Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Recent stories evoke comments

Jan Quintrall The Spokesman-Review

Several topics being covered in the paper in the region lately inspire me to comment:

“Bill Morlin’s story in The Spokesman-Review on businessman, veteran and philanthropist Jack Pring and fundraising efforts for a Korean War museum prompted me to write the reporter.

On June 15, Morlin reported on Pring’s concerns that the nonprofit group had raised $6 million over several years for a permanent home for the museum in Illinois, yet still had nothing to show for those efforts. Pring called this fundraising effort a scam.

Morlin, quoting Better Business Bureau spokeswoman Nancy Poe, reported that the BBB in central Illinois where the museum is headquartered showed no complaints.

There’s more to it than that. The BBB report on the nonprofit group states, “Despite written BBB Wise Giving Alliance requests in the past year, this organization either has not responded to Alliance requests for information or has declined to be evaluated in relation to the Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability.”

The BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance evaluates charities nationwide using 23 standards, including use of money, delivery of programs and oversight – not complaints.

When we donate to any legitimate charity, we trust they will use the money as we intend, to fulfill its mission. Why anyone would give to a charity that did not disclose what it does with donated money is a mystery to me. There certainly have been enough high-profile examples of charities not living up to the trust we give them, so check before you donate.

Pring talked of possibly making an additional donation after a Spokane visit from the executive director of the Korean War museum. BBB suggests only if they disclose.

For full charity reports, go to www.bbb.org or www.guidestar.org. There are many charities that do a great job regarding the mission they serve, so it pains me to see funds go to those charities that do not deliver on the trust they request with each donation they seek.

“Coeur d’Alene Ironman, followed immediately by Hoopfest in Spokane, were great occasions for this region to shine.

There were hundreds of thousands of people in our back yards for these events, and many of them had never been here before. I had the opportunity to board an airplane full of Ironman spectators and participants, and it made me want to stand up and cheer.

Waiting in the airport and sitting on the plane allowed me to eavesdrop on all sorts of conversations as visitors transitioned out of the vacation mode into the homeward-bound mode.

So, what did I hear? A sense of surprise about the Inland Northwest was common. People seemed genuinely impressed by the beauty of Coeur d’Alene and the neat mid-sized city of Spokane.

The airport is wonderful, some said. A group from California spent several minutes talking about what a different and pleasant experience flying in and out of Spokane is compared to their home airport.

More than once I heard people express how different Coeur d’Alene and Spokane were from Boise and Seattle. They appreciated how nice we are. Wow, what a great attribute. And that is where we do shine.

“Tourist dollars are so crucial to this area, which means that managing each customer moment is critical. All it takes is one surly service employee to taint an entire experience. Funny how little time we spend training and rewarding the staff that affects our bottom line more than anything.

If you are a business wishing to gain more focus on customer service, here are some ideas to manage those moments:

“Awareness: When it comes to the customer, make yourself aware of all they see and experience.

“Job: Everything is your job and nothing is below you.

“Attitude: Smiles and frowns are contagions: What are you spreading?

“Effective: You have the tools and capability to make effective change in the customer experience.

Stand back and take a look at your organization. Are the points mentioned above working for your business? Is there a level of trust that supports your staff doing whatever it takes to satisfy the customer? Keep in mind that it all starts at the top, but if nothing flows down, nothing flows.

Hire robots if you don’t want creative problem solving, accountability and the best customer interaction.