By Kerry Mealey-Holmes
MCCA - Learning & Development Liaison
It was a dark and snowy night.
Picture it, Winnipeg. Cold. Winter. Suppertime. I had my three children with me who had reached about a 10 on their hangry meters. I decided to stop somewhere we had never been before, Wendy’s. The wind whipped as I hurried the babies out the van and across the slippery snowy parking lot with heads down and hoods up. Then out of nowhere something caught my eye. An angelic figure bathed in light! Was I experiencing a paranormal visitation?
Turns out it was an Wendy’s employee ushering us in. “Come and get these little ones of the cold” she said in a merry voice, full of wisdom, while holding the door open for us. Once my glasses started to defrost I noticed that she was an older lady with such kindness in her eyes. I couldn’t have been more thankful for that simple act of holding the door open for my wee family.
As I stood staring at the unfamiliar menu board, the guy behind the counter started making suggestions on how to ‘bundle’ my meals to get what we wanted in a less expensive way. I was feeling more at ease and again grateful for the helpfulness of the staff. I turned away to help one of my children with their coats and looked up to see the older lady – you know the angelic figure in the light- carrying my loaded tray of drinks to a table for us. “Am I in a dream?” I wondered? Next thing I knew my children were being offered balloons and another staff member brought over our meals. What service!
Was I the only one in the restaurant? No. But to me it felt like I was. If you break down the experience, did they really do anything over and above? No. Not really. Facts: Someone held the door. Someone made menu suggestions. Someone brought my food and drinks to the table. Someone gave my kids a balloon on a stick that were situated around the restaurant. Were any of those really big deals? No. But they were to me. I felt cared for. I felt counted. I felt special.
Customer service is about creating moments just like this for our clients. It is about finding a way to put your personal stamp on the experience. I’m so thankful for that dark and snowy night on St. James Street in Winnipeg for teaching me that small moments really do make a difference.
