In Customer Service the Little Things are Big

Little things make all the difference in customer service. They can contribute to a positive and memorable experience. They can ruin and otherwise decent situation. An otherwise completely average encounter can turn into a source of endless referrals by adding a little thing or two.

I’ve had a few recent examples:

At my favorite sandwich shop I order a French Dip sub but I notice their roast beef is pink. I prefer mine cooked all the way through. As I starting talking about an alternative, the young man taking my order makes a suggestion:

“We could let it sit in the aus jus longer than usual. That would brown the meat.”

I said okay. He did what he suggested. It worked. I was more than happy. (I’m writing about aren’t I?) The sub was tasty and I was reminded why this locally owned place is on my dining out short list. They rock!

At our local grocery store (well as local as they get these days!) I had just a few items so I zip through the express lane. The cashier rings and bags my food. As he bagged it he talked me through what he was doing. He put a bakery item on the bottom but he justified it by telling me it had a sturdy cover and would not get crushed by the other items. He was right. it bagged and traveled without any damage.

By telling me what he was doing he revealed that he was thinking about what he was doing. (He wasn’t just tossing things in the bag.) He wanted me to know he was doing it right. He also gave me the opportunity to intervene if I wanted. He was acting with my perspective in mind.

These examples may be of little things done in the course of a typical day. But they stand out. They show us two employees who are looking our for their customers. They demonstrate people who take pride in their work, people whom i consider professionals.

Little things like these make a big difference for me. They create loyalty that keeps me coming back.

What little things have you experienced lately? What examples can you think of that seem trivial yet stand out and keep you coming back?

Other articles you might like:

• Stop Saying “It’s Our Policy”
• I’ll Take a Number Three Please
• Here’s a Great Way to Communicate with a Difficult Customer
• What if your city was famous for customer service?
• Would You Recommend Your Competition?