Go Wild Customer Service: S-E-R-V-U

Surprise, Extras, Remembrance & The Very Unexpected.

I was sitting at Broadway Beauty -- a new hip day spa and salon popular with expats in Costa Rica when the entire staff of stylists and technicians suddenly disappeared. “Wait a minute! Where are you going? I’m wrapped in foil!” I think to myself. Moments later, the ownership team of Mark and Kathy re-appeared with the entire Broadway staff, donning party hats, clown noses and a birthday cake for one of the other patrons who was celebrating her 48th birthday. You see, the staff at Broadway had waited for the “precise” moment when our birthday girl had gone into the changing room for maximum surprise power when she came out. Well it sure worked! Okay, since we do live in Costa Rica, for one brief moment, our birthday girl thought to herself “Great! Banditos on my Birthday.” But then, sheer delight and fun at the surprise and celebration.

The reason I go to this particular salon is not only because a girl knows a good haircut when she finds one, but it’s because of attention to customer service. It’s the extras and surprises, and not just on your birthday. They remember that I like my coffee black with equal and have it ready for me and imagine my delight, when during a standard “Wash” I get a relaxing scalp massage. That’s Very Unexpected and Extra.

But S-E-R-V-U is not only important in customer service to distinguish one company from another. It is also important in personal relationships. It’s what makes our partners, children, and employees feel “Valued and Important.”

Test your S-E-R-V-U Quotient with 4 simple questions:

1) S: In the last 30 days, how have you used the element of Surprise to provide a memory for a customer, colleague or loved one? Oh and don’t forget, we all love “Good Surprises.” It’s the other ones we could do without.

2) E: In the last 30 days, site specific examples of how you have exceeded expectations by providing a little Extra in a personal or professional relationship or task? What do I mean by that? Well, it’s the type of thing that prompts the other person to says “Gee—that’s great, I wasn’t expecting that.”

3) R: Fortunately, technology is making it a lot easier for us to Remember special occasions. What’s your system for remembering the birthdays, anniversaries, and special interests of your customers, those you live and work with? A colleague and friend of mine, Lee Tabas of Tabas Funding in Philadelphia, clips out newspaper and journal articles he knows will be of interest to me. In this age of non-personal email, Lee’s, occasional, unexpected, hand-written notes and attention to my interests makes me feel trusted, important, special, and pleased. It’s a customer service tradition passed on to him through the entrepreneurial Tabas family that created a lasting footprint in Philadelphia’s Hotel and banking industries. And last but not least, don’t forget to V-U those you care about. Say again?

4) V-U?: Yup, Do something Very Unexpected to delight someone today. When was the last time you did something out of character to shake things up a bit? To create a memory, an experience? Maybe even go a little wild? In this month that we celebrate the Irish, I recall when a group of friends kidnapped a colleague on his Birthday/St. Patty’s Day. Originally from Ireland, we blindfolded the lad, who was a tad homesick, put on Irish music in the van and told him we were taking him back to kiss the Blarney Stone. Okay so we only went to Downeys Irish Pub in Philadelphia, 40 minutes, away. But you know our unexpected Go Wild Caper created one of those memories that I know young Patrick will always remember. While flying on Southwest Airlines recently, a flight attendant during the safety demonstration stopped mid-sentence and said, “Hey, I don’t think you’re listening”. That sure got our attention and then she warmed our heart with a smile that said---“I’m fooling with you.” Very Unexpected and Delightful! Seth Goden in his Customer Service Book “Purple Cow” talks about how in order to be, truly superior in customer service; we have to stop being plain, old, regular cows in comparing ourselves to our competitors. Purple Cows is where the action is! In short, if you do everything like everyone else, you’re nothing special. You’re just another Cow. But when you do something totally unexpected, you’re unique and that often translates your company or you into something or someone very special.

So this week, this month, today---------Apply the S-E-R-V-U Formula to those most important to you. Customers, employees, family, and friends…… Remember to Surprise them, Give Something Extra, Remember the little things and occasionally do something Very Unexpected.