On the heels of the 2009 summer camp season, our team huddled together in our office in Silicon Valley and we hit on a major theme moving forward.  2009 was a tough year for many companies–and this was true for lots of camps out there–computer camps, sports camps, any type of summer camp, really.  We fared better than most.  Some camps are no longer standing.  We’re still standing–and we might say, thriving.  And we’re appreciative.

We made a little money.  We tightened the belt while still running amazing camps.  But we still had this feeling that we wanted to take our company to a whole new space.  We thought, “We worked hard to survive the Great Recession, so how can we thrive in 2010?  What are we going to do differently to take it to another level?”

One of our initiatives?  POSITIVELY OUTRAGEOUS SERVICE.  Southwest Airlines is one of my favorite companies…and we already have a bit of a whacky culture anyways.  So, we stole the POS acronym from them.  (Full disclosure.)  But I cannot expect my staff to provide POS if I don’t live it myself.  Today, I made Cuban coffee for the team and went around the office with a cart.

That's me, serving my Client Service manager.

We don’t want to feel good about what we’re doing.  We want to feel great about it.  Most of our moms, dads, campers and staff know that we have a passion for service, but we always think we can do better.  In this case, I think my team was excited about the fact that I would go out of my way to make them coffee, and serve it to them personally.  They didn’t ask for it, and didn’t expect it.  And that’s the basis for how we define POS.

It looks staged, but they truly loved the coffee.

OK, back to POS.  Here are some things we already do.  We’ve been doing things this way since iD was born.  It’s just part of our DNA:

• We don’t have a phone tree.  When you call us up, our benchmark is to pick up the phone within 3 rings.
• I personally don’t have an office.  I sit with the client services group.  It keeps me in the know, and close to our clients.  It allows me to listen, and to act fast.
• When a client emails us, I expect the email to get answered the same day. Max 24 hours.
• Out at camp, we expect personalized diplomas from our staff.
• We expect our summer staff to assist with luggage for our overnight campers.
• We expect our technology instruction to be energetic, informative, and unlike anything the students have done before.

These are simple examples of some of our current expectations–and things we do very well already.

So, where do we want to go this year?  Here’s what Positively Outrageous Service means to us:

• We know we want to routinely perform “the unexpected.”  (Think delivering coffee at 3 PM on a random afternoon!)
• We want people to talk about our organization and our brand.  (The CEO of iD made coffee and carted it around!)
• We don’t want to pre-define POS in concrete terms.  It limits our creativity.  (What will I come up with next?)
• We do, however, want to illustrate samples of POS for our internal departments and summer staff, so individuals can visualize what the possibilities are.
• We want our employees to feel empowered to deliver POS–to take some risks and have fun along the way.  (It was fun today.  It gave people a reason to laugh.)
• POS can come in many forms, but the bottom line is to thrill the client in new and unexpected ways.  (It is OK to thrill your employees too!)  Sometimes it might cost a few dollars to make a client happy.  But it is not about money.  Is is about going the extra mile on behalf of the client or camper–and not treating them like another number or commodity.

POS, to us, is something that comes to our team naturally.  It doesn’t bend us in unnatural ways.  We can only deliver POS if we already have a strong culture of service–and if all the people in the company “get it.”  So, be careful who you hire!  We have an awesome foundation already.  The team has to want it, and understand it.  And be smart enough, and sensitive enough, to deliver it.

I am meeting with my client service group weekly to ask each individual how they have delivered POS.  I want to see the proof.  I want the stories.  And I want people to talk about us.  This attitude extends out to our summer camps as well.  The spirit of service is partly why we survived 2009, and will thrive even more in 2010.  A lot of companies talk about great customer service.  Most of it is blah blah blah, right.  Truly, few companies get it.  We do.

And, if you have any doubts about POS, please remember this.  You can always call Captain Curry.  The Captain heads up our Client Services group.  Really.  Don’t believe me?  Give us a call.  We’ll pick up in 3 rings or less.  If we don’t, I owe you a coffee!

Hope to see you out at camp!

Sincerely,

Pete I-C

Captain Curry delivers POS

iD Nation,

We’re rounding the corner to Summer 2009.  Our camps are thriving right now, and interest is at an all-time high for our summer computer camps.  But what makes a camp unique?  What makes iD Tech Camps unique?  SImply put:  It’s people.  Check out a few of the cool photos from a few of the very cool and creative people that are responsible for bringing iD Tech Camps to you.

A company that celebrates its employees is a company that thrives.

From our team of Regional Managers, Client Services Representatives, Admin folks, Field Services, IT and Marketing…the best team in the camp business is counting down the days until summer.  We are ready for an amazing summer.  Climb aboard!

-Pete

It is always fun to keep tabs on former iD Tech Camps employees. Bryan used to work in accounting, but several of our people still keep in contact with him. It is also a good idea to keep tabs on MC Hammer. It looks like he is doing well.

This is pretty much a random post–although it should be mentioned that the “Can’t Touch This” video blazed the trail with superior cinematography–the kind of music video kids can get a taste for creating in our Digital Video camp course at iD Tech Camps. (The plug had to happen!)

Can’t touch this! Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh…

Bryan hanging with MC Hammer

Don’t get me wrong, I love running summer camps, but my wife gave me the night off last night and I hit Blowfish Sushi with DJ Roque (one of our awesome new client services representatives at iD Tech Camps).

Roque let me take over the tables and taught me a lot about music and the industry.  Heck, we run a summer camp, so I hope I know how to have some fun.  I must say, the crowd was hopping and the transitions were pretty smooth. Roque was nervous at first-especially after about 30 people left the place (it was like a small exodus) but my natural Maltese-Irish-American rhythm was on display and it’s something you either have, or you don’t.  I quickly hit my groove, and even Roque decided to get up and dance.  “Play that funky music, Pete Boy” the crowd chanted.  I turned it up and the rest was history.  Or infamy.

Roque sent out a few pics to the company this AM and here are a few comments.  Thanks for your support, folks.  Based on all the enthusiasm and fan support, you just might find me bringing down the house in a location near you!  It feels good to be the first CEO / DJ ever at Blowfish Sushi.  We did make history.

“We need this on the blog, this is awesome!! Great pic!”

“Get down Pete! You look like a natural!”

“DJ PETE ROCK specializes in providing professional services for a variety of special events from Wedding Receptions, School Dances, Corporate Events & Private Parties!”

“So I guess this means you’ll be officiating, cooking and dj-ing at our wedding. Sweet! What other hidden talents do you have that I can utilize?”

“And Barack thought he was cool! Ha!”

“Did you just get out of jail?”

“Who dresses you?”

“You are totally faking it.”

“When you started, there were 100 people on the dance floor.  Three minutes into it, I thought they had closed the club.  But the cleaning crew appreciated getting out of there early.”

It is all about the Facial Expressions

You got it or you don't

]]> http://www.internaldrive.com/2009/04/10/dj-pete-rock-in-da-house/feed/ 13 http://www.internaldrive.com/2009/03/17/happy-st-patricks-day-from-id-tech-camps/ http://www.internaldrive.com/2009/03/17/happy-st-patricks-day-from-id-tech-camps/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:42:04 +0000 Pete http://www.internaldrive.com/?p=21472

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Nina started the day off right by playing a jig/reel every hour on the hour from the hallway. You should have heard this place! The only time things went silent today was when Nina had to sneak off to the dentist.

Nina playing a jig

Not to be outdone, we had two of iD Tech Camps new Client Services representatives get into the spirit as well! Side note, I checked back in with them at 4:45PM today and they still had their hats on. Good stuff, guys! This proves you can work, have fun, and still run the best summer computer camps in the country. Keep it up team!

The CS Team is into it!

Janine and Roque showing their spirit

You may have already heard the news, but just in case you haven’t, iD Tech Camps has expanded to several new locations for our 2009 season! Recognizing the importance of exposing students to the wonderful world of technology, the arts, science, and beyond, we’ve also introduced the iD Programming Academy for teens ages 13-18. Students in this program will stay at Stanford University, learn from and personally work with industry professionals and real NASA researchers.

Be sure to check out our new and exciting locations, listed below. Our goal was to both respond to parent and student feedback about where they’d like to see our camps and simultaneously spread out to new and awesome areas.

• Stanford University -New Programming Academy
• Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO
• Wesleyan University in Middleton, CT
• Rollins College in Orlando, FL
• Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN
• University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS
• Long Island Summer Camp in Long Island, NY
• New York University (NYU) in New York, NY
• Ohio State University in Columbus, OH
• American University in Washington D.C.
• McGill University-New iD Film Academy Location in Montreal, Quebec

We also offer Continuing Education Units for our teen students! Get a jump start on your college units at iD Tech Camps and our Teen Academies!

I recently interviewed one of our former campers who we have featured on our website.  He attended our computer camp for five seasons and is now gearing up for college.  His story is extraordinary – but one that is replicated in big and small examples each summer.

Whether you’re contemplating joining a gym for the new year or signing up for an AP class in high school, several questions guide your decision. What will come of your effort? Will it be worth the time, energy and money? Questions like these plague parents and students on a daily basis. The fact of the matter is: we’re driven by the prospect of attaining positive results. Paying that monthly gym membership fee is a lot easier when you’re happy with your health and appearance as a result. Likewise, if a student passes his AP History exam with flying colors, that means potentially one less “boring” lower-division class in college – all those extra studying hours will have been worth it.

So when the question comes up of whether or not to attend iD summer computer camps, we’re breaking it down using this same method. Kids and teens who attend iD see immediate positive results in a variety of areas including: increased confidence, exposure to new and exciting fields, preparedness for school and even college, making new friends in a social setting, and more.  Long-term results are even more impressive. The fact is that iD Tech Camps inspires students to reach beyond themselves and aspire to do something big. What students take away from their experience at one of our 60 prestigious locations is more than you can confine to a resume (although it definitely looks good on paper too).  We conducted a survey over the summer with our iD student alumni, and the results were incredible.  We found that 94% of former iD students go on to college.  94%.  That’s significant.  We think our camps fulfill a fun, educational niche that many students just wouldn’t get otherwise.

Take a look at Ian Cinnamon. He attended iD Tech Camps for five summers. When I caught up with him the other day, my jaw dropped when he told me what he’d been up to.

Excerpt from interview with Ian:

iD: How has attending iD Tech Camps inspired you?

Ian: At 15, I wrote Programming Video Games for the Evil Genius (McGraw-Hill, 2008), at 16, I became a programmer/developer for the Apple iPhone creating several applications including “Car Finder” which was recently featured in the New York Times. Last summer I led my Harvard-Westlake (Los Angeles) rocketry club to the national “Team America’s Rocketry Challenge” competition and was recently approved by NASA as a government contractor for the Student Launch Initiative. I’ve also been involved in two UCLA science internships. The common denominator in all these activities is my love of programming and engineering which took root at iD Tech.

You can read more about Ian here.

Granted, Ian’s results are quite extraordinary, but big things can be measured in small ways too.  Better grades.  Higher self esteem.  Even simple happiness.  iD Tech Camps inspires students to take what they learn at camp and apply it in countless ways to benefit them in the future.

Want to learn more about other iD Tech Camps Alumni and their accomplishments? Check out our Do Something Big page to be further inspired.

Start your own success story with us this summer.

-Donna