Where Does Excellent Customer Service Begin?

by

John Stephen Mauldin, MLA (not AI-assisted)

All right reserved, copyright © 2025

Imagine you meet a new friend who invites you and your wife to his home for dinner. The evening of the dinner arrives. You and your wife dress smartly and buy a small flower bouquet for the hostess.

While driving to the dinner, the two of you guess how the evening will turn out. After arriving at the address, you both smile with a slight nervousness while walking to this newly acquired friend's front door.

You knock and smile at your wife, who returns your smile and puts her arm inside yours, pressing close to you. After waiting, you knock again and hear, "It's open!"

Your bride's jaw drops. She turns her head to the side and quickly draws backward an inch. You look at her, hunch your shoulders a second, purse your lips, and roll your eyes.

"It's open!"

You turn the handle and slowly open the door.

Your newfound friend sits on a couch watching television and, while fixated by that idiot box, says, "Food's in the kitchen. Help yourself."

Without uttering a syllable, you and the missis do an about-face and retreat to the car. Soon, you are seated at your favorite restaurant.

"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Smith! It's so nice to see you both again," says the waiter with an enthusiastic smile.

"It's good to see you, Giorgio. Could you please put these flowers in a vase for Mrs. Smith?"

"With pleasure, sir! Do you need menus, or will you have the usual?"

"We'll have the usual, Giorgio."

"Right away, sir!"

The two of you smile at each other and, in unison, take a deep breath, exhale, and laugh at your involuntary, synchronized response.

"That was horrible, Jim," says Annie. "What a difference to be where people care about you and are eager to make you feel at home!"

Giorgio returns with the flowers in a crystal vase, which he places in the center of the table. "There you are, Mrs. Smith. Your dinners will be ready in just a few minutes. In the meantime, may I bring you an appetizer or more sparkling water?"

"More sparkling water would be nice," says Annie.

"Yes, ma'am!" says Giorgio and hurries away, at which time the restaurant's owner greets the Smiths.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Smith! It's so nice to have you as our special guests again tonight! If you need anything, or if something is not as you wish, please tell me, and I will take care of it immediately! Oh, here come your dinners now! Please enjoy yourselves, and thank you for being our special guests!"

As this little vignette illustrates, poor customer service manifests as the inability or unwillingness to acknowledge value, whereas superb customer service derives from recognizing value. The recognition of value is, incidentally, my definition of love.

For those who are fully alive easily see the exceeding worth of others. Perhaps that's why Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said, “Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.”

Indeed, if we value a people, we treat them with great care. We ensure they are comfortable and untroubled. We satisfy their needs. Without demeaning ourselves, we become their willing servant. That is the seat of excellent customer service.

So, if you want to improve the customer service in your organization, let it begin inside yourself. What you find there is a mirror of your company's perception of customers.

The recognition of value—that is where excellent customer service begins.