Serving At A Higher Level

I was having lunch with several colleagues and the conversation shifted to sharing recent experiences we had in regards to making purchases. Okay, I admit, I was the one that kicked off the discussion because it had to do with a gift card I recently purchased. 

One colleagues’ big indulgence is treating herself to chai lattes. Short of going to her home and making them for her…which doesn't work with our schedules, darn…the next best thing was purchasing a gift card. 

At this time of year being able to get a Christmas themed gift card was ideal. The only Christmas themed cards left at this coffee establishment were in five packs. They had stacks of the five packs and no single cards available.

I asked if it was possible for them to break open a five pack so I could get a seasonal themed gift card. This seemed like an obvious and logical solution to me. The cashier said it couldn’t be done because they have a different inventory number though they would be getting more single seasonal cards next week. I needed this in two days! 

No big deal…not entirely true because I’m mentioning here. I did decide to purchase a regular gift card though walked away confused why their goal was not to do everything they could to satisfy my needs.

Where in your business could you step up and be bolder in satisfying your customer or client needs?

Responding to and satisfying your customer needs plays a big part in being successful. This lead to the next story from a male colleague purchasing a new briefcase from a company he has supported for over twenty years. 

He travels well over a hundred thousand miles a year so he replaces his travel gear regularly. He loved the quality of both the suitcases and briefcases he purchased and their practical features. He had always felt well taken care of by how they extended themselves and accommodated a few special requests from him over the years. 

He particularly loved the style of his briefcase, with several outside pockets to store his travel papers and a latch to keep his laptop secure so he didn't have to fuss with a zipper. When he had to replace his briefcase again they had changed the style of the bag. Regardless he decided to stick with what he knew.

On the last trip his laptop slipped out of his briefcase and crashed on the ground because there was no latch to keep it secure. He ended up having to replace the broken screen on his laptop when he got back home. If that wasn’t enough on the same trip the zipper broke on the briefcase so he took it back to the store to get it fixed. They told him they couldn’t do anything for him.

He didn’t rant or put up a fight. He left and bought a new briefcase at another luggage company. He will never again buy from the company he was loyal to for over twenty years. 

The reality is we shouldn't have to fight to get our needs met as a customer. We want to use brands that we care about though we also want them to care about us. 

My thought is even if they couldn’t fix the zipper, they could have definitely deeply discounted a new bag for him! It would have been so easy to check their records and find out what a loyal customer he had been. It would have been a very inexpensive way to advertise their brand and promote goodwill. This could have all been avoided if they would have just asked a simple question, "what do we need to do to make this right?"

Where in your business or interactions with people can you extend yourself to resolve an issue instead of turning your back?

Are you making changes to products or services you offer that continue to sell well and your customers love?

The truth is when something is working you don’t have to change it. 

Clients often ask what they can do to stand out. Open the five pack and provide the customer with the seasonal gift card. Deal with the consequences later! If you can’t physically fix the problem make an offer of what you can do.

I believe it is so simple though companies and people often miss opportunities to deliver exceptional results. The payback in free promotional advertising and goodwill is truly priceless!

Consider opportunities you may be missing in your personal and professional lives where you could be servicing others at a higher level.

In the new year I will continue to illustrate examples; the good, the bad and the ugly, so you can gain greater clarity in how you can positively support your personal brand and create an experience that has you stand out. I would also love for you to share your own experiences by commenting below so we can learn from each other and find better ways to serve at a higher level. 

BTW we had lunch at Jack Astor’s across from Sherway Gardens. Our waiter was engaging and lots of fun. He didn’t let the volume of tables fluster him or take away from the experience he provided for our table. The tip we left was our way of saying thanks for making our experience outstanding. It really is that simple. 

Align yourself with what matters most to you. Live your brand fully expressed with intention and purpose to achieve outstanding results!