A Real Treat

Welcome to the 148th edition of “InTouch”. As always, I would love to continue the conversation so please hit reply and let me know what you think.

Story of the Week: “A Real Treat”

I walked into a small confectionery near my new home in Athens to grab a coffee and something for breakfast. The woman behind the counter, Vrisita, immediately made a positive impression on me, not only because she was polite but because of the way she treated every customer who walked through the door.

Four customers were in line before me. She knew at least two of them by name, greeting them like old friends. Each one left with what they had ordered, plus a complimentary treat, different for each person.

I found myself thinking this was probably not just Vrisita being generous on her own. It felt like something woven into the values and culture of the whole company.

Finally, it was my turn. After taking my order, she smiled and said, “This is the first time I’ve seen you here.” I told her yes, I had just moved into the neighbourhood. She reached under the counter and handed me a small cake as a treat.

I stood outside afterwards, holding the treat in my hand... and something much bigger in my heart. She had noticed a new face and decided to behave with the same warmth and enthusiasm that she gave her most loyal customers.

It is not easy for a single employee to sustain that kind of warmth entirely on her own. More often than not, it has to be nurtured by the company’s culture and the way it looks after its own people. Vrisita won my smile before she ever had a chance to win my loyalty, and I was reminded once again how often the second follows the first.

That is why I will keep returning to the confectionery, not for Vrisita alone but for what an entire company has succeeded in building around her.

Words of Wisdom

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” Simon Sinek

A Question to Ponder, dear friend.

Would your people make a stranger feel like a regular, even when no one was watching?