I will always have very high standards when it comes to customer service. Many years of working in various forms of retail & hospitality has most likely put a thin candy coating of cynicism & bitterness on top of my normal rainbows-and-unicorns attitude. So when I come across an experience with great customer service, I like to shout it from the rooftops.

Last night I, along with the rest of the team from Fox Cities Social, had a meeting with the staff of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to discuss a forthcoming social media event. I will be sharing more on that when the time comes – it’s going to be awesome – stay tuned.

There was a lot of chatting along with our talks about the team and the event. One of the things we talked about was the tradition of the team handing out a collectible bobblehead at the season opener. I lamented that, as a big fan and also a collector of the team bobbleheads, how upset I was that I had been sick and missed the 2011 opener.

Well, Ryan from the Timber Rattlers looked up and said “I may or may not happen to have one of those on my desk”. I was pumped! We finished the meeting and I got my Scooter vs. the Snowman after a long year of whining about not having it.

Why is what Ryan did such a great example of customer service?

He paid attention – Ryan was not solely interested in the final outcome of: Sell this group tickets for a game.

He solved my problem – Ryan saw a customer need & provided a solution

He made me feel special – Ryan went back to his office and gave me his own, personal Scooter bobble head off his desk. Now, he could have pulled it out of a stack of 50 and just told me it was his, but believing he did that solidified him as a customer service rock star to me for life!

Being proactive with your customer base will not only make your customers feel appreciated, it can help in situations when there is a problem. Keeping these four simple examples in your mind will help keep you customer service skills in tip top shape. Sometimes it’s the little things that dazzle your customers.

And who knows, you just might dazzle the girl with a big mouth and a blog!

What little things do you do to make your customers feel appreciated?