Bryan's Blog

There is so much to be said for attentiveness, warmth, and competency. Those three elements have the potential to turn any experience into a 5-star event. As I’ve noted previously, a 5-star experience is not necessarily about having luxurious surroundings. I have experienced world-class service in some of the most

Two of the most important phrases in service excellence are, “I don’t know” and “Let me find out”. As opposite as they may be, both phrases speak volumes about the service culture on a team. One wreaks of indifference and apathy, while the other expresses ownership and initiative. One of

At the end of the day, service is really about making someone feel cared for. That’s it. We can talk about steps of service, touchpoints, and exceeding expectations until we are exhausted, but if your customers don’t feel like you genuinely care about them (or their issue), then true service

Let’s be honest. Most people’s paychecks will be exactly the same whether they meet or exceed their customers’ expectations. Unless you work for one of those rare companies that provide financial incentives to go above and beyond, why go through the trouble of doing more? Seriously, doing more requires more

Have you ever experienced service so pure that you could literally feel it? Service that is unpretentious, unrestrictive, unscripted, yet seamless and professional all at the same time. Even as a service consultant, it would have been difficult for me to imagine that such a caliber of service could exist

People don’t like to feel like they are a transaction. That is exactly how I felt when I recently rented a car. The rental car agent was fast and efficient. He spat out a series of standard car rental questions with laser-like proficiency. In fact, the entire transaction took less

Years ago, I heard a French wine maker say, “Good is not good enough; in fact, it has to be perfect all the time”. He was referring to the detail and care that goes into growing grapes at his winery. That one quote captures the essence of what a 5-star/5-diamond

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don’t need to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t even

No matter how you look at it, serving is about giving. In fact, giving, sharing, helping and teaching all go hand-in-hand. When I wrote The Double-Platinum Rule, my intent was to highlight the importance of going beyond merely meeting expectations. I wanted to emphasize the importance of looking for opportunities

In any personal relationship, building trust is a key ingredient. Without trust, there really is no opportunity to deepen the relationship or have it evolve beyond the superficial stage. The same is true for customer relationships. To build trust and, loyalty with your customers, three elements are needed: competency, integrity,

When I am traveling in the U.S., my favorite airline is Southwest Airlines. It is very obvious to me that Southwest understands that customer service is more than just a public relations statement. For example, they give you the option of having a customer service phone representative call you back