Life is all about the journey…

Balancing a family schedule with 3 teenagers, my wife’s and mine can be a bit of a challenge. This past Sunday night we were lucky enough to get the chance to spend some quality time together as a family, and the event was dinner at Bravo’s in Pearlridge. http://www.bravorestaurant.com/

So what made last night special enough that I felt compelled to blog about it?  The food was the same.  The location was the same.  We had been to Bravo’s on a Sunday evening before, and new to expect a wait.  So what made the difference on this visit?  I believe there are 4 significant events that made the difference.  As you read what follows you can see that the significant events are really the little things that happened.

Sunday night at Bravo’s had its typical 30-35 minute wait, so we decided to walk to Starbucks to pass the time.  I understand that restaurants’ don’t typically allow patrons to bring outside food into their restaurant, but a Starbucks drink?  Immediately, upon sitting down, our waitress made us aware of Bravo’s policy not to allow outside food or drinks. For this story we will call our waitress “L”.  After making us aware of the policy, L immediately followed with, “It’s ok though. I know you folks have been waiting for a while, and I would have gotten a drink at Starbucks myself”.  This comment set us at ease and set the tone for what would eventually became a memorable evening.

Those of you who have been to Bravo’s know that they are famous for their baskets of hot garlic bread balls, a family favorite.  L knew this about our family as my daughter had mentioned to her how much our family liked the bread.  In all of our visits to Bravos, this was the first time we never asked for more bread, as L was always one step ahead with a fresh basket.  L took our entree and soft drinks order, but the soft drinks never came. When we mentioned to her that they had not come L apologized and promptly returned with the soft drinks.  L than said, “Sorry sir, we have taken them off the bill. Do you need anything else?”  I do not know if that was a company policy or just L making a judgment call.  Considering how fast she returned I seem to think it was a judgment call.

As we finished dinner my daughter decided to tell L that it was my birthday.  My birthday is still weeks away, but she figured we may as well celebrate now.  I quickly confessed to L that it was not in fact my birthday. Nonetheless she returned five minutes later with a birthday ice cream sundae and said, “Whether it is your birthday or not, thank you for spending your night here with us!” As my face turned red, I quickly thought to myself what a great ending to a wonderful evening.  L had directly impacted our experience that evening, and she did that by her commitment to superior customer service.

On the drive home, my family continued to rave over how special the evening was.  Here is my question to all of you, and it is the very question I ponder all the time:  What is it that my company or I can do on a daily basis to really make a difference in the eyes of the customer?  As my family’s experience at Bravos proved, sometimes it really is the little things that make all the difference.

Be the difference in your daily interactions with the customers you serve.

Good Luck,

Lee