As You Wish Performance

In the Puddin - Puddin' in the Movies Series

When facilitating Learning Experiences, I sometimes utilize movies as an entertaining example of certain brand and experience principles. Recently, a participant suggested that I use movies as a series subject for the Puddin'. Great idea.

Once a week, for the next while, I will focus on some of the messages played out in some of Hollywood's finest. This week: The Princess Bride. A 1987 Rob Reiner film classic, The Princess Bride not only features the debut of Robin Wright (‘Jenny’ in Forrest Gump) but an all-star cast including Cary Elwes (Robin Hood: Men in Tights), Billy Crystal, Peter Faulk, Fred Savage, Carol Kane  and Andre the Giant.

If you have never had the opportunity to watch it, stop reading now. I will completely ruin the movie for you and that would be a shame. Go out and rent it, or NetFlix it or whatever and get back to reading this entry after you had a chance to take it in.

The perfect blend of fantasy, adventure, romance and comedy, The Princess Bride is cleverly stitched together with the common theme of the matchless power of “true love”.

Told from the narrative perspective of a grandfather reading a storybook to his sick grandson, the story begins with a poor farm boy, Wesley, who is in love with the beautiful girl, Buttercup, which he works for. Buttercup assigns him chore after endless chore – to which Wesley has but a singular response every time: “As you wish”.

And here is one of the best moments in the movie: The narrative voice explains that when Wesley is saying, “As you wish”, what he was really saying was’ “I love you”. Rob Reiner is then clever enough to show several vignettes of Buttercup giving Wesley random orders and then zooming in to show the sincerity, love and desire in both Wesley’s eyes and tenor of his voice as he consistently responds: “As you wish.” He means it – sincerely, completely and passionately.

And in return, after Wesley has consistently demonstrated his unwavering devotion to whatever Buttercup desires, Buttercup reciprocates the feelings of loyalty and devotion to Wesley.

And that’s the provocation. If you are a brand that promises service customized to the desires of the consumer:

·          Is that promise being delivered in a manner that makes whatever is being said to the consumer sound as if you were saying, “As you wish”?

·          Do your team members mean it – Sincerely & Completely?

·          Are you passionate about it?

·          Do your team members ‘love’ taking care of their consumers and solving their problems?

It is not a simple as just saying the words, “As you wish”. You and everyone in your organization who has any influence on points of contact with your consumers have to actually mean it.

More often than not, the words “As you wish” are spoken with a tonality of obligation and resentment. In most movies, when the servant or next in command is being given their duties and they respond, “As you wish” (or the like) it is quite clear that they will respond out of duty  but it is not something they want to do – they are being forced.

Unfortunately, in business experiences, that “forced attitude” is often the case as well. Team members are often scripted to say things like:

·          “Of course”

·          “My pleasure”

·          “I would be glad to take care of that for you”

·          “I will be happy to take care of whatever you need”…

…But the sincerity is not there. And instead of it being the positive affirmation of how much that consumer’s business means to the brand, it leaves the indelible impression that “I will help you if I have to, but I don’t really want to.”

Check your messaging. Do you make statements to the public and your internal team about:

·          How you want to go the extra mile for them

·          How you will do whatever it will take to make them happy

·          How you are a family

·          How the world revolves around them

·          How it is a pleasure to ‘do more’

I could open most any travel magazine or organizational manual and find statements not far off of the above remarks. They are certainly not difficult to write – the market is saturated with them – and promising such things is tempting…

Check your performance: Regardless of whatever words come out of your team members, what are they really saying? Like Wesley, are they really saying that they love taking care of the consumer’s needs or that they would love to tell you ‘no’ if they could?

And if Rob Reiner were shooting a close-up of each of your team members’ faces, what truth would it capture? Would it compel your consumers to reciprocate loyalty or are they aware that your team member sees themselves as a subordinate who has no choice but to acquiesce?

In the movie, the writers make it clear that the genuine sincerity of Wesley’s love can overcome all – including corruption, evil and death. It also shows the redeeming power of devotion to a cause and loyalty. I know - it's just a silly movie. But the wonderful thing about comedy is it allows us to point out things in human nature in a way that is larger than life – as if looking through a magnifying glass – in order to better see what is there.

Although incredible fun with a completely unrealistic plot, The Princess Bride is a very true to life example of the human response to sincerity and the compelling difference between what a person in service says and what they truly mean and ultimately, how that impacts loyalty. Rent it again and enjoy the message,the fun and ask yourself what you are really telling people... –-Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Comments

[Mark T]

Dolores,

I think perhaps the best statement / promise by a brand is Zappos.com. They sell shoes (and other goods) online. However, their brand promise is NOT that they "are a great shoe store that is dedicated to providing great service" rather that position themselves as a "customer service company that happens to sell shoes." You can check it out, it is right on their website.

This simple turn of phrase puts a whole new perspective on what it means to work for the company which is then followed through in how they train, develop culture and treat their employees.