Customer service reps who make me laugh create positive memories for me—of them, the service experience, and the company or brand they represent. Using appropriate humor is an authentic way for employees to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

Here’s an example from my local Starbucks drive-thru. I pulled up to the speaker to place my order and the conversation went something like this:

Me: “I’d like a Double Shot with Energy.” (Note: Energy is a supplement that Starbucks adds to its beverages upon request.)
Barista: “I’m sorry but we’re out of Energy this morning.”

Me: “Yeah, I can hear it in your voice.” : )
Barista: “Oh wait! I lied. I found some more Energy!”
Me: “Yeah, I can hear it in your voice.” : )

I then pulled up to the drive-thru window where I was greeted with:

Barista: “Was that a Grande Double Shot with Energy?”
Me: “Yes. Sorry—I don’t think I mentioned the size.”

Barista: “That’s okay. I’m psychic. I heard it in your voice.” : )
Me: “Ha! Ha!”

Compare this exchange with a typical drive-thru interaction at a quick service restaurant. What’s different about it? It was so unique to me that I’ve already shared the story with dozens of people and have blogged about it. When so many retail transactions are characterized by indifference, experiences like this one are a breath of fresh air!

I welcome your comments—if you have the energy! ; )

Sharing unique knowledge that goes beyond the common, mundane, and expected information (i.e., job knowledge) is an effective way to express one’s uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

Unique knowledge is not the same as job knowledge. Job knowledge is necessary for an employee to be proficient in his or her job role. It is expected by the customer and, generally speaking, is transactional—not memorable. Unique knowledge, when provided by the employee, is unexpected, refreshing, valued, and memorable!

To illustrate, allow me to share a true story: One evening a former colleague and I were discussing customer service and he asked me, “Steve, what are some of the names of the meeting rooms at the hotel where you work?” I responded, “Odets, Wilder, Cantor, Jolson…” He interrupted, “If I were a customer and asked you why the meeting room was named Odets, what would you say?” I thought about it a moment and realized that I didn’t know the significance of the name Odets. I admitted this saying, “You know, I just got so used to the name representing a meeting room that I didn’t really give it much thought.”

My colleague made the point that it’s our responsibility to know the significance of proper names and to learn the histories and stories that reflect the cultures, neighborhoods, and buildings in which we work. This unique knowledge has character, is memorable, and—from the customer’s perspective—may be the difference between an ordinary transaction and a unique experience.

I took his advice to heart and later learned that the Odets meeting room was named after the playwright Clifford Odets who wrote the plays Waiting for Lefty and Awake and Sing. Several of the hotel’s meeting rooms were named after other well-known playwrights. Having this unique knowledge to share with customers enabled me to provide a richer, more interesting experience for them and certainly beat the alternative response: “I don’t know.”

How about you? What unique knowledge do you possess that is relevant to your workplace and will leave a lasting impression on your customers?

Providing a pleasant surprise that adds an unexpected perk to an otherwise ordinary experience, is an effective way to express one’s uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

Have you ever received an unexpected upgrade, a complimentary appetizer, or some other pleasant surprise when you were not expecting it? How did it make you feel? I bet you can recall many details from the experience—probably because you’ve shared the story with others many times.

My wife was once sought out by a United Airlines flight attendant who thanked Julie by name for flying the airline as she handed her a coupon for a complimentary in-flight glass of wine. Not only was Julie pleasantly surprised, she continues to go out of her way to fly United Airlines, in part, due to positive memories like this one.

Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A restaurants, loves to add service touches that people don’t expect from a fast-food restaurant. Here are just a few pleasant surprises you’re likely to find at your local Chick-fil-A:

• After your order has been fulfilled, you’ll hear “My pleasure” rather than “No problem.”
• At the bottom of your to-go bag of food you’ll find one individually wrapped mint for each meal ordered.
• If you use the restroom, you’ll find that the last sheet of toilet paper is folded into a triangular point—similar to a luxury hotel.

Each of these service touches has the potential to pleasantly surprise customers and, as a result, to make a lasting positive impression!

How about you? Have you provided a pleasant surprise to a customer lately—or been on the receiving end of a pleasant surprise yourself?