Want More Business? Do YOU Go the Extra Mile?

Every now and then something happens that so clearly reinforces what we already know we should be doing, but don't always do, that we are forced to take a look at ourselves. The story that follows may help you do just that.

I've been telling anyone who listens to me, for many months, that now (more than ever before) you need to be serving your customers in any way that you possibly can, even though that service may not result in a sale or $$$ in your pocket right now. Anything you can do to add value to your customers and help them stay in business, and do so profitably, is a very good idea. In other words, you need to go above and beyond the "call of duty"...you need to go the extra mile.

If you're reading this newsletter you probably already know that I'm a professional speaker and sales trainer. Part of my job description is that I travel. Often. I've gotten pretty good at travelling over the last few years...I can pack a suitcase and be out the door in about 5 minutes with everything I need. (having much of what you need pre-packed is the key!) I know how to navigate airports, how to travel on a plane as comfortably as possible and how to live in hotel rooms for extended periods of time. Yet, with all this knowledge and experience, last week I made a dreadful mistake.

On Sunday, May 10th, I was at LaGuardia airport in New York waiting to catch the 4:00 shuttle to Boston where I was to be working with a large publishing company the next day, training their Subscription Services (Customer Service) people on how to turn service calls into selling opportunities. I was looking forward to the workshop and as I sat in the terminal, munching on a snack while listening to my iPod, my thoughts wandered. I had checked my luggage (horrors!) because I had my laptop in a backpack and I also had a garment bag with a suit and shirts. Yes, I could have worn my suit and packed my shirts in my luggage so that I could carry everything on the plane but I needed to coach my son's soccer game just before heading to the airport and didn't want to do it in my suit. I had laid my black garment bag over the black seat next to me. When they called my flight (on time!) I gathered up my iPod, tossed away my garbage, retrieved my backpack and headed onto the plane. The US Airways shuttle flight wasn't crowded so I had an entire row to myself and life was beautiful.

As I always do, I took my phone out of my pocket and went to put it in the magazine slot on the back of the seat in front of me. I was immediately grossed out when I noticed that whoever had sat in my seat on the previous flight had eaten a banana and left the peel in the magazine slot. I figured I had two choices...press the call button and wait for a flight attendant to come and take the banana peel or get rid of it myself. I decided it would be quicker, and kinder, to handle it myself so I reached in, got the discarded banana peel and headed to the galley to throw it out. Holding it between two fingers, so as not to get leftover banana on my hand, I held it up to the flight attendant and said, "I found this in the magazine slot at my seat. Can you believe that some pig left it there?" She was very friendly and we got into a conversation about how thoughtless and inconsiderate some people are and she thanked me for taking care of it instead of calling her over to do so. I returned to my seat, feeling good about myself, started reading and quickly dozed off.

I woke up a short while later to the captain's announcement that we were starting our descent and in the fog of waking up started thinking about what I would need to do next. Gather my stuff, deplane and go wait for my luggage, get the luggage, find a taxi, get the hotel, check in, unpack and get some dinner. "Wait a minute," I said to myself..."back up." As I thought about gathering my stuff I saw a picture in my head of my backpack slung over my shoulder and my garment bag in my hand. It was then I realized that I had left my garment bag in the terminal in New York. After calling myself a lot of less-than-flattering names, I started trying to figure out how I was going to fix this situation. I couldn't appear in front of my client the next day in jeans and a t-shirt (I could, but the training wouldn't have the same effect) and it would be too late to buy new clothes that night (it was Sunday) and I needed to be at the client too early the next morning to shop for a new business outfit before the program began. I was thinking that I was going to have to catch a flight back to NY, get my stuff then catch another flight back to Boston, a time consuming and expensive proposition. As the flight attendants came by, gathering up last minute garbage, I recognized the friendly attendant, Jane, that I had spoken with before about the banana peel. I explained what had happened and asked if she had the phone number of anyone I could call at LaGuardia to see if my bag had been found. She said she had a friend who worked at the terminal and as soon as we landed she would call for me, which I thought was a really nice thing to do.

We landed, and as I was waiting patiently (okay, waiting IMPATIENTLY) to deplane I saw Jane up front talking on her cell phone. By the time I made it to the door, as the other attendants were doing their, "Buh byes!" Jane pulled me to the side and told me that she had called her friend, he had found my bag and was holding it. Somewhat of a relief but the story gets better. Jane then informed me that this flight was turning around in 30 minutes and she was flying back to LaGuardia AND was returning to Boston later that evening AND that she would be glad to bring me my bag if I would meet her at the airport when the plane landed. She asked if I would be willing to do that. Would I be willing to come back to the airport at 9:00 p.m. to retrieve my lost garment bag? You bet! I thanked Jane and gave her my business card with my cell number just in case anything happened. I went to my hotel, checked in, had some dinner and made sure I was at the airport at 8:30 so that I would be there waiting for Jane when she arrived. I'm a very positive attitude type of guy, but I have to admit my mind was filled with all the things that could go wrong with this situation, with the end result being me NOT getting my garment bag returned but at 9:00 Jane came down the escalator with my garment bag in hand. As you can imagine, I profusely thanked her as, even though this wasn't a huge inconvenience for her, it wasn't part of her job description and in my opinion, she went out of her way to help me, with no thought of getting anything in return for her kindness. In fact, I bought her two boxes of candy to say thanks and almost had to force it into her hands as she kept saying, "It was my pleasure and no problem at all."

Did I have to throw out the banana peel? Nope. Did Jane have to bring me my bag? Definitely not. To me, Jane went the extra mile with no thought of getting anything in return. She gave excellent customer service. Will Jane get something out of this event? Probably not (other than the boxes of candy) but I can tell you that I wrote a well-worded letter to the CEO of US Airways, Doug Parker, relating this story to him and praising him and his company for employing caring people like Jane AND letting him know that it's this type of service that will make me choose US Air in the future whenever possible when I fly. (and I fly a lot) While Jane may or may not ever know about the letter I wrote, or get any type of reward or commendation, the company she works for (US Air - did I mention their great service?) will get more business from me than they have in the past.

Are you going the extra mile for your customers? Would you have offered, with a smile on your face, to bring me my garment bag? Do you provide the outstanding customer service experience that Jane did, turning an occasional customer into an advocate? (you can bet I'll be retelling this story to audiences all over the world every time I talk about examples of good customer service. will that result in more business for US Air?)

Use every tool at your disposal to help your prospects and customers. Do it with NO EXPECTATION OF GETTING ANYTHING in return. My bet is that each act of going "above and beyond the call of duty" will bring more good things coming your way. Who knows, maybe even an unexpected sale or two.

Make It Happen!

Jeff