千金难求的一课 A Million Dollar Lesson
佚名/Anonymous
A cab driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to impart this kind of training to corporate executives and staff. It cost me a $12 taxi ride.
I had flown into Dallas for the sole purpose of calling on a client. Time was of the essence and my plan included a quick turnaround trip from and back to the airport. A spotless cab pulled up. The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As he got in the driver's seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me was for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy. Well! I looked around for a "Candid Camera!" Wouldn't you? I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, "Obviously you take great pride in your work. You must have a story to tell."
"You bet," he replied, "I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my niche in life where I could feel proud of being the best I could be. I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day's work and done it well. I evaluate my personal assets and... wham! I became a cab driver. One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply just meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be great in my business, I have to exceed the customer's expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being 'great' better than just getting by on 'average'."
Did I tip him big time? You bet! Corporate America's loss is the travelling folk's friend!
一个出租车司机给我上了宝贵的一课，他教导我如何使客户满意，达到他们的期望值。那些培训讲师给公司行政人员和员工做类似培训，可能要收取上万元的报酬，而我只花了12美元的出租车费。
为了见一个客户，我飞往达拉斯。时间就是生命，我的计划里有一个迅速的回程安排，于是我又回到了机场。一辆一尘不染的出租车停在我面前，司机即刻为我打开车门，确定我已舒舒服服地坐稳后，他关上了门。当他坐到驾驶位上时，建议我可以看看旁边折叠整齐的《华尔街日报》。然后，他拿出几盒磁带，问我喜欢听哪种类型的音乐。呃！我环顾四周，寻找“偷拍的摄像头”，难道你不会吗？我几乎不敢相信自己接受到的服务。我趁机说道：“你显然为你的工作感到非常自豪，你一定是个有故事的人。”
“你说对了，”他答道，“我曾投身美国商界，但我尽了最大的努力，别人还是认为不够好，我已经非常厌倦了。我决定在生活中创建属于自己的小天地，我可以为自己所做到的一切而自豪。我知道，我永远不可能成为一个火箭专家，可我喜欢开车，为他人服务，感受自己完成了一整天的工作，并做得很好。我估算了一下自己的资产，然后……哦，我就做起了出租车司机。我知道一件事，就是要想生意兴隆，我只需满足客人的需求。但是要想做得最好，我就必须超出客人的期望。我不想只是平淡地混过去，我喜欢听到顾客对我的服务加以赞赏，并因此得到回报。”
我毫不犹豫地给了他小费吗？你猜对了！这个美国商界流失的人与四处奔波的我成了朋友。
A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
—Burroughs
一个人可以失败许多次，但是只要他没有开始责怪别人，他就不是一个失败者。
——巴勒斯
motivational[ˌməutiˈveiʃənəl]adj.动机的；激发性的
Maintain a cooperative and motivational attitude with coworkers.
同事之间要保持积极的、合作的态度。
turnaround[ˈtə:nəˌraund]n.转向；转变
The turnaround will be slow.
转变会很缓慢。
niche[ni:ʃ]n.壁龛；合适的职业
He found the right niche for himself.
他找到了一个适合他的职位。
evaluate[iˈvæljueit]v.评价；估价
How would your coworkers evaluate you?
你的同事会怎样评价你？
一个出租车司机给我上了宝贵的一课。
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他拿出几盒磁带，问我喜欢听哪种类型的音乐。
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我喜欢听到顾客对我的服务加以赞赏。
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Motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to impart this kind of training to corporate executives and staff.
this kind of：有几分；有点儿
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The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door.
make sure：确信；证实
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