It’s true.
Humor and a little show biz can go a long way to creating a differentiated customer experience and enhanced loyalty.
Let me give you an example that I heard at my favorite Italian restaurant in downtown San Diego.
I was having an antipasto salad and a bottle of Chianti with my wife at Leonardo’s in Little Italy.
I have been going to this same restaurant and eating the same thing since I was a young boy when I used to meet my dad there on his lunch break.
I have remained loyal to this restaurant primarily because of their awesome food, but the humor that the family ownership has instilled in the staff is also a nice touch.
Let me give you a classic example of one such personalized, authentic and funny interaction.
As I was eating my antipasto, the gentleman at the table across from us, who was obviously Italian, asked if he could speak to the manager.
The waitress said, “Certainly. Let me go get him for you. Is everything okay?”
He said, “Yes! Everything is great. I just want to talk to him about this veal parmesan as I am from Italy.”
The waitress said, “Excellent! I’ll bring him over in a moment.”
A few minutes later she returned with the manager who introduced himself as Sam.
When Sam asked the guest if everything was okay, the guest said, “Sam, I wanted to introduce myself. I am Salvatore, from Palermo. I used to eat veal parmesan at my cousin’s restaurant twice a week.”
Sam said, “Really? What do you think of ours?”
The guest said, “That’s what I wanted to tell you. This is absolutely the best veal parmesan I have ever had. What’s your secret?”
If you are eating anything, make sure you chew it because I made the mistake of having a mouthful of salad when Sam gave his reply.
Sam said, “That’s easy. Over in Palermo they use domestic cheese. We use imported cheese.”
I thought that was so funny I literally spit my salad all over the table.
This is a perfect example of how to create a personalized, authentic and friendly interaction.
What are you and your business doing to create fun, personalized interactions that yes, incorporate humor and/or show biz into the experience?
If your answer is not much or nothing at all, I challenge you to be more like Sam at Leonardo’s if you want to create loyal customers who tell their friends.
Republished with author’s permission from original post.
