When I’m first approached to coach a client or give a presentation on customer service, people often ask me what difference good customer service can make on their bottom line.  I’m quick to point out that by delivering excellent customer service, they will likely start to see a higher return on investment by means of higher levels of repeat business, much faster than they anticipated.

Last week AT&T showed why you should hire people who care. Their customer service employee literally saved her customer’s life.  Now Winn-Dixie is schooling us in the fine art of going the extra mile for your customers.

Recently, employees in their Stuart, FL store helped two of their customers avoid losing almost $3000 as victim of a con artist.

As  the couple was about to send $2796 to supposedly get their grandson out of jail, the Winn-Dixie employees got involved.

Here’s a perfect example of why companies should hire smart people who care.

Recently an AT&T customer was talking with their customer service service department. He started having symptoms of a heart attack and eventually passed out during the call. Rather than hang up (because the customer became non-responsive) the AT&T employee (Kelly Hart) knew something was wrong so she called 911.

Recently I went to the Royal Oak Farmers Market. I was happy to see that the wonderful folks from McClure’s Pickles were there again.

A few weeks ago I tasted their fabulous pickles and bought a jar. My husband and I were overloaded with goodies and the bag that dropped right by our car was the one that contained those pickles. The jar was smashed into smithereens and we wrapped it in plastic to get it to the garbage at home. The car had the wonderful aroma of pickles but we didn’t get to eat any.

Recently, my husband, Cliff, was the motivational keynote speaker for a large association. He drove two hours to the event with a car full of books, handouts and props for his speech. While unpacking, he could have kicked himself. He forgot his most important prop—a tall, lidded garbage can.

Three Florida legislators have proposed a bill that would require restaurants to list calorie counts on their menus. While I know there are heated arguments on both sides of this issue, I like the idea.

“Oh-crap-oh-crap-oh-crap!”

Those were the exact words that burst out of my mouth as the 7-foot high rolling shelf came crashing down just outside the kitchen door at Sparkspace. Apparently, as I was moving the shelf, one of the four casters on the shelf had decided to fail, and fail spectacularly.

As you can see, this monumental structural collapse also involved about fifty cases of soda cans. A surprising number of cans exploded on impact, others died a slower, spraying-all-over-the-place kind of death.

Last week I was working in Orlando. I was staying at the Disney Contemporary Resort. Of course I am aware that Disney prides itself on superior customer service, so my expectations were pretty high. Even with those high expectations I still found myself amazed by a specific event.

The venue had been selected. The invitations had been sent.  And Border Cantina, a Mexican restaurant in Novi, Michigan was ready for the arrival of 28 women with gifts in hand.  The happy bride-to-be and her fiancé plan on saying their vows on a sandy beach in Mexico. So, when it was time to plan the shower, those of us hosting the celebration thought it would be fun to follow the Mexican theme in our own home town.

This is a short article, but it may just be the most important one I’ve ever written.

My kids and I recently stopped at a donut shop on our way to church. We stepped up to the counter and placed our order. As I reached for my wallet, I discovered it wasn’t there. If you’ve ever done that, you know how I felt. Now multiply that feeling times ten for the “I’m sorry kids you, can’t have your donuts because dad was a bonehead” factor.

Little things make all the difference in customer service. They can contribute to a positive and memorable experience. They can ruin an 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 start talking about an alternative, the young man taking my order makes a suggestion:

Today started out kind of sad (great way to start an article, huh?). You see, I hauled our swing set to the dump this morning. It was the final step in a multi-day process of taking apart the swing set my kids have played on since birth.