Those Little “Extras” Improve Customer Satisfaction

By Kristina Evey • July 10th, 2009

I had a nice experience today that made me smile when I was at the bank today. I pulled up to the drive through bank line and made some deposits. I had my three kids in the car with me and we waited for just a moment as the transaction was handled quickly and efficiently. The teller was friendly and nice. Nothing to complain about.

But, as I was putting my deposit receipts away in my wallet, the magic happened. I heard a different teller’s voice come over the speaker and say, “I’m so sorry, the other teller didn’t realize that you had your children with you. How many lollipops can I send over to you?”

Here was someone who wasn’t even helping me directly, yet took ownership and recognized that something in my experience with the bank could have been improved. She stepped up and took the initiative. She didn’t criticize the other teller, she merely recognized that something was missed and wanted to correct it.

That is really a great example of great customer service. There is a quote by James A. Penny that says “The most appreciated service is that which is unobliged.” This teller helped me when I didn’t really need it or expect it. Customer satisfaction isn’t really enough these days. It’s about going above and beyond just that little extra bit that makes the biggest impact. The transaction itself was fine, but the “little extra” of offereing lollipops is what made the experience better and put a smile on my face.