Customer experience and loyalty

It is not enough to have the best product, it is mandatory to have the best service to complete the customer experience.

For example, if you want a chicken sandwich the options are many, but you may have a preference that sometimes may not be governed only by taste.

When you think of Chick-fil-A several things probably come to mind: waffle fries, cows that can’t spell, restaurants closed on Sundays. And those two little words: “My Pleasure.”

The story goes that Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy was visiting a Ritz-Carlton hotel when an employee caught his attention. Every time Truett Cathy thanked the employee he’d respond, “my pleasure.” This exchange left an impression on Truett who felt that it was a nice way to tell someone that you were pleased to serve them.

So at the 2001 annual Chick-fil-A Operators seminar, Truett challenged around 900 Operators to swap out “You’re welcome” or “No problem,” with “My pleasure. “You can’t say ‘my pleasure’ without looking them in the eye,” he told the crowd. And Truett felt that eye contact helped to create a personal connection with customers.

What Does “My Pleasure” Mean?

Of course, we know that “my pleasure” is another way of responding to “thank you.”

But for Chick-fil-A team members, operators or staff members are able to literally show that they want to go the extra mile and that they care about the other person, THE CUSTOMER.

In addition to this simple act of kindness and fulfillment, any extra item you ask is treated in a special way and with pleasure is offered to you, making the experience as pleasant as possible even in fast food.

On the other hand The Ritz-Carlton’s signature phrase, “my pleasure,” became a prime candidate for discontinuing at the style creator chain. While “It was really my pleasure to visit with you during your stay, Mr. ” sounds genuine and the truth, Ritz-Carlton felt its way was banalized after copied by other hospitality services and even Chik-fil-A saying "my pleasure" at the drive-through window. Ritz-Carlton acted on it, getting rid of the prescribed language choices and scripted phrases to become unique again and encouraging the staff to be themselves, conducting interactions with utmost respect and courtesy, but in a way that is natural to their personality and the warmth of their caring natures.

No matter if you have a serialized product or even the most unique service, the way you treat your customers must be above the standard to get your differentiation and attract loyalty. Changes are mandatory to keep updated, sometimes the recipe and scope are no longer valid and there is always a way to reinvent and to offer more than competitors, even if they copy you.