Last Thursday night, we took a night off from cooking and brought our kids to Chili’s for dinner.
As soon as we entered the restaurant, my seven year old, Cooper, noticed that the Carolina Panthers vs. Baltimore Ravens preseason football game was being televised in the bar area.
As the hostess lead us into the dining room, Cooper asked if we could be seated somewhere where he could see the game. She found a long table (there were six of us) located directly opposite the bar area and the flat screen television set carrying the game.
We had settled into our booth when Cooper began jockeying positions trying to find a seat from which he could watch the game that was not obstructed by one of the many plants and decorations that make up the eclectic interior of a Chili’s restaurant.
He finally settled into a seat where, if he sat up on his knees and craned his neck, he could see the game over the top of a decorative rooster (pictured).
After a few minutes, Cooper asked me if someone could move the rooster so that he could see the game clearly from where he was seated.
My first reaction was that maybe the decorations were bolted down the way they are in many hotel suites—lest you abscond with a faux Ming Dynasty era bowl—but I told him I’d ask the question…
A moment later, I asked a passing employee whether or not she could relocate the rooster and she said she would check with her manager.
The next time I looked up, the offending rooster had been moved.
Cooper was elated that he could now clearly see the game. His face lit up! He smiled at me broadly and said, “Thanks dad! Now I can see the game!”
Watching Cooper delight in being able to watch the football game unobstructed reminded me that little things don’t mean a little. Little things mean everything.
Great customer service is not usually the result of one big thing. It’s the result of many little things done exceptionally well—like smiling, making eye contact, adding enthusiasm to one’s voice, or even relocating a decorative rooster.
Thanks Chili’s.
