My wife, Karen, is a loyal patron of a local coffee shop—part of a big chain. One minor incident won’t make her quit them. And despite her name, she’s not an “entitled” consumer.
Still, I’m always amazed when organizations miss those precious moments when they can shine.
Question: How competitive is the coffee and specialty-drink industry?
Right.
A principle to live—and run a business—by:
A positive customer-vendor relationship is created in and sustained by moments.
Keep that in mind as you read on …
Karen’s Story
In the drive-thru, Karen ordered three drinks—at least $15 worth. At the window, she showed a coupon for $1 off (that’s ONE dollar) for an eggnog whatever (yeah, not my world.)
“Can this coupon work for the eggnog café au lait instead of an eggnog latte?” she asked.
The response?
“I’ll have to ask my manager.”
So, the staff can’t make major decisions. 😉
Karen then waited several minutes while cars stacked up behind her, never a comfortable spot to be in, and certainly not her fault.
Finally, the young fella returns …
“That coupon only applies to our holiday drinks, like an eggnog latte or a peppermint crunch.”
Oh.
One dollar.
That’s ………….ONE dollar.
Now, I can hear some of you already—“Was that dollar that important to Mrs. QBQ!?”
Nope. It is not about the dollar. It’s about the moment and the missed opportunity to stand out.
In “Outstanding!”, there’s a chapter titled “Be Flexible: Put People Before Policies.” Imagine how a regular customer feels if the person at the window says, without hesitation,
“For You? Absolutely. No problem, Ma’am!”
What a wonderful moment that would be! 👏🏻
Service world: train your people to flex for customers and to make decisions—in the moment—without checking with the boss. That latter part is what the 1990s buzzword “empowerment” was (still is?) all about.
Unless, of course, you have a total corner on the market.
I haven’t met that organization yet. Have you?
Lastly, when Karen and I chatted about this, she added, “And his tip would’ve been three times bigger!”
That’s my Karen. 😊
Jeremy’s Story
When I shared Karen’s story on the QBQ! Facebook page, Jeremy chimed in with his own—and brought it full circle. He wrote:
In a restaurant with six other diners, I wanted this fantastic-looking salad, but without the Thai Basil. I asked if it could be left out, and without hesitation, I was met with a stern “No.”
Not a great moment, but I accepted the server’s answer and moved on with my life. A few days later, a coworker wanted to go to that restaurant. When we arrived, I joked, maybe too loudly, with my colleagues, “But don’t ask for a special order, or they’ll yell at you.”
Turns out the manager and the owner were standing nearby and overheard me. When I tell you they tripped over themselves to correct the server’s mistake from my previous visit, that’s an understatement. 😆
They assured us that the service I’d received the last time would not be tolerated. They then comped my meal that day. No, I didn’t ask for that. Yes, I had that great salad without Thai Basil!
Bottom line, when your customer is the one who decides if you sink or swim, you leave the basil out. You also accept the expired or “wrong” $1 coupon, right, Karen?
A Question That Matters
Is your team going the extra mile to ensure customer moments are outstanding?
Hope so, because moments always matter.
Have a story of your own? Drop it in the comments. Kristin and I’d love to hear it!
