When was the last time you were WOWED by customer service? Can you even recall a customer service WOW moment?
I dare say that being WOWED as a customer is the anomaly not the norm. Wait check that…. I suspect we’ve all had a WOW moment but it was more in line of “Wow! Can you believe the horrible service we just received?” “WOW, Can I talk to a manager? or “Wow, I’m NEVER going there again!”
I recently had a “WOW! That was UNBELIEVABLE!” moment and it gave me pause to reflect on the power of WOW in customer service. Let me share my “WOW! That was UNBELIEVABLE!” moment.
After a full-day of business meetings and no lunch I stopped with my partner at Chic-Fil-A. I ordered a spicy chicken sandwich and a lemonade. Thinking that I had ordered the Spicy Chicken Meal I was surprised when my order came with only a chicken sandwich, lemonade and no fries. I commented (more as a reflection to myself), “I thought I ordered a meal?” My server said, “I”m sorry but you ordered just the sandwich. If you like I can get you some fries. Don’t worry it’s on us”. I protested saying, “No it was my mistake I’m glad to pay for the fries.” He responded, “No worries, let us take care of that for you today.”
I couldn’t believe it. I walked away and said to my partner “WOW! Can you believe that?”. “That’s never happened before”.
Now throwing in some fries may seem like a little thing, but WOW what an impact.
Lessons Learned
1. The customer comes first. This wasn’t a question of whether the customer was right or wrong. I admitted to messing up the order. I offered to pay the difference. Yet, the server was willing to take care of me. He didn’t make a big deal about the missed order. He focused on getting the order right. In the process he provided a phenomenal dining experience.
2. Empowered Team Members impact the customer experience. As my partner and I sat down to eat we discussed the rarity of such a customer experience. He wisely observed, “It’s not only that he took care of the situation but that he felt empowered to do so.” Obviously this server had the power to act. There was no hesitation. There was no “let me ask the boss.” He was empowered to act. Thus, when it came time to act, he acted with out hesitation – leaving at least 2 customers “WOWED” by the experience.
3. Culture of Service. Now you might say, “Well that’s nice. That doesn’t happen very often.” Your right! But here’s the kicker. My experience didn’t stop at the free fries. When I returned to the counter for a lemonade refill a second server greeted me with “Hello sir, it would be my pleasure to refill your drink what did you order?” before I even made it to the counter. Yes, it’s a little thing. But being greeted with an attitude and desire to be served left me with my second “WOW” for the day. I recognized that the manager and team of the Boise, Idaho Chic-Fil-A fostered a culture of service. I hung around to see other customer’s interactions with the Chic-Fil-A team. I was surprised to see that the culture of service was exemplified in every interaction – even when they were clearing off the tables.
Yeah I know customer service is touted by every company. Maybe it’s time we actually took a lesson from my experience at Chic-Fil-A and developed a culture and attitude of service. We might just find our customers being WOWED by Incredible Service.
Happy Selling!
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Jody Sedrick
Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc
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