Yellow: How to create a culture of service and stand up for the customers

By David Gómez

YELLOW
How to create a culture of service and stand up for the customers.
A business parable inspired by real-life events.

STOP COMPLAINING AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN
Companies make great efforts to win a client, only to lose it later because of a poor service attitude. Different areas work internally like silos, disconnected from reality and the needs of the people they claim to serve.
But, what if after an exhausting day, you take a taxi and what happens inside the vehicle transforms the way you see your job? What if somebody showed you that it's possible to change your reality if you change your attitude? What if reality is not a cause, but a consequence? What if we got up every morning happy to do our jobs because it's not merely a monotonous task, but it fulfills a higher purpose? What then?
What if a humble cab driver became our greatest teacher? Welcome to Yellow, a journey through our own reality.
YELLOW is based on a real experience, with a real taxi driver; someone who despite all the adversities decided to make the difference for his passengers and make his work meaningful. This is the story of Miguel Gonzalez, a driver whose teachings transformed the lives of Neptune Packaging employees, a business like any other that needed desperately to connect with and get passionate about that weird specimen called the customer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bien Pensado
• Release date: Aug 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9783964548078

Book preview

DAVID GOMEZ

YELLOW

How to create a culture of service

and stand up for the customers

A business parable inspired

by real-life events

YELLOW

© David Gomez, 2018

All rights reserved.

Author: David Gomez

[e-mail]

1st edition in English: August 2018

Cover design by Bien Pensado

Drawings by David Garcia

Translated into English by Paul Jaramillo Birmaher

Edited in English by Sandra Beckwith

Original title in Spanish: Yellow

While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, business, sales, marketing, or other professional service. If expert assistance is required, the service of a competent professional person should be sought. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. The author uses names in an editorial way only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention infringement of the trademark. While the author has made every effort to provide accurate information and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third party websites or their content. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise. Sharing or distributing any part of this book without permission of the publisher, constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [e-mail]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights. 

Important clarification

This isn’t a biographical story. Therefore, it doesn’t depict in whole or in part the lives of characters in the real world. It has been inspired by a personal experience of the author and expressed from his perspective, which has been used as a starting point for this fictional story.

* * *

Enjoy Yellow original soundtrack:

yellowattitude.net/soundtrack

Table of Contents

What if

Necessity is the mother of creativity

A few months later

Neptune Packaging

Higher purpose

Different purposes

Finding purpose at work

What’s needed is a firm hand

Back with the logistics team

Lisa’s purpose

Isabel’s purpose

James’ purpose

George’s purpose

Personal Impact Pyramid

Exceed expectations

Prepare

Dream

Take action

The sweet smell of success

At any given business

The 5 lessons

How to implement the 5 lessons

Do a job you can feel proud of

It is possible

Someone who made a difference

About the author

Acknowledgments

What if

What if after an exhausting day, you take a taxi and what happens inside the vehicle transforms the way you see your job? What if somebody showed you that it’s possible to change your reality if you change your attitude? What if reality is not a cause, but a consequence? What if we got up every morning happy to do our jobs?

What if a humble cab driver became our greatest teacher? Welcome to Yellow, a journey through our own reality.

Necessity is the mother of creativity

It’s pouring rain. Night is falling and Louis roams the eastern area of the city looking for his last passenger before he calls it a day. The fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror sway from side to side while he listens to music at full volume and keeps the rhythm, tapping the steering wheel with his hands.

He speeds up to get through a yellow light and spots a man with a rickety umbrella waving his hand from a distance, trying to get his attention. Louis brakes in front of the man, splashing him a bit, and while lowering the passenger window a couple of inches, he asks:

Where to?

Founders neighborhood, answers the rain-soaked man.

I’m not headed that way, says Louis, pulling away as he turns the music back up.

It was a day like any other.

* * *

As the sun breaks, in another part of the city is Miguel.

In all the years he’s been a cab driver, he’s never faced a situation as tough as this one. He doesn’t own the cab he drives, so he has to pay a daily rental. After covering the cost of gas, keeping the vehicle clean, and the taxi company’s fee, the money left after working more than 12 hours a day is minimal.

When his wife Mary gets up to wake their son and take him to daycare, she sees Miguel in the living room watching the news.

Why haven’t you gone out to work? she asks, surprised.

There’s a strike again, he answers as he points to the TV with a resigned expression.

It can’t be, replies Mary sadly.

Seconds of deafening silence go by. Mary sits down and with tear-filled eyes, adds:

We don’t have enough money. They won’t give me any more credit at the store and the rent is overdue. Things can’t go on like this, Miguel. You’ve got to go out and make money today, even if there’s a strike, or they’re burning tires, or spreading tacks on the road . . . I don’t care what’s happening; you can’t just stay here, doing nothing.

Miguel remains silent, awaiting the inevitable. Mary goes on, laying her hands on her belly.

Our baby girl is due in two months, and if we don’t have enough for ourselves right now, what are we going to do then? Are we going to ask our neighbors to give us milk and diapers?!

"And just what