Wow Service Example

The customer service example below comes from Springfield Clinic, a wonderful organization I've mentioned in my blog before. There are two things I appreciate in this example:

1. It demonstrates that opportunities to truly wow customers are all around us. It might not be possible to take advantage of every opportunity every time, but when we can - we should. You can bet that the customers in this story will remember the kind gesture forever, and imagine how many friends and family they've shared the story with.

2. It demonstrates a commitment to sharing great service stories. Not only do team members get recognized for their efforts, others reading the story might be inspired to create their own wow for a customer. I've mentioned it before, but it bears repeating, "Celebration of achievements creates a culture of achievement."

Enjoy the story:

"Dr. Lytchakov's patient needed to be admitted to the hospital. The patient was upset because she was being admitted on her husband's birthday. She tearfully explained that she had planned to bake her husband's favorite key lime pie to make his day special. Now there would be no birthday celebration, no pie, not even a card. The pie could wait till another day, but Dr.Lytchakov's nurse Debbie understood completely. She retrieved the patient's husband from the waiting room to comfort his wife and then Debbie went to work. She had an important task at hand. She couldn't come up with a key lime pie, but no birthday should go by unnoticed. She pulled out her glitter markers and began to design a "Hallmark by Debbie" birthday greeting card. Purple, pink and green lettering adorned the card. She found some highlighter pens to create the design and when it was done, she proudly presented the card to the patient's husband. Both the patient and her spouse were sincerely touched by Debbie's thoughtful gesture. It warms my heart to see this kind of caring. It is the healing touch that makes the difference in the lives of the patients we serve. This is a beautiful example of an excellent patient experience. The time invested was minimal, but the impact will last a lifetime! I imagine that this is a gift that will be remembered as birthdays and key lime pies come and go. Dr. Lytchakov provides compassion and kindness to all of his patients. He and Debbie make an excellent team. They are a wonderful representation of the Springfield Clinic Way!"

 What opportunities do you have to wow a customer...right now?