Last weekend marked the grand opening of Sprouts Farmers Market in Aurora, CO. The parking lot was teeming with cars so I dropped my wife off near the entrance and then circled the lot until I found a parking spot towards the front of the store.

Anticipating a delay due to the grand opening crowds, I put a movie on for the kids, opened a window, and relaxed. It was a beautiful day. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, there was a slight breeze, and every now and then I’d get a glimpse of some fresh produce or breads sticking out of shopping bags as customers made their way to their cars.

I was now beginning to daydream—anticipating my own lunch made with toasted sourdough bread, fresh produce, choice meats, and select cheeses from Sprouts. Ah…

About that time, a Sprouts employee emerged from the store, leaned back against the building’s façade about ten feet from where I’d parked, and lit a cigarette—drawing deeply before exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Mood killer.

As I was downwind, I immediately closed the windows and then thought about how smoking and its residual effects (i.e., second-hand smoke, clothing odor, etc.) are incompatible with what Sprouts is attempting to promote: freshness and healthy living.

I don’t smoke. You may have gathered that already. And my hunch is that the majority of Sprouts customers, who are intentional about planning healthy meals using the freshest ingredients, don’t smoke either.

I’m no prude. I’ve smoked cigars on golf courses and in cigar bars. My point is not to bag on smokers. I will, however, bag on Sprouts for its failure to establish standards that reinforce its mission statement which includes: “…helping America eat healthier (and) live longer…”

If employees are permitted to smoke on the premises, it should not be evident to customers—by sight or smell. It’s simply incompatible with what Sprouts promotes and what its customers expect.

In addition to that, it’s a mood killer. And if customers are in the mood to spend money, it’s a business killer too.

I was in New York City for a business trip a week or so before my 10-year wedding anniversary. One afternoon, I stopped by the Tiffany & Co. flagship store on 6^th Avenue to look at anniversary rings.

A thoughtful representative named Duncan showed me several rings as he explained some of the nuances of color, cut, clarity, and carat weight.

The rings looked magnificent beneath the showroom lights. I recall that of the half dozen or so rings that I looked at, there was one that I kept going back to. Duncan noticed it too. And, of course, it cost 25 percent more than the others.

After about 30 minutes together, I thanked him for his time and told him that I wouldn’t be buying the ring today. I mentioned that I had an appointment in two days with a representative at the Denver location of Tiffany & Co. He congratulated me on my 10-year anniversary and wished me luck in finding the perfect ring.

Two days later I arrived at the Denver location of Tiffany & Co. and met with a representative named Cynthia. Cynthia brought me into a private room to show me a set of anniversary rings that she had selected based on the criteria we discussed. As she revealed each successive ring, she would say something like, “Now, this ring combines the color you are hoping for with the mounting we talked about.”

After introducing several rings in this way, Cynthia produced the final ring saying, “Now, this is the ring that you were especially taken by when Duncan was showing you rings at the 6^th Avenue store on Tuesday.”

I was absolutely floored! I said something like, “Huh? What? How did you…?”

Cynthia sensed my astonishment, smiled, and then explained that she had received a call from Duncan shortly after I’d left the 6^th Avenue store and that together they had made arrangements for the ring to be shipped overnight from New York City to the Denver location of Tiffany & Co. in time for my appointment.

Duncan and Cynthia worked together to deliver customer service that was completely beyond the realm of customer expectation. I had no reason to expect that the ring I’d looked at in New York would be among the options made available to me in Denver.

Does this level of customer service influence sales? Guess which ring I bought?

I wrote to the president of Tiffany and Co. about his employees’ legendary service and committed to “never purchase a significant piece of jewelry from a jeweler other than Tiffany and Co.”

After customers make such a commitment, there is no coupon or incentive program out there that is strong enough to lure them—and their future spending—away.

How about you? What retailer or brand are you committed to and why?

The other day I walked by a supermarket employee who was hanging out near the front entrance of the store smoking a cigarette.

I noticed him because it always confounds me when employers permit their employees to smoke someplace where non-smoking customers have to pass through their second-hand smoke in order to spend their money.

But that’s a topic from an earlier post…

This particular post centers on the employee’s admonishment of a customer who failed to return his shopping cart to a designated cart collection area.

After a customer positioned the front wheels of his cart on a median in the parking lot, the employee called out sarcastically, “Excuse me. That’s not where the cart goes!”

The customer either didn’t hear the comment or chose to ignore it.

Customers are not obligated to return shopping carts. It’s nice when they do but it’s not their responsibility any more than it’s a rental car customer’s responsibility to clean out the car’s interior before returning it.

At some point, employees have to assume responsibility for their job roles. That means gathering shopping carts, cleaning a rental car’s interior, or whatever their job descriptions entail.

Do you see the irony here? The employee who’s chastising the customer for failing to return the cart to a designated collection area is himself employed to gather shopping carts from the parking lot and return them to the store. That’s one of his job duties. It’s what he’s paid to do. The customer’s only obligation is to pay for his groceries.

I suppose if every customer returned his or her cart to a designated cart collection area then that would save this employee time and effort, perhaps allowing for more smoke breaks in front of the store—but then who would he heckle?

My family and I decided to try Carino’s Italian restaurant for the first time tonight. When we entered the restaurant, we were “greeted” by the hostess with the predictable, “How many?” before being seated. Our server approached our table within a minute or two, delivering interactive menus and crayons to the kids and menus to me and my wife.

Our server demonstrated the hospitality basics well. She smiled, made eye contact, and added a bit of enthusiasm to her voice. And she did not seem put off by my six-year-old’s tendency to vacillate during his beverage, entrée, and dessert orders.

Even so, there were several events that marred the experience:

• Our server repeated left the table empty-handed while paper wrappers, used paper napkins, plates, and glasses accumulated. One of the reasons we enjoy dining out is that we don’t have to look at the mess that a family of six produces during meals. Eventually, I stacked everything I could reach and asked that it be removed.
• Midway through our meal at around 7:00pm, another server completed what appeared to be her closing sidework (e.g., consolidating salt and pepper shakers, filling sugar packet caddies, etc.) at the table next to us—in full view of the guests dining around her. Instinctively, I checked my watch to see if it was later than I thought. That’s not the reaction you want your guests to have during their meals.
• Later, after our children had ordered dessert, the sundaes came out with no spoons. Remarkably, it took about four minutes for the spoons to arrive (that’s an hour and a half in kid time). By then, without the use of utensils, they had consumed every bit of their whipped cream—and did not seem to mind the traces on their noses…

As uninspiring as this service was, the low point of the evening came when our server delivered the family style pasta plate that my wife and I planned to split. Carino’s family style entrées are intended to serve 2-3 adults and, knowing that we were sharing this entrée, our server brought a plate for each of us. She handed me the large plate of pasta and set the two entrée plates on the table in front of me. I asked her if she could serve my wife—as she was seated at the opposite end of the table and we had four kids between us.

Her response floored me: “You do that.”

Now, I realize that Carino’s Italian is a fast-casual concept but it’s not a cafeteria. There were no buffets that I saw. That makes it a full service restaurant. Our server, in denying my simple request, missed an opportunity to serve her guests and moved what had been a neutral experience to a negative one.

So, even though I felt like there was value for the price paid (our bill came to $56.00 for a family of six – including entrées, salads, beers, desserts, and a double espresso), I likely will not return to Carino’s Italian restaurant. There are plenty of other restaurants out there with higher standards for table service whose servers are also willing to serve.

Earlier this month, I stopped by Hooters for lunch. During my hour-long visit, my table was “touched” by three separate Hooters Girls (my server, Felicia, and two others: Lillie and Kassity) and the manager, Ben.

I don’t always do so well remembering names but they made it easy for me. Two of the servers signed a napkin at my table and all four employees were wearing name tags that were clearly visible. That’s not always the case in many establishments.

All that attention not only made me feel valued as a customer, it also made an impression on me. Instead of feeling like just another restaurant “cover,” I felt as though this dining experience had been personalized—like the napkin—just for me. The staff expressed genuine interest in me, the guest. It was unexpected and I was pleasantly surprised.

Providing and using names is necessary to establish rapport. And establishing rapport is necessary to build trust. And building trust is necessary to gain customer loyalty. And customer loyalty—and the future spending and referrals that come with it—is necessary for business success.

So, what’s in a name? Business success.

My family and I recently dined out at a quick service Mexican grill. While I was providing my order to the prep person behind the counter, I observed the sales transaction of the customer who was ahead of me. At no point during the transaction did the cashier smile or even make eye contact with the customer. In fact, the irony was that the customer said “thank you” as he accepted his receipt. Even so, she still did not acknowledge him.

We have all experienced this level of apathy from “service providers” at restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, etc. In fact, we may have just become accustomed to it. Our expectations, in some cases, may have been dulled by the frequency of mediocre service that we encounter as we dine, travel, and shop.

This was a reminder to me that it would have cost nothing more for the cashier to make eye contact with her customer, to smile, and (with “life” in her voice) say, “We appreciate your business. Thank you for coming in.” Or, a bit more daring, “Thank you for coming in. If those burritos don’t fill you up, come on back. We’ll make more!”

You see, that would have been interesting. That would have been unique. That would have brought a smile to the customer’s face and the experience would have been memorable. But, instead, the cashier just went through the motions, touched each transactional base (e.g., input order, process payment, provide receipt), and robotically, dispassionately moved on to the next functional sequence to satisfactorily process the next transaction.

It brings to mind what I would expect on an assembly line. Imagine an assembly line worker producing a children’s doll. Let’s say the final step in the process is to attach the doll’s head. The worker lifts a doll’s head from a large box, pops the head on the doll’s torso, and twists it firmly until it locks into place. One by one, the assembler “lifts, pops, and twists” the dolls’ heads until his quota is met or his shift ends. Tomorrow he will return and repeat the process over and over again (i.e., “Lift, pop, twist…Lift, pop, twist…) until the end of another workday.

The restaurant cashier may not have been working on a doll assembly line but the behavior was the same (i.e., Order, payment, receipt…Order, payment, receipt, etc.). Expressionless, robotic behavior devoid of any personality may be permissible in a factory environment or warehouse where there are no signs of real, live customers—as long as certain production quotas and delivery schedules are met.

In a customer-facing position, however, the behavior must be different.

In the current economy, while costs are increasing, pricing pressure is forcing businesses to reexamine their pricing strategies. In the case of restaurants, that may mean reducing portions, prices, or both. In the case of hotels, it may mean lowering their rates to increase market share, reducing amenities, trimming labor hours, and other “profit protection” strategies.

These are tough decisions that are indicative of difficult economic times.

Most operators seem to accept that the answers to navigating a recession are found in budgets, productivity reports, and P&L statements. While fiscal responsibility is necessary regardless of the economic landscape, the real key to sustained rapid improvement is to focus your people on focusing on customers. It costs nothing but a little proactive thinking and your time—which, especially in this economy, is time well spent.

Here are some examples:

Create awareness at pre-shift meetings:

“Who would like to describe for the group, in your own words, the difference between the role of an assembly line worker and your role as customer service providers?”

Reinforce standards through positive feedback:

“Emily, I noticed the way that customer responded to you after you thanked him personally by name. That’s just the sort of reaction we’re hoping to get with every customer. Great job!”

Reinforce standards through corrective feedback:

“Oscar, your eye contact and smile are great and your use of guests’ names is coming along. How can I help you to get better?”

Model desired behavior at all times:

As managers and supervisors, your decisions and behaviors (verbal and non-verbal) are constantly being scrutinized by others. As author Bob Farrell says in his training video, Leadership Pickles, “What they see is what you’ll get.” If employees detect management’s skepticism about a corporate initiative, then they too will be skeptical. If management acts with indifference toward customers, then employees will feel justified in doing so as well. What they see is what you’ll get.

Superior service doesn’t cost anymore to provide than mediocre service. Oh sure, it may require a few minutes of dialogue here and there as well as a concerted effort on the part of managers and supervisors to model the behaviors that are expected from their employees, but that’s no more than is already expected from a competent leader. I recall reading a Gallup statistic that revealed 65% of US employees surveyed claimed to have received no praise or recognition for their job performance in the previous year. Consistent, informal feedback from a credible source (i.e., one who practices what he or she preaches) will address this.

By applying these informal suggestions frequently, a service-based business will create more goodwill with its customers that will translate into enhanced loyalty, referrals, and repeat business. And here’s the best part: there are no buttons or banners or expensive, large-scale rollouts required. The only requirement is for managers to consistently apply the basic principles of communication, feedback, and recognition that embody leadership.

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 reinforced them by sharing the story with others.

Providing pleasant surprises that add unexpected perks to otherwise ordinary transactions, is an effective way to make lasting positive impressions on customers with little or no additional cost.

Here are three quick examples:

• I brought my Ford Expedition into the dealership for an oil change. When the maintenance was completed, an employee pulled it around front and, to my surprise, it had been washed and was gleaming! Wow—that was a memorable final impression of that experience!
• While using a self-service kiosk to pay for my groceries at Albertsons, I was approached by a store employee. She asked if I’d like a complimentary bottle of salad dressing that was being given away as a promotion. I gladly accepted and was pleasantly surprised by a complimentary 16 oz. bottle of Kraft Light Ranch salad dressing!
• And just last week, I stopped by Target to do some shopping. At the checkout register, the cashier rang up my purchases and then handed me a receipt together with a coupon for a complimentary Starbucks latte. Another pleasant surprise!

Providing pleasant surprises can transform bland and ordinary transactions (e.g., oil changes, retail checkouts, etc.) that will soon be forgotten, into unique and refreshing service experiences that will long be remembered!

My two oldest boys recently attended a cousin’s LEGO® Star Wars™ themed birthday party at the LEGO® Store. When they returned home, each was carrying a bright yellow LEGO party goodie bag and proudly wearing a LEGO name tag that had been personalized with his name. I asked them how they liked the party. “We had a blast!” they exclaimed as they dumped the contents of their goodie bags onto the kitchen table, revealing:

• A LEGO Club magazine
• LEGO Club membership card
• LEGO Store coupon good for $5 off $35 purchase
• LEGO Builder’s License
• LEGO Tips & Tricks card

Soon, they were extending their LEGO experience by immersing themselves in more LEGO activities (i.e., building models, reading their LEGO Club magazines, and going online to the website). While at the website, they identified models they would like to buy with the $5.00 store coupons they received in their goodie bags.

I said to my wife, “The party sounds like it cost a fortune.” To my surprise, she said it only cost our cousin around $125. And that included:

• A themed, hour-long birthday party at the LEGO Store for up to 10 children
• A $100 LEGO Gift Card for purchasing the sets each party guest will build and take home
• 10 invitations, 10 thank you cards and 10 name tags
• Dedicated LEGO host for the party
• Exclusive LEGO birthday brick for birthday child

Wow! The LEGO Store is doing it right on so many levels with its design of this birthday experience:

• By offering themes like LEGO® Star Wars™, LEGO® City, and others, parents can tailor the party’s theme towards their child’s preferences.
• By including the $100 LEGO Gift Card, they are adding tremendous value to the $125 cost of the party while, at the same time, providing the centerpiece party activity as well as parting gifts for the party guests!
• By including the invitations, thank you cards, name tags, and dedicated LEGO host for the party, they are saving work for the parents—which is always welcomed!
• Lastly, by providing an exclusive LEGO birthday brick for birthday boy or girl, they are reinforcing the child’s uniqueness by allowing him or her to receive something special that can only be received by a child whose birthday party is held at the LEGO Store!

While the children are busy building LEGO models, LEGO is building loyalty through value and the customer experience. Brilliant marketing by a brilliant brand!

Below are three true stories that illustrate the memorable customer service behavior: deliver service heroics. In order for us to have a common understanding of what it means to deliver service heroics, consider this definition: Going beyond the job duties that are expected of the employee.

1.) Earlier this year, I worked with a client who shared a story about how one of his front desk agents, Shannon, had established a genuine rapport with a repeat guest over many months. The pair laughed together about many things, including the guest’s own self-deprecating comments about his old age. For instance, on occasion he would jokingly refer to his need for Geritol. Unbeknownst to him, Shannon recalled their conversation and had a small bottle of Geritol waiting for him in his guest room when he returned and checked back into the hotel. Not only did Shannon’s gesture put a big smile on the guest’s face, it also reinforced the value she placed on their relationship.

Here’s an excerpt from a letter sent by the guest to the general manager of the hotel: “I recognize great customer service skills and your Shannon is a gem… She has made my stays at your hotel very memorable and I guarantee that, because of her, whenever I return to visit our branch in your wonderful city, I will stay at your hotel. I will also recommend your hotel to my associates, comrades, and even competitors.”

2.) A few years ago, my wife and I made plans to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. I’d made arrangements for my wife’s anniversary ring to be delivered to the hotel in time for our arrival. As it happened, there was a snow storm that day in Denver and we ended up canceling our plans to stay at the hotel.

I contacted the Tiffany & Co. store in Denver with my dilemma and my salesperson, Christine, assured me that she would take care of it. What happened next was legendary. The store arranged for one of its security guards to drive two hours south of the store to Colorado Springs where he located the UPS truck that carried the ring, provided the paperwork necessary to claim the package, and then drove it another hour and a half to our house.

He arrived at 9:00 pm and wouldn’t even accept a gratuity for his extra effort. Of course, I wrote Tiffany’s president about the service heroics and committed to “never purchase a significant piece of jewelry from a jeweler other than Tiffany & Co.” And I meant it.

3.) I recently saw a television commercial for Angie’s list, a company that pre-screens service companies for quality and reliability. In it, a customer phoned her plumber who was working on a repair at her house. She notified him that she was running late and was concerned about her little dog, Molly. Joe, the plumber, then did something unexpected. In the customer’s words: “Joe patiently paraded her up and down the street, sacrificing his time and dignity (he was a large man and Molly was an itty-bitty terrier) until her business was done. That’s why he’s the only plumber I’ll ever use.”

You see, when a hotel desk clerk surprises you with a bottle of Geritol, when a jewelry store security guard delivers a package to your front door in the snow, and when a plumber takes your dog for a walk, they are going beyond the job duties that are expected of them. They are delivering the unexpected—the memorable.

And they are reinforcing the personal importance of their customers. That is, the value these customers bring to the business through personal spending, loyalty, referrals, etc. In every one of the above examples, the customer cemented the relationship with a commitment to repurchase.

So, whenever you have an opportunity to spend a little more time with a customer or, in some other way, perform beyond the limitations of your job description, do it. It will be refreshing for you and memorable for your customers!

Sometimes, through no fault of your own, you find yourself overwhelmed by demanding customers who may feel entitled to immediate attention. Maybe a large tour group just arrived at your hotel or restaurant, or you’re short-staffed due to job vacancies, call-offs, or lean scheduling, and a line is forming…

In these instances, even careful planning and preparation may not result in the seamless service you’d like to provide to all of your customers. But there are ways to achieve stellar service even when faced with long lines and impatient customers:

Acknowledge the customer. Make eye contact and nod. A customer may feel anxious if you don’t acknowledge his presence—especially if other customers are also waiting to be served. Many delicatessens and government offices alleviate this anxiety by issuing numbers and serving customers in order.

Smile—a lot! Customers can easily detect tension in your body language. When they do, it may make them feel anxious and uncomfortable. The well-known communications study by Dr. Albert Mehrabian of UCLA, suggests that 55% of one’s likeability comes from the visual effect—her body language. Saying “I’ll be with you in just a minute” with a serious or critical expression on your face sends a far different message than if the same words were said through a smile.

Communicate early and often. Most customers will understand delays and other setbacks if there is adequate communication during the wait. Flight delays are a classic example of this. When there is adequate and reliable communication between the gate agents and passengers, then passengers can make use of the delay to work, shop, dine, etc. It’s when the communication is inadequate that passengers become restless and upset because they’re unable to venture from the gate area for fear of the plane boarding without them.

Re-deploy and cross-utilize staff. Apple Stores do a great job with this. If you need help on the sales floor, reps are there. When you’re ready to buy, there’s no line to wait in because the same rep can complete the purchase transaction with his hand-held payment device. Is your product stocked in the backroom? Don’t worry about a lengthy wait in some line—he will retrieve it for you personally.

Entertain. Disney does a great job of entertaining its customers while they wait in long lines to experience a ride or other attraction. By having characters interact with the guests or providing overhead flat screen television sets designed to entertain, prepare, and/or engage the guest while awaiting the attraction, Disney effectively reduces the perceived wait time of its guests.

Freebies. I once waited in a long line at a Starbucks store in Virginia. When I finally received my latte, the barista also handed me a free drink coupon. It was a nice touch. Most often, when customers wait in long lines, they feel helpless and taken for granted. In this case, I felt appreciated that my wait had been recognized and deemed unacceptable by the staff.

While it’s impossible to anticipate every variable that contributes to an operation being “in the weeds,” there are times when planning is the difference between exceptional and poor service quality. For instance, if you’re expecting a large group due to an earlier reservation then staff accordingly—even when this requires some creativity (e.g., reallocating staff from other departments or locations, utilizing temporary labor, etc.).

Maybe it’s not a staffing issue. Perhaps it’s a logistical issue. If so, anticipate the processes that you’ll need to address before the group arrives. In the hotel industry, that may be the arrival process (i.e., guest registration, baggage handling, etc.). A restaurant may suggest a prix fixe menu which will streamline the ordering process, resulting in more efficient table service during the event.

Most businesses benefit from receiving lots of customer traffic. When the traffic comes, whether anticipated or not, you must be prepared to address and serve your customers in ways that reflect the service priorities of your business.