My high school football coach’s name was Tom Audley.  Coach Audley lived and breathed football. I always wondered why he ended up in my hometown of Baxter Springs, Kansas; a baseball town that, at best, broke even every year in high school football. Not good but not bad. Coach Audley always had a saying.  “Men,” he’d say, “you’ll play like you look.” He demanded our jerseys be tucked in, and that our appearance always be that of gentlemen. That saying has always stuck with me.

Kick it up a notch. We perform like we look. If our facilities are dirty, we’re dirty. If the outside of the building is trashy, we’re trashy.  Get my drift?

Jo Ella emailed me about making rounds today. She let me know that she’s having a problem with housekeeping putting torn bed spreads on freshly made beds. She just can’t get her staff to take these out of service. My suggestion to Jo Ella…..scissors. Carry a pair with you. If you find a torn bed spread, put it out of its misery. Finish it off and then toss it.

This also reminds me of the old story about the pediatrician’s office. A new mother was bringing her first born child in to the pediatrician for his first visit. This mother (much like my wife) wouldn’t let anyone touch her new baby without first “de-germing” as she liked to call it. So how do you think she felt when she arrived in the lobby of the pediatrician’s office to find dirty tissues littering the floor? Petrified…and she left.

There is no getting over the fact that our customers judge us by how we look. Understand that and meet their expectations and you’ll be successful. Screw this one up and start looking for another career. This is one customer expectation that isn’t changing.