Hard To Find, But Nice When You Do
A little Christmas shopping and dinner out with my wife last night.
Pretty much what you’d expect at this time of year – parking spaces were hard to find, crowds packed the walkways and there were long waits at restaurants. But, remarkably, the service we experienced throughout the evening was exceptional.
Like you, I get tired of experiencing and writing about bad service, so I’m glad to have this story of a Christmas miracle to share with you.
Our evening started at the mall. In and out of store after store looking for that perfect gift without knowing exactly what we were looking for. At one of our last stops, my wife was browsing through stacks of sweaters when an associate came over and asked if she could help. My wife explained who we were shopping for and provided a few additional details.
Almost immediately the associate took a sincere interest in helping my wife find just the right item. She even recruited her co-workers to help. They were all making suggestions and leading my wife around the store to highlight the items that they thought would be appropriate. The search finally paid off and our experience ended with the perfect gift, smiles and the cashier taking a few extra minutes to package up my wife’s purchases so they were ready to be delivered.
We decided to end our successful evening of shopping with dinner at a nearby restaurant. The restaurant was packed but our waiter had energy, enthusiasm and the attitude of ownership. Like the associates at the retail store, he wasn’t just doing his job. He was actively engaged and enjoying his work.
An evening that started with apprehension about heading out into the pushing and shoving of Christmas crowds turned into a great evening that really demonstrated what the holiday season is all about – caring.
It’s not always easy to find service-providers who care about what they do – but it sure is nice when you do!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and remember the greatest gift you can give to family, friends… or customers is to let them know that you sincerely care.
www.FoundationsofService.com
Tags: Business, Customer Service
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December 20, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Scott – Kudos to you on two counts. Number 1, looking for the GOOD, and number 2, braving the elements (and I don’t mean the weather) this time of year. Great to hear that you found some examples of above average service. I think some people actually perform better when they are busy – no distractions or drama to get them off course. Slow times can create “idle hands” (and minds) that can get people into trouble. Thanks for sharing!
December 23, 2010 at 6:29 am
During these last few days before Christmas when everybody is rushing around to finish their shopping and getting ready for Santa to visit it sure is great to see that the true meaning of this holiday season has not lost its way. Scott may you and your Family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Jack Cohen