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Glitter Is Always an Option

Blog Post

By Chip Bell

Glitter Is Always an Option

A person getting their takeout order at a cafe
The Amazing Consultant Mindset

Blog Post

By Chip Bell
A person getting their takeout order at a cafe

Glitter Is Always an Option

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It was a local bakery I had heard neighbors talk about but never visited. My usual great bakery had sold out of banana nut bread muffins, and I was planning on taking a dozen to a business meeting I was chairing. When the clerk at the new bakery rang up my muffins, she asked me, “Which one of these awesome muffins are you planning on eating?” I told her I had no idea. “Well then,” she continued with an impish tone in her voice, “What is your favorite color?” “Purple,” I told her.

She reached into a drawer, took out a small purple candle, and placed it in the middle of one of the muffins. “That one will be yours,” she said with a big smile. I was stunned.

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“Did you think it was my birthday?” I asked. “Nope,” she replied, “that would be a freaky coincidence. But, it is still your day, and there is no reason not to make it a glorious one!” Guess where I bought my next batch of muffins.

Every morning when we wake up, we get to choose what kind of day it will be. Even if you are sick or hurt, you elect how you will deal with misfortune. Likewise, every time you serve a customer, you get to pick the kind of day you will help that customer have by creating a customer service experience or not. She had decided that my day would be glorious and she added a simply touch – a tiny bit of glitter – to jump start me into making it that kind of day.

University of Rhode Island students for years enjoyed going to the CVS/pharmacy nearby in the Kingston Emporium to buy a snack and to see “The Excellence Lady.” Many would stand in line with other cash registers open just get her special farewell. CVS head cashier Helen “Nonni” Plummer bid farewell to every customer with the phrase, “Have an excellent!”  Should someone inquire “excellent what?” she quickly would add, “Whatever you want it to be.” Her infectious spirit spread to a Facebook group titled, “You Have an Excellent” with almost two thousand members.

Your attitude when serving customers provides a peephole into the values and qualities most revered by your unit or organization. Find a special way to add “glorious” as a feature of the day your customers are going to have.

Author
Headshot of Chip Bell
Chip Bell

Chip Bell is a renowned keynote speaker and author of several best-selling books, including Take Their Breath Away, Managing Knock Your Socks Off ServiceThe 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 FortuneWall Street JournalForbesUSA TodayBusinessweekEntrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, CEO Magazine, Money Magazine, and Fast Company. Global Gurus 2018 ranked him the #2 keynote speaker in the world in customer service.

Connect with Chip on LinkedIn.

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Maximizing the Power of Profoundly Remarkable Service

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