Customer service has that funny word in it…service. So when I think of customer service, I think to taking care of people by serving them.

If you’re like me, it drives you crazy when you ask your server what is great on the menu, and they answer with, “everything’s great!” Really?! Everything?! I have yet to experience the restaurant where I find everything to be great.

Recently I was in a very nice “establishment” when I looked at the menu and found myself not being able to combine the ingredients on the each menu item they create in my brain what they were going for. I looked at eight items and could come up with a decent flavor profile for any of them. So I asked what should be a perfectly acceptable question. Here was the conversation:

CLo – What’s your top three favorites on the menu?

Server – Well that totally depends on your tastes.

CLo – (Thank you Captain Obvious, but I don’t understand what tastes you’ve put together.) Yeah, but I’m just wanting to know what YOU think is the best.

Server – Well what flavors have you been craving lately?

CLo – (What flavors have I been craving?!) Here’s what I’m wondering. Of the items on the menu, what’s outrageous?

Server – It’s all outrageous. We wouldn’t put it on the menu if it wasn’t.

Oh for the love! It’s at this point that I’m thinking, how can you not be able to guide your customer on your own product? How difficult is this? Don’t you know your stuff inside and out? If this was a fast food chain, I could let it slide. But it wasn’t. It was very nice.

If you came to me for guidance on our products, I can guide you like crazy. Not even a question. And I sure wouldn’t allow you to be frustrated with my service of you. My goal is to make sure you get exactly what you want, or what I think is best for you. Otherwise, what’s the point?

As a leader, you have to understand that your customer service IS sales. Without it, you lose customers quickly.

Question: Can you tell about a time you experienced customer service like this?