If you would all take a minute to indulge me, I’d like to share with you an experience I had this morning that I couldn’t help but write about. I’ll start with some contributing factors:
- I fought with my mother last night over wedding planning;
- I woke up at 5:30am to swim (training for a triathlon)
- I packed a giant lunch but no breakfast.
All this lead to the thought, “I need a Starbucks!”
So, I head over to the nearest Starbucks; Willow Park Village in Calgary. I patiently (not so patiently) wait in line behind two other people. I get to the front and I am greeted with a lovely warm smile from the young lady behind the counter.
I put in my order: Venti (we need to go big today) Chai Tea Latte and a Breakfast Sandwich.
The barista asks for my name: Tracy.
She proceeds to tell me a story about some news she heard on the radio today that the name Tracy has fallen out of the top names for new babies being born.
The story is not the win here; the win is that a total stranger to me (all of us in customer service), was successfully able to brighten my entire day by creating an experience for me. She made me feel important. She treated me like I was the only one there. And I got a delicious beverage to boot!
We often look at Customer Service as a mandatory part of being in business. But the magic doesn’t lay in the presence of a person (or a piece of technology for that matter) that simple does the job. The magic lies in people (or partners) that live the creation of an experience – day by day.
So, whether it’s your Starbucks barista, your insurance rep handling your claim, or your front-line retail staff, make the case for surprising and delighting your customers your corporate policy.
All you’ll do is reap amazing benefits.