Have you ever had such a great customer service experience that you felt the need to share it with others? The following must-tell story is from a friend of mine, D.D. Daruvala, who lives in Singapore. (It’s very different from his story described in my past post shown here.)
Real World Story:
“I have traveled to India numerous times in the last 30 years. And I’ve had the privilege to patronize the Taj Mahal, the leading 5-star hotel in Mumbai. On a recent December, I made a trip to India with plans to visit a couple of cities. I was interested to see the reconstructed and revived Taj and Oberoi hotels since the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, in which these hotels were destroyed.
“On this particular trip, security was intense. I attended a luncheon meeting at an upscale country club with a friend who is a 
shareholder in various major corporations, so I was well dressed. After the meeting, I took a cab to the Taj Mahal hotel. On that day, luck was on my side. On the drive, I had decided to sit at the sea lounge and have a cup of coffee while admiring the ocean. While the security guard scrutinized everyone rigorously, he assumed the best in me. He appreciated my warm smile and friendliness and thought of me as just a well-dressed business executive wanting to chill out. He searched me quickly and smiled warmly at me. Had I been the prime minister or president, he would not have been able to treat me any better!
“I walked throughout the hotel to see the structural improvements since the attacks. From the washroom attendant to the front desk clerks to the bookstore staff, everyone was unfailingly polite to me. In particular, the washroom attendant performed his job with such great attitude that I tipped him.
“Seated at the Seaview lounge, I ordered cold coffee and cookies. The waiter said he could get me a better deal if I ordered hot coffee because it came with complimentary cookies. I told him not to worry and to bring me a cold coffee and a bunch of cookies; just bill me for the cookies.
“While it would have been easy for him just to go along with my request, he said, “Just a minute, sir. I can work something out. It is no big deal!” And he kept his word. He brought my iced coffee along with freshly baked cookies. Before leaving, he asked if he could get anything else for me.
“As I sat and sipped my coffee, I could see he was mindful of me. Noticing a while later that I still had cookies on my plate, he returned and asked, “Can I get you some chilled mineral water or anything else you would prefer?” The chilled water came, and I continued to look out the window, taking pictures on my smartphone and updating my Facebook page. He did not invade my space, but I could clearly see that he continued to be mindful of me while completing a slew of other tasks.
“The country’s tipping standard is to give approximately 5%–10%. I gave him a 25% tip, what is considered a REAL big deal in India because even doctors, attorneys, and CEO’s don’t usually tip this much. The waiter was SOOOO happy because he did not expect such a large tip. It warmed my heart that I made his day. But then again, he made my visit to the Taj a great experience. A win-win situation for us both!
“As I was leaving, I thanked him profusely. I don’t know how his colleagues in the lounge responded to his tip, but I hope they learned a valuable lesson in exceptional customer service and will follow in his footsteps and in the footsteps of everyone else at the Taj who made contact with me that day.”
Strategies that Turn it Around:
1. Seemingly small gestures go a LONG way. A genuine smile, a warm hello, an acknowledging nod of one’s head — these are only a few small gestures that instantly put customers at ease and in a great mood
2. Be attentive to customer needs, not only at the start or finish of a transaction, but throughout the entire experience.
3. Customer service is global. And as our world shrinks, and it becomes more and more affordable to travel and conduct business all over the globe, customers have many more choices than ever before. Step up your game and be the business that everyone wants to spend money with.
Remember: Great customer service is appreciated everywhere in the world. Sometimes, you are immediately rewarded by customers. Sometimes, you are later rewarded by your organization. And sometimes, someone writes a must-tell blog about how truly great you are at exceptional customer service.
When was the last time YOU received great service? I would love to hear your story. Please share in the comments section below.