Small difference, big impact

To the CEO of Sparkling Clean

Dear Sir/Madam

Last December my father died suddenly. He lived in old-age complex with my mother. My mother decided to pin a card on the central notice board to let everyone know of his demise.

A few days later she received a hand written card through her door from one of your colleagues. It said:

‘Just a quick note to say that I saw your card announcing the death of Edward. So strange, I only saw him last week sitting outside in the sun and, as always, we had a brief chat about family, the football and the weather. Always very pleasant and a bit of a highlight of my week. And now he is no longer with us. Rest in peace Ed, my sincere condolences to you and your family. Best wishes, Rob from Sparkling Clean’.

To receive this note was touching us and we really appreciate it.

We wanted you to know this so that you know the positive impact your colleague has had on us in such sad times. His involvement in our complex with various people stretches well beyond his work duties and as such, he makes a real difference.

As his employer we would like you to relay this message to him. Small gestures can have a big effect.

Yours sincerely, Mrs…

I recently read this message on LinkedIn and it made me think of the times I experienced kindness or attention beyond expectation…

The time a waitress ‘confiscated’ my bottle of wine because I didn’t enjoy it and brought me a different bottle that I did like – free of charge. The free coffee from Pret when I had walked in drenched from the rain and clearly not in a good mood. The time a Consultant Neurologist phoned me to see how I was getting on, a month after he told me he couldn’t help me (all fine btw). Small effort, high impact….

When we are talking about customer experience, be that in store, on line or on the phone, these are the things customers remember and share with their friends, colleagues and family.

Is your business making the right impact?

How is your business encouraging your front line staff to make a positive and memorable impact? Most of our clients are desperate to recruit front line (shop or restaurant) staff. It will be tempting to take on anyone who is willing and who can do the job, however is ‘delighting customers’ part of the job description? Because hiring the wrong personality could have a more devastating effect on your business than not having the staff in the first place.

In my experience it is difficult to train people for this type of thinking and behaviour…

Remember that reputations are built in years and lost in weeks, so trust your instincts and recruit those you think will go the extra mile.