Paul Schmelzer writes for a number of publications both online and off. He knows a good story when he sees one. He didn’t have to look far for this one he shared recently on Eyeteeth.
“The other night, I got a call from a dejected Seven. My 12-year-old nephew, who’s been living with us for a few months, was at the library, and his bike had been stolen.”
A little background:
Seven is from Bangkok, Thailand. During stay with his uncle and family, he spent a lot of time at the Minneapolis Public Library. The library became a favorite spot of his. The bike was important because it enabled him to get there on his own.
Paul continues his story:
“But then on Saturday, we got a call from the library: “We’ve got Seven’s bike.”
Only it wasn’t the one that had been taken: it was a new Schwinn BMX bike, just his height — and paid for out-of-pocket by several of the guards.”
The keywords there are:
“…it was a new Schwinn BMX bike, just his height — and paid for out-of-pocket by several of the guards.”
The guards at the library felt so bad about Seven losing his bike they wanted to help. And they helped by replacing it.
That’s what I call serving someone.
Before his bike was stolen, the library was a happy place for Seven. After the theft of his bike, things changed. And the guards (apparently) hated the idea that it was no longer a happy place for him. They wanted him to be happy. So they made it happen.
I’m not suggesting our employees dig into their own pockets to right every wrong their customers may experience. But I am suggesting that these library guards care a lot about their customers. Even better they are willing to put that caring into action. That action is called service.
What would your organization look like if every employee cared this much AND they followed that caring with action – action that served their customers. How would that affect your customer loyalty and your bottom line?
Other articles you might like:
- Amazing Customer Service Means Delivering a Positive and Memorable Experience
- Don’t always tell your customers the truth
- Unemployed man makes generous donation to service dog agency
- Customer service lesson from Salvation Army
- Winn-Dixie Customer service employees stop scam artist, save customer thousands
amazing service is almost as rare as a pink diamond.
and just as valuable!