Retail Observer

SEPTEMBER 2014 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 41 A fter three days of traveling to get to one of the northern-most airports in the world, Longyearbyn, Norway, there was no ship in sight. Yes, there was a giant 2000-passenger cruise ship in port for the day, but no sign of the much smaller expedition ship I was supposed to board. At first I thought maybe I had arrived on the wrong day but as the other 98 passengers gathered I knew that at least I wasn't late. At precisely the time we were supposed to board, a fleet of small inflatable Zodiacs arrived. We were given lifejackets, safety briefings, and boarding instructions and helped into our boats eight to ten at a time. Even though we didn't get our arctic parkas and boots until the next day, off we went into the icy arctic waters. The sense of adventure somehow trumped the cold and in just a few minutes, we caught sight of the MS Expedition—our home for the next eight days. I could go on for weeks about the animals I saw—polar bears, foxes, birds, walruses, whales and seals—or the incredible beauty of the glaciers and fjords, but this column is about business. I've traveled a lot but never experienced anything close to what the G Adventures - adventure travel company brought. In his book Looptail, G Adventures founder, Bruce Poon Tip explains how he has created an entirely new and refreshing approach to management, started in 1990 when Bruce maxed out a couple of credit cards. The company now operates in 100 countries serving more than 100,000 guests a year—many in very remote destinations. This was truly the trip of a lifetime! Not just because of the destination— after all, who goes to the Arctic Circle? The ship was certainly not a luxury liner, it was an expedition ship—an ice cutter. The food was plentiful and adequate but nothing special. The people and the culture truly made the difference. Shortly after boarding, I noticed most staff had shirts with CEO on the sleeves. All customer-facing team members are given that title— Chief Experience Officers. Bruce relinquished the moniker to his employees realizing that it was them—not him—that determined how happy their passengers and guests were. The real CEOs are the face and the voice of the company. In most cases, things like giving staffers cute titles don't change behavior. In fact crew members often resent them. It's like employee of the month—whose turn is it this month? Who hasn't gotten that front parking place yet? But everyone on the Expedition was 100% focused on making the experience something special. Captain Giovanni Biasutti instituted an open bridge policy—as long as you didn't eat his food, drink his coffee or sit in his "big chair" he welcomed guests into the bridge. If they were doing tricky maneuvers, he'd post a closed sign but otherwise the crew welcomed visitors. I learned a lot about the waters, sailing, the terrain and life onboard a ship in my trips up there. At meals, we were joined by members of the expedition team— experts about the animals, the plants, the geology and ice formation— eager to answer questions and share their passions. At night, we sang, danced and drank with many of them. The ships band—made up of cabin stewards, waiters, bartenders and seamen—were happy to entertain all. In a very short time, crew and passengers developed a unique comradery. Around the ship—for both passengers and crew to see—were posters with G Adventures Core values: • We LOVE changing people's lives • LEAD with service • EMBRACE the bizarre • DO the right thing • CREATE happiness and creativity At every turn, the crew evidenced a true commitment to each of these values. To celebrate my very big birthday, for instance, they made sure to schedule a polar plunge. Yes, I joined 17 other brave souls jumping into the frigid water off the ship. We certainly embraced the bizarre! Here are some of the many takeaways I got from reading Looptail. • Your brand is defined by how people discuss you among their friends and what they post about you on the Internet. It's what they say about you when you're out of the room. • There's a fine line between what the customer experiences as a great trip and a truly incredible experience. • We reached a size where I had to move from coaching people to inspiring them. I got so many great ideas from my summer vacation that I think the IRS should let me write off the trip as a business expense. Since that's not going to happen, go to Amazon and buy Looptail or at least go to www.gadventures.com and guess where I'm going next year! Elly Valas is the Marketing Services Director for Nationwide Marketing Group. She can be reached at elly@ellyvalas.com or at 303-316-7569. Visit her website at www.ellyvalas.com. RO

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