Yesterday, at my son’s football camp, I noticed that whenever he went out for a pass during scrimmage, he’d stop, wave his arms wildly, and call out to the quarterback, “I’m open! I’m open!”

The quarterback would glance in Cooper’s direction and see what the rest of us saw—the defender standing just behind Cooper, ready to intercept the pass—and he’d either throw to a different receiver or run the ball.

Cooper was clearly becoming frustrated.

During a break in the scrimmage, I approached him and shared this advice: “Coop, if you want the quarterback to throw you the ball, you must give him a reason to. You need to make yourself a compelling target.”

Cooper’s eight years old, so I defined “compelling” for him as commanding attention; having a powerful and irresistible effect.

It occurred to me that this advice applies to business as well. Businesses, whether large organizations or sole proprietorships, must give prospective customers a reason to consider them. They must make themselves compelling in order to attract their attention and compete for their business.

What do you do to make yourself and your business compelling to prospective customers?

• showcase powerful testimonials?
• build a website or social media presence that commands attention?
• present an irresistible offer?
• distinguish your products and services from those of your competitors?

In business, as on the football field, if you’re not compelling, then you will likely become frustrated. Instead of being noticed, you may be ignored. And instead of being irresistible, you may just become irrelevant.

So what makes you or your business compelling?

Do you pay attention to the greetings and farewells you receive as a customer?

I do.

Here are a few that I’ve received lately:

Last weekend, as I pulled up to the Krispy Kreme drive-thru window, this was my greeting: “$16.65”

That was it. I was greeted with the total cost of my order.

After paying, the cashier handed me my doughnuts saying, “Your receipt’s in the bag.”

That was my farewell. Nothing more. This employee seemed to prioritize efficiency: processing more customers faster.

And earlier this week, after spending $62.15 on groceries at Albertsons, I received this farewell: [Cashier speaking into register phone handset] “I’m at (register) six. Do you want me to bank out on (register) seven?”

That was it. I was completely ignored by the cashier as he chose to focus on his real priority: getting the hell out of there.

Compare these employee interactions with the one I had at Chick-fil-A last night:

As I approached the drive-thru intercom, here’s how I was greeted: “Welcome to Chick-fil-A! How may I serve you?”

And the experience ended on a refreshing note as well. In place of the typical fast-food industry sendoff of “No problem” (in response to a customer’s “Thank you” upon receiving his to-go order), I received an elegant “It’s my pleasure.”

Ladies and gentlemen, Chick-fil-A is a quick service restaurant—like Krispy Kreme or McDonald’s. The difference is that Chick-fil-A genuinely prioritizes customer service and this is reflected in the behavior and language of its employees.

If a quick service restaurant can do it, there’s hope for the rest of the service industry.

Care to share any memorable greetings or farewells you’ve received?

I recently came across a list of attributes possessed by volunteers—whether candy stripers at a local hospital, political activists along the campaign trail or parents donating their time at their children’s elementary school.

The list included:

• Passion: Authentic energy and enthusiasm in support of a cause
• Commitment: The act of pledging or engaging oneself to a cause
• Positive attitude: Optimism in the pursuit of desirable outcomes, regardless of circumstances

It occurred to me that the qualities attributed to an effective volunteer also describe a successful frontline employee in the service industry.

Customer service transactions benefit from employees who have a genuine passion to serve others, commit to placing the needs of customers ahead of their own, and display a positive attitude—even when facing long lines or demanding customers.

The fact that the qualities of volunteers and frontline service providers are similar is not surprising since one of the truths of exceptional customer service is that it is always voluntary. Employees choose to smile, make eye contact, add energy to their voice, anticipate needs, pay attention to detail, display a sense of urgency, follow-up or any number of other behaviors that convey exceptional customer service.

And because exceptional customer service is voluntary, you and I (as customers) seldom receive it. Employees may be required to answer phones, secure valid methods of payment or perform numerous other job functions but they cannot be ordered to display passion, commitment or a positive attitude—these are personal choices.

Oftentimes service industry employers post “Help Wanted” signs to attract job applicants. Perhaps they should post “Volunteers Needed” signs instead?

What do you think?

In the 1990s, I worked for a hands-on general manager named Mark Conklin who frequently attended morning pre-shift meetings throughout the hotel.

At one such meeting in the housekeeping department, I was invited to deliver a short presentation on delighters—those “little extras” that would pleasantly surprise or even “Wow!” hotel guests. During the presentation I asked the housekeepers for illustrations of these delighters. As they provided examples, I captured them on a flipchart.

Their list was impressive, including such unexpected amenities as: in-room coffee makers and safes, complimentary stationery, telephones with multiple data ports, etc. (Keep in mind that this list was created in 1993.) Today’s list might include: complimentary WiFi, upgraded bedding packages and bathroom fixtures, iPod docking stations, etc.

As I was recording the last delighter on the flipchart, Mark posed this question to the group, “How about a clean room?”

He went on to emphasize that, while delighters and service heroics are sexy, are trumpeted by the marketing folks, and often praised by guests, none of the “little extras” will matter if we take for granted the big things. And in a hotel, cleanliness is a very big thing.

The other day, I read something that made me think of that pre-shift meeting so many years ago… I read that today’s customers “expect and demand” social customer service—the interaction that occurs between an organization and its customers using social media channels.

At best, this statement is a reach. What customers really “expect and demand” is for companies to deliver on their brand promises. That may mean a cell phone call that doesn’t drop, an insurance agent who is responsive to a claim, or a hotel room that’s spotless.

A cellular company’s Klout score is a distant concern for a customer who can’t get a signal to make a phone call. The quality of an insurance company’s tweets is insignificant to a customer who can’t reach their agent to file a claim. And the number of “Likes” garnered by a hotel’s corporate Facebook page matters little to a guest who has discovered hair—or worse—between their sheets.

In the same way we had shifted our focus to “Wowing!” hotel guests with delighters at the expense of the fundamentals in the ‘90s, many organizations today have been seduced into believing that social customer service will somehow compensate for their inability to consistently deliver the basics. It won’t.

There is a place for social customer service. It’s just not ahead of fulfilling your brand’s core promise.

What do you think?