Sprinkle a little Pixie Dust

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you a story about appalling customer service from Mini, and the damage abdicating your accountability for outsourced suppliers, can do to your brand. 

So this week I thought I’d balance that dismal tale out with a couple of great stories I heard recently.

Two great examples of putting the customer at the heart of your business, and putting your heart into wowing them with your service.

I love stories like this…

A month or so ago, on a gorgeous summer evening, my sister Jo and a friend were out riding and decided to stop at a local hotel to see if they could get a drink. Neither was particularly smart (dress-wise) and Rothley Court in Leicestershire is a very smart place, so they weren’t sure if they’d be served, but thought they’d try their luck anyway.

Her friend went in to get the drinks while Jo held the horses and soon he returned empty handed, looking downcast - ‘They’ve asked us to leave’, he said.

Then his face broke into a big grin, as a waiter appeared behind him carrying a tray with two drinks and behind him… a waitress carrying a tray of chopped carrots for the horses!

Great story…great customer experience.  But the next one is even better!

On returning from a lovely holiday in the US, a young couple realised that their little girl had left her favourite teddy, Dobson, at the hotel.

The dad comforted his distraught toddler by telling her that Dobson was a very hard-working teddy so they had let him stay on for a break.

He contacted the hotel, who had found the teddy, and he said there was no rush to return it and shared the story he’d told his daughter.

Over the course of the following week, much to the little girl’s delight, a daily e mail arrived from Dobson, telling her what a lovely holiday he was having, with pictures of him, on the beach, by the pool in his shades, on the spa table with cucumber on his eyes…

The team at the hotel had not only found him and sent him back to his owner, but found a way to delight a young customer, and possibly secure their business for life.

And do you think the couple have told many people their story?

Delighting the Customer, Going the extra mile, or as I heard it referred to recently, Sprinkling the Pixie Dust, costs a business very little - often nothing at all - but the repercussions on them as a business, their return for putting a bit of heart into their service, can be huge.

Just as the Mini story illustrated how a bad service story can spread like the ripples from dropping a pebble in the pond, so can a story of great service.

What will your story be this week?

Do one thing: Sprinkle a little Pixie Dust for one of your customers today.

And if you want help in creating the systems that will deliver a great experience for your customers, check out our 'made for you' resources here.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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