If anyone in the hospitality industry ever had this statement even cross their mind then in the words of the great Homer Simpson..."D'oh!"

Excellent customer service is probably the most valuable commodity any business has to offer in today's business climate. Having a good product or service is just the start. You have to think of how you intend to blow the mind of your prospect or customer with type of customer service that keeps them coming back for more and also telling all their friends about you.

I think the best place to start is learning from the most thought provoking quotation I have ever read.

"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.

He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.

He is not an interruption in our work; he is the purpose of it.

He is not an outsider in our business; he is a part of it.

We are not doing him a favor by serving him; he is doing us a favor

by giving us an opportunity to do so. "

~~Mahatma Gandhi

With this in mind you can start to create a positively memorable experience for every customer. You not only have to meet their expectations but to go beyond them. You have to look for every little opportunity to make doing business with you almost magical.

It's the small things in life that mean the most, and it's the same in business life also. A great example for me was in Montana's Cookhouse in Woodstock, ON. The greeting was less than what you should expect; actually the young lady appeared almost bored. The server, Vicky, however definitely made the experience for me. When I ordered my starter, hot wings, Vicky told me that they were VERY hot. I love spicy food and have never had wings that I consider too hot, so I told her that was fine by me.

Once I received my wings, and was thoroughly enjoying them, Vicky brought me over another drink, even though I had not ordered one and had only drunk less than half of the glass I already had. She told me that she knew the wings were hot so she thought I'd want another drink before I needed a refill. To me, this was what encapsulates a good customer service. It wasn't the fact that I wanted a drink at that time, but she was thinking ahead to what my needs were and was trying to anticipate them. Later in the meal I needed a toothpick. When I ask for this I normally have to wait until they go and get one, but Vicky had some with her, again thinking ahead of what her customer's needs are going to be. Vicky was in fact the first nominee for my customer service award.

Any customer who receives customer service to which they feel they have received the complete attention of their server or member of customer service staff will perceive a customer service experience on which they will remain your customer again and again. They will as I have just done, tell people about the customer service experience, which is worth more to your business than anything you else you do.

Go on; plan how you are going to knock the socks of your customer with your customer service.