Service Lesson: The Really Hard Stuff is the Soft Stuff

Tom Asacker, business author and speaker, said, “People will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” The question we always need to ask is…”How am I making my customers feel?” The bottom line according to Tom is this, “The really hard stuff is the soft stuff”. It’s the feelings of your customers and employees.


I certainly have been the recipient of some really good “soft stuff”. Not the least was a restaurant that stayed open just for my wife and me on a very special wedding anniversary where we were running incredibly late. The place was empty. We were the only customers in the entire restaurant, and they kept the whole staff on to make sure we had a memorable night.  That was for our 15th wedding anniversary...our 40th is only a few months away!  How's that for a lasting impression!


So with that in mind…please share your extraordinary customer service experiences by posting a comment here.

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

One origin of this question is obviously from the Chicago tune which bemoans the fact that most of us are rushing around too fast and furious to stop and “smell the roses”. So what does that mean to those of us in small business? As I type this question I notice that it is 1:36 AM on a Saturday night. My guess is that I am far from being alone in this activity. Most of us in small business fit one or both of the following descriptions.

A. I have so much on my plate that I seem to work around the clock.


B. I am so passionate about my business that I can’t get enough of it.

Either way, we tend to work more hours than those who “have a real job” {BTW: That phrase really bugs me!} So, if you and I are working at all hours of the day and night...how important is it be able to meet your customer’s needs beyond the normal business hours?


Remember the phrase “Bankers hours”? Yes, there was a time when banks were only open from 10:00AM to 5:00PM and not on Saturdays. Not only are banks now open on Saturday, but are inside of supermarkets with long hours or are available to you 24/7 online. Consumers have responded to the added hours and ease of access in a major way.


Jim Collins in his important book, Good to Great, shares the story about a building supply firm that created a way for their key customers to access road repair materials after hours. The around the clock access to road repair materials was a major differentiator and helped the firm outpace competitors.


What are some of the steps you can take to give your customers what they want...when they want it?


Or, as a consumer what products or services do you wish you had access to on your time schedule?


Let’s hear from you. Please post a comment.

Outrageous Customer Service, or Poor Customer Service?

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet often vacation together. On one occasion they went to China. Wherever in the world Warren Buffet travels he always brings his favorite beverage, Cherry Coke. On this specific trip Buffet and Gates left the luxury hotel they were staying at to take a rented yacht down the Yangtze River. Some hours into the cruise it was discovered that Warren Buffet’s inventory of Cherry Coke had not been transferred from the hotel to the boat. The captain radioed the hotel which immediately dispatched a staff member with a case of the soft drink. The hotel person headed down river to catch up with the boat in a rented cab. When the cab came to the end of the paved road and the boat was still further down river the hotel person paid for the use of a bicycle and quickly loaded the case of soft drinks in the basket and headed off to the find the boat. Eventually he sighted the yacht, paid a fisherman to row him out to the boat and delivered Mr. Buffet’s Cherry Coke.

Question: Is this an example of extraordinary customer service on behalf of the hotel and the diligent and resourceful staff member? Or, is this a case of poor customer service by the hotel for not transferring the soft drink in the first place?

Let me know what you think. Have you had a similar customer service challenge in your business?