As you can well imagine, Ruby did not last long in that position. She now has daytime hours as a manager for our local City Public Service. Cream rises.

The opportunity to deliver surprisingly great service is available to all of us, especially in radio. We are in the people business and can learn from other industries how to make a listener for life.

Imagine calling back a listener who checked in on one of your talk shows and asking if they found the producer to be courteous, similar to the calls major car manufacturers make after a client has brought their car in for servicing.

To this day, I make it a point to stop everything when a listener calls asking for the title of a song "that was played sometime last week and has the word love in it." I especially enjoy getting their address, purchasing the song (if we don't have it), and mailing it to them.

Ridiculous? Outrageous? Yes, but that's what "At Your Service" is all about.

Born To Broadcast

Jim Rose is a broadcaster. From his home in Houston twice each week he passionately edits a newsletter that is read by many of the most brilliant minds out-of-broadcasting. That's right. I said, "Out of broadcasting."

Each week as I read Jim's wonderful newsletter I can read between the lines of the countless emails he shares. They are the words of some of the best talents ever to grace the airwaves. They write about the fun they had and how much they loved working side by side. Their unselfish tributes to their mentors speak volumes about why they chose radio in the first place.

I find it ironic that they no longer do what they were born to share. Somehow, something happened along the way. These magnificent communicators were silenced and sent on their way. Forget the fact that they weren't through giving it their all.

I dare say that if you asked many of them this question: "If you could make a comfortable living doing your kind of radio again, would you consider coming back?", the answer would a resounding, YES!

Imagine the program directors who still know how to create excitement; the general managers who thrill to letting their competition know that their station will not be outdone; and the radio personalities who can still touch one listener at a time.

Imagine what listeners could experience once again.

Radio is something you never forget how to do. It gets in your blood and runs through your soul. It can't be explained; only experienced.

Perhaps one day soon, some brilliant mind will tap into this goldmine of talent and passion. Perhaps someone will realize that how someone listens to our beloved radio has nothing to do with why they listen. Ipod or transistor, the dynamic remains unchanged. People still laugh, cry, and are moved for the same reasons. Many of those who learned how to do it haven't forgotten how. Nor have they forgotten the day they realized that they were...born to broadcast.

To Dream With Courage

"Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion, no matter where it is exercised. Usually it implies some risk--especially in new undertakings. Courage to initiate something and to keep it going-- pioneering and adventurous spirit to blaze new ways, often, in our land of opportunity."
- Walt Disney

I never met Walt Disney, but I was introduced to his philosophy in the summer of 1983. I had come to the Walt Disney Company with an idea for a show called "Saturday In The Park." It was quite an ambitious project I was proposing: Every show would be done on location at an national or amusement park throughout the country. I would gather a group of kids and together we would explore the park and discover "guest stars" along the way.It was that grand idea that brought me to the table and while it was not what they were looking for, it led to another Disney project. The result was hosting an new show on a new medium: The Disney Channel. It was called, "You and Me, Kid."For 10 years, the program taught parents and kids how to have fun by using their imagination.

I am continually approached by those who watched as children.The experience taught me two valuable lessons:

• One was the viewpoint of a man named Walt: To never say never and never stop looking at the world through the eyes of a child.
  
• And, secondly, that what you may dream of may take you to something bigger and better.

May we all dream with courage.