Do you ever get blown away by exceptional customer service?
Real World Story: Every year, three Toastmaster buddies and I volunteer to announce the Oceanside Fourth of July Parade. We’re assigned to sit at different stations along the parade route and make scripted announcements as the entrants pass by our stations. We interject humor as often as possible. It’s a totally fun morning.
For the past three years, one of my Toastmaster buddy’s station has been situated directly across from a pizza restaurant. EVERY YEAR, the restaurant drops off a pizza – for free – to my friend and his partner.
This year, at our pre-parade meeting, we decided to visit the pizza restaurant. Lucky for us, the owner was there, and we were able to personally thank him for his generosity. He was thankful, so he took the time to advise us as to which pizza would be best for our tastes. We ordered a vegetarian pizza with sausage (yes, we paid for it!) and enjoyed the pizza in the restaurant. I’ll be completely honest. That was one of the BEST pizzas that I’ve ever eaten. Not only was the pizza delicious, but also the service, by all staff members, was superb. They were friendly, smiling, and so pleasant to be around.
Here’s the best part. (Yes, it gets better!) Three days later, we were back at our stations for another wonderful 4th of July parade. Sure enough, at the end of the event, a pizza delivery guy walks over with a free pizza. This time, it was the exact type of pizza that we had ordered three days before! (By the way, this was a $24 pizza!) We couldn’t believe it. Not only did the owner donate a free pizza, but he also remembered what we had previously ordered! VERY impressive.
Needless to say, my three Toastmaster buddies and I are loyal, raving fans and can’t wait to go back to Carmine’s restaurant in Oceanside, CA.
Strategies that Turn it Around!
- Give generously, so you can receive in return. Look for opportunities to give back to your community, and your generosity WILL be repaid.
- Lead by example. Train your staff to provide exceptional customer service. Once you have a large number of repeat clients, then you know that you’re on the right track.
- Remember your customers, and they will remember you!
What’s YOUR favorite customer service story? Please share in the comments section below.