It’s probably no surprise to know that I don’t always play by the rules. Where’s the fun in that? ;) Today I was surprised by two very well known businesses that didn’t follow the rules and by doing so made a huge impression on me… First, while purchasing some luggage with my husband at Kohl’s, we debated on whether to make the purchase right then and there or wait until tomorrow when they were having a one-day only 15% off promotion. Our Kohl’s is a good 40 minute round trip just to drive there, so saving an extra $40 was going to cost us at least an hour of time. The problem was that the luggage was limited and by waiting we risked it being gone by the next day. I suggested we just ask the cashier. At the register my husband asked her about the promotion which was advertised to us on a postcard we received 2 days before. Without hesitation, the cashier said “no problem I can give that to you early”. A $40 savings – just for asking!
Shortly after that, we had dinner at Red Lobster. I had water and my husband had a diet soda. When our bill arrived, it showed two waters. We believe in honesty so we politely flagged down the waiter and pointed out the error. He said “yeah…I couldn’t remember what you guys had so I just put water for both of you.” We offered to pay but he insisted it was ok.
My husband wondered if we should add the amount of the drink to his tip, which might encourage him to continue to do the same thing for other customers, thus ripping off the company. I thought for a moment and decided that the positive impression he made on us and the fact that we didn’t have to hassle with getting our bill adjusted was a courtesy and only makes us want to eat there again. So what if the waiter gives away a few more drinks? It just means there are a few more happy customers who will return to Red Lobster because they had a favorable experience. It’s worth it. He got a bigger tip. ;)
I am assuming these two employees were authorized to bend their company rules. If not, they should be commended for doing so anyway. Any intelligent manager would recognize that little courtesies like this are what make the difference between good customer service and outstanding customer service. It’s the little things – like bending a few rules every now and then – that can have the biggest impact.
What rules have you broken lately?
4 comments
going out alone
Both men and women sometimes don’t follow the rules.
In my house, I always have my musci very loud, just to piss off my neighbours!
kel1
There is a particular Mexican-owned restaurant here in town that we like very much. It’s not just that the food is good, but the owner himself goes from table to table and greets everyone as they come in the door, and he REMEMBERS families.
I was amazed as I walked in one day and heard several customers say to the owner, “Hey, did your wife have her baby? Congratulations to you, that’s great!!” The customers, knowing how personable this owner was, gave him the same courtesy in return. Even the wait staff remembers us when we go in, and are very personable and apologetic if they need to end their shift while we are still there. They come to the table to let us know and to see if we need anything. We often get to chat about their lives, college, and the things they are doing.
I have had bad experiences in the past with family-owned restaurants, but this isn’t one of them. They’ve helped me to see that it’s the quality of service that makes all the difference. :)
gretchen
That’s so cool! It’s not about getting something or free…it’s about common courtesies and good service. They give a little extra and in turn we will be back. And the next time we’ll bring friends. Your story was perfect. ;)
k Stain
I agree! We ate at a small Italian, locally owned pizza place over the weekend. We ordered an XL pizza and 4 waters and cheese sticks. Pretty scant for 4, nothing that would warrant special treatment. The place was very nice with just a few other customers dining. Before our order arrived, the proud owner came out to greet us carrying two complimentary bowls of his special tomato soup. He left, came back and brought a nice Caesar salad (complimentary also) for the kids to split. He patted my son on the back and said he loved to see families together. Wow! This is the big city, nothing is free around here! I just couldn’t believe his generosity! He apparently knew it would bring us back and we would tell others. Mind you, it is a good hour from our home, but we will be returning! We did leave a bigger tip as well.