Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame, but greatness, because greatness is determined by service.”
To deliver service heroics is to go the extra mile, to go above and beyond what a customer might expect given the employee’s job role. In short, it’s to deliver greatness.
Delivering greatness doesn’t always come easy (or cheap), and it doesn’t happen every day. Fortunately, it’s also rarely required of an employee. It’s the exception, not the rule. But when the situation calls for it and an employee goes out of his way to serve a customer, it makes a lasting positive impression that reaffirms the customer’s importance and reinforces the relationship.
Just last week, a Frontier Airlines pilot was in the news for delivering service heroics to 160 hungry and agitated passengers. After a multi-hour delay due to severe weather in Denver, Frontier Airlines Flight 719 from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was diverted to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where it landed around 9:45pm local time.
While the plane was being refueled, the pilot made an announcement over the intercom: “Ladies and gentlemen, Frontier Airlines is known for being one of the cheapest airlines in the U.S., but your captain is not cheap. I just ordered pizza for the entire plane.” And within 30 minutes, 35 Domino’s pizzas were delivered to the plane and served to delighted passengers.
Delivering service heroics doesn’t have to be as dramatic (or expensive) as this illustration. Oftentimes, it simply requires being attuned to customers’ needs and preferences and then taking the initiative to fulfill them.
Don’t settle for ordinary. Choose extraordinary. (It’s always a choice.) Order Delight Your Customers: 7 Simple Ways to Raise Your Customer Service from Ordinary to Extraordinary by Steve Curtin or purchase from select retailers, including Barnes & Noble.
Watch the 90-second book trailer.
Photo credit: Logan Marie Torres
