Last week, my brother and I were driving through Crookston, MN and decided it was time for lunch. We pulled into a little fast food restaurant, and as we got out of the car I was pleasantly surprised when the young man shoveling the sidewalk stopped what he was doing, looked at me, and said “Hi, how are you today?” Once we got inside, we saw that that the place was a little busy. My brother looked at me and said “Great this is going to take forever.” However, once it was our turn to order, the lady who helped us was quite possibly the best fast food salesperson of all time! She asked about up-sizing our combos, offered us dipping sauces and gave suggestions on what she felt were the best deals. Finally, when our food was brought to us, my brother noticed he was missing one item. After looking at his receipt he realized the lady at the counter had forgotten to ring it up. However, the young man who brought us our food insisted that he would get the extra item for us at no charge – and have it out very soon.
As we got back into my car after our meal, we both looked at each other and voiced how impressed we were with the service we received. Let’s look back at the total cost to this restaurant to create two satisfied customers:
- The young man stopping to greet us in the parking lot.
- The lady at the counter having knowledge of her products and being willing to share her opinion.
- The young man deciding that it was more important that we received what we ordered than the $0.25 they probably lost on taco we didn’t pay for.
Now I’m not in the restaurant business, but isn’t it amazing to think about how a few simple things can change the way a customer views his or her experience? Maybe it’s time you sit down and think about what little things you can do in your business to give your customers the same feeling of satisfaction I had leaving that restaurant.
Next time I drive through Crookston, I know where I’ll be eating. Do you know where your customers will be going the next time they’re looking for a service you offer?
