By Chip Bell
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The Southern National restaurant in Mobile, Alabama, is a new restaurant that serves flourishes. That is not a culinary term; it is a design expression. It is those curly cues that decorate the end of a book chapter. It is the manner in which a signature adds stylistic swirls and drawings at the end. It is an ornamental addition.
Transform your service experience with remarkable customer service and an innovative approach that will impress clients and colleagues alike.
Flourishes embellish and decorate. Pay the bill with the wait staff and your receipt and credit card are returned in a small jelly jar with a piece of twine still present at the top like its paper cover has gone missing and all the marmalade has been eaten. Ask for a scotch on the rocks and the waiter is likely to present you the bottle just like a fine wine bottle. Flourishes charm and delight.
A flourish is defined as a bold or extravagant gesture or action made to attract the attention of others. And, customers love bold service, especially when lavished with features that attract and compel.
The Hyatt at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, not only burns lots of mesquite wood in their many fire pits and outdoor fireplaces, they create a romantic mood by also lighting giant candles around the property. The hotel housekeepers sometimes place an aromatic flourish on your pillow – a sprig of rosemary, honeysuckle, or a piece of sandalwood. Butler Lexus in Macon, Georgia, includes a customer’s favorite flavored coffee in the customer’s profile. When a customer brings in a vehicle for service, the Keurig coffee machine in the waiting area is guaranteed to have K-cups preferred by the customer.
These are just a few outstanding customer experience examples, but there are an unlimited number of opportunities for creating memorable customer experiences. Flourishes leave experiences enriched as they make moments memorable. And, they create a story that customers are eager to share. Stories are the highest form of customer advocacy. Look for flourishes you can add to your customers’ experiences and watch them swoon and your bottom line swell.
Chip Bell is a renowned keynote speaker and author of several best-selling books, including Take Their Breath Away, Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service, The 9½ Principles of Innovative Service and Sprinkles: Creating Awesome Experiences Through Innovative Service. His newest book is the bestselling Kaleidoscope: Delivering Innovative Service That Sparkles. The book won a 2017 Best Book Award in the business category after winning a silver medal from the 2017 North American Book Awards. Dr. Bell has appeared live on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NPR Marketplace, and his work has been featured in Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, Businessweek, Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, CEO Magazine, Money Magazine, and Fast Company. Global Gurus 2018 ranked him the #2 keynote speaker in the world in customer service.
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Transform your service experience with remarkable customer service and an innovative approach that will impress clients and colleagues alike.
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