Over Memorial Day weekend, I brought my son to a two-day basketball camp in Lakewood, CO. The first day, we stopped by an independent coffee shop (flanked to the north and south by Starbucks) where I ordered a double espresso in a ceramic cup for dine-in.

Cooper and I then took seats among the open tables. A few minutes later I heard the barista call out, “Double espresso!”

When I looked up, I saw my espresso order sitting on the far end of the bar. I got up, walked the 20 feet or so to the end of the bar, and retrieved my order. There, I noticed the barista talking with two other employees behind the counter and thought about the opportunity she missed to “go the extra mile” and deliver the order to my table. (For the record, there were three employees and five customers total in the coffee shop, with no customers in line waiting to be served.)

A few weeks ago I posted this blog containing three unique words that pertain to exceptional customer service. One of the words was cosset, which means to pamper or treat with excessive indulgence. I think of cosseting as a higher form of expressing genuine interest in a customer. It’s the subtle difference between handing customers’ purchases over the counter and walking around the counter to hand them directly to the customer, as do Nordstrom employees. It’s really nothing more than an extra step—a gesture of appreciation and respect. And it doesn’t go unnoticed.

The barista who fulfilled my order missed an opportunity to cosset her guest and, in so doing, make a positive lasting impression. Cynical employees might say, “C’mon, you’re perfectly capable of getting up and walking 20 feet to get your own espresso.” And they’re right—as my actions demonstrated.

Similarly, a guest in your home is capable of fetching her own cup of coffee but my hunch is that most of you will insist on serving her. And if you don’t, over time, I suspect you’ll have fewer guests in your home.

It’s no different at the local coffee shop. Over time, it too will have fewer guests to serve—starting with me. (We chose not to return on the second day of the camp, as there were plenty of other options nearby.)

Illustration: Aaron McKissen

Yesterday I met with Zane, a manager of a fast-casual restaurant. During our conversation, he shared some of the recurring challenges he faces in trying to elevate customer service at his restaurant.

One frustration he disclosed was the inability of his staff (with the exception of one or two “superstars”) to consistently provide exceptional customer service. According to Zane, when he challenges employees to “try a little harder” to provide exceptional customer service, the majority reply, “But I do everything I’m supposed to do.”

This response is quite telling and, I believe, holds the key to whether or not customer service quality will improve at his restaurant.

You see, the above employee lament highlights the mandatory aspect of job functions that are required of employees’ job roles—those tasks or duties that are expected by customers; that they’re supposed to do. Absent from this remark is anything that is not required, unexpected, and voluntary—what I refer to as job essence.

Most employees consistently execute mandatory job functions (that are expected by customers; that they are supposed to do) but inconsistently demonstrate voluntary job essence (that is unexpected by customers; that employees choose to do). This explains why you and I seldom receive exceptional customer service: Because it’s voluntary. Employees don’t have to deliver it. And most don’t.

The reason that Zane is challenged by staff who consistently deliver hot food hot and cold food cold (job function) but inconsistently express genuine interest in customers or convey authentic enthusiasm in serving them (job essence) is because most operations (and the supervisors who oversee them) focus predominantly on job functions and the efficiencies associated with them in order to reduce costs and increase profits.

In Zane’s restaurant, it’s not uncommon for employees to receive feedback on and be held accountable to menu knowledge, following procedure, completing their sidework, and other job functions. And it’s unlikely that a day will go by that he doesn’t scrutinize operational metrics associated with job function: average check, food costs, inventories, productivity, profitability, etc.

That’s what managers do, right?

I told Zane that I understand the importance of job function. (Really, I do. You can’t run a business without it. And you can’t provide exceptional customer service without it. No guest at his restaurant wants an undercooked entrée delivered with a smile.) But job function is only half an employee’s job. The other half, job essence—which is often neglected by employees and managers alike—is missing in most employee interactions that customers would describe as routine, uneventful, and transactional.

Managers: Remind your employees daily through modeling, feedback, pre-shift meetings, etc. that excellence lies not in what’s expected and required (what they’re supposed to do) but in what’s unexpected and voluntary (what they choose to do), such as: anticipating needs, paying attention to detail, displaying a sense of urgency, following-up, etc.

And therein lies the key: Exceptional customer service (in Zane’s restaurant and your place of business) is always voluntary. Always.

Feel free to comment. But you don’t have to. Just like delivering exceptional customer service, it’s your choice.

Illustration: Aaron McKissen

In my reading, I’ve come across three unique words that have expanded my customer service vocabulary and, for me, reinforce various aspects of exceptional customer service: cosset, lagniappe, and bespoke.

A word of caution: William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White in their perennial book, Elements of Style, said, “Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able.”

While I mostly agree with this advice, in a recent blog post I unapologetically described a supermarket employee’s behavior as “boorish.” I realize that I could have used “rude” (a ten-cent word) but decided against it.

I suppose it depends on your intent. If you’re trying to impress readers with your vocabulary, that’s obviously the wrong motivation. But if you’re attempting to convey the subtle distinction between, say, rude behavior (appearing indifferent) as opposed to boorish behavior (using vulgarities), then you have license to use the twenty-dollar word—despite the counsel of Messrs. Strunk and White.

So, tread lightly. The idea is not to alienate people—it’s to get their attention and, ultimately, to inspire them to deliver exceptional customer service.

Several years ago, while reading At Your Service by John Fischer, I came across the word, cosset which means to pamper or treat with excessive indulgence. It applies to, for example, the manner in which a restaurant guest’s coat is treated by the coat check attendant or the way a shopper’s loaf of bread and carton of eggs is handled by the employee who’s bagging her groceries.

More recently, I was introduced to the word, lagniappe by a friend, Stan Phelps, who champions this word in his marketing work. It means a small gift given with a purchase to a customer—a little extra or bonus. Lagniappes are the 13th bagel in a baker’s dozen or the extra stamp on your loyalty card that brings you one step closer to a complimentary latte.

And just last week, while reading the Wall Street Journal, I encountered the word, bespoke. Fortunately, the article contained its definition: “made to order; to customize.” I immediately saw its relevance in customer service: As opposed to the transactional mentality whereby each customer is treated like the last customer, employees can aspire to provide a bespoken experience—recognizing the unique needs and preferences of each individual customer.

When so many words pass by our eyes daily without registering for longer than it takes to form a sentence, these words are refreshing. To me, they have made lasting positive impressions and even reinforce the importance of handling my own customers with care, providing them with pleasant surprises, and customizing each customer’s experience as much as possible.

How about you? Can you think of some other unique words that apply to customer service and might also serve to reinforce different aspects of exceptional customer service?