I got this e-mail this week:

Bob probably runs a big company, perhaps he’s a government official. He probably will have a monument built to his greatness. Of course, he is probably the head of the Chapters of Bobs. (My middle name is Robert so I know about this) The Chapters of Bobs have a secret code word; we spell our name backward so that no one can penetrate our secret society. We are smarter than the average Bob of course.

And how much does education cost? Well if you don’t spend it on yourself, it is going to cost you a lot. Not having an education is the most expensive thing you can do to yourself. You lose opportunities that other people will have because of an education. I mean, just think - the average Joe could invest $1,500 in him or her self and come away with life-changing ideas. The average college education costs $20,000 or more a year. Heaven forbid that you should invest that kind of money in yourself. Who do you think the average Joe is, Bob?

I mean, why invest in yourself? It seems that could be a huge mistake. Why not have someone invest in you.

I was at a Rotary meeting today, and was talking to the person next to me. We talked about our children being in private school and how we were investing in their future, and it is not cheap.

I don’t understand why people don’t invest in themselves. What in the world are you waiting for?

I mean, let’s get busy. I am getting ready to fly off for three days with Lou Tice, and spend my weekend and hard-earned cash soaking up wisdom from Lou. Then ten days later I am going to see Anthony Robbins.

I have spent a ton of dough on self-help material this month, as I do every month. If you can read you don’t have to spend thousands, but if you do have the money, why in the world are you not investing in yourself? Can someone share with me why people don’t think it is a good investment to spend money on yourself to help you grow?

As Zig Ziglar said, you don’t have to be motivated every day, just like you don’t have to take a shower every day. But it is nice for the people around you if you do, and I don’t think it is bad thing for yourself either.

The most complex piece of machinery that you own is yourself. Why in the world would you not invest in that machinery to make sure it is running the way that it should, or could.

Bob, you obviously plan to remain an ordinary Joe and that is too bad, because you have potential that you may never discover. Your adventure in life is going to be limited.

Here is another e-mail letter I got last week:

Thank you Dale & Livia, and by the way, you can get some great information by going to their website about relationships. Another source to help your life be better.

What happens when you don’t invest in yourself? You damage yourself, stop growing, and limit the human adventure.

Whether it is my material or someone else’s, you need to give your machine fuel to be better, or you can stay the same, and if you stay the same it will never be good.

Just one of the things that we talk about is believing in yourself. Don’t you believe in yourself enough to invest in yourself?

We talk about what is going on in that head of yours 24/7 and how to control those thoughts to make a difference in your life and to expand your mental model of the world.

Much of what people believed 200 years ago we know now is not true. For example George Washington would have probably lived a lot longer if they had not put leeches on him which sucked out about two pints of blood while he was ill. What do you think?

Some things that we think about today will probably be viewed as silly a hundred or two hundred years from now.

What will not be silly is working to improve yourself now, and in the future.

Sorry Bob, but I see your future, and it doesn’t look very bright to me. But you can change and grow and have a better life. I guarantee it.

If not mine, try someone’s seminar.

One of the questions I get a lot is “Step, how do I improve my Customer Satisfaction? I want to, but it just doesn’t seem to get any better.”

Customer satisfaction is not a one-person job. I have seen where companies make a job called “customer satisfaction representative” or “customer service person,” or whatever, and they handle customer complaints, or they write letters to people to ask them to believe that they are interested in customer service.

I got a letter this week from someone that I bought something from, and the letter said we know your experience may not have been the best, but we are trying to fix it. You may receive a survey from the manufacturer of this product and we would hope you could say that your experience was great.

What do you think? I do not make this up. A friend of mine went to the same store a week earlier and said he got the same letter.

Instead of sending a letter, why not fix the problem? Why not come up with a plan that everyone buys into?

I am fine with things if they are not right, like with remodeling when there is construction dust. I am OK if the computers go down and someone tells me what is going on and how they are going to fix it.

What I am not OK with is the people that don’t seem to care. They walk around like they just have to get to Friday, so they can have the “strong-end” off.

We have our offices in a tall office building in Beverly Hills, so there are many businesses in the building with us. One of these businesses must be the worst place to work in the world.

We run into these people in the elevator, in the parking garage, in places for lunch, and they are always talking about how they are going to get through the afternoon, or that it is “hump day.”

I know the top people in the business and they are interested in customer satisfaction, but how can they possibly achieve customer satisfaction when nobody wants to work there? They keep wondering why people don’t rate them higher. They have all of the technology, and beautiful office space for their customers. Everyone is spit and polish, tie and shirt, black shoes, and so forth. Very, very professional. Why is their customer satisfaction low?

You know that people to people is the heart of customer satisfaction. You may need other things, but if people feel that people care, then it is about that simple.

Not that there are not other things that need to be done for customer satisfaction, but if your people are good that is a great start.

Don’t know how to make your people better? Try letting them run your business. They are now anyway, and that ability to be able to make decisions will make the people feel and be important.

Another question I get is, “Well if I let people run my business won’t they make mistakes?” Yes, but according to a recent survey you are going to make mistakes 70% of the time when you make a decision. And if you coach people after they make a mistake, they won’t do it again. They will understand the business better and will be better in the future, and feel like a stakeholder in the company.

Isn’t that what you want: better people, better ideas?

1. The customer is Not always right
2. You have to have happy employees
3. Do you have the right tools?
4. Do you have the authority?
5. Have you decided your service level?
6. Procedures and the Customer Satisfaction Index

Do you think that you are lacking in some quality? Why is that? Is there really any rational belief for this feeling, or did someone say something that made you feel that way.

Do you feel inadequate about something in your life, or about you?

First of all, is there any reason to believe in your perceived inadequacy? Why?

Take these unwanted thoughts and say to yourself that they are not true, or that they don’t make any difference. Stop believing in shortfalls, and start seeing the good and the powerful in your life.

Make that self-talk positive.

PS: Check out the recent Weekly Challenges as an introduction or to find a new success technique.