Kale and Customer Service

I ordered a salad in a restaurant last week. As I skimmed over the salad ingredients on the menu, I missed the word “kale.” And because I missed the word “kale,” in the menu description, I failed to ask my lovely server to omit the kale. (Kale and I are done. We tried to make it work, but it was doomed from the start.)

She brought my salad to the table and there, staring up at me with the smugness of a vegetable that is now in everything, was Kale.

“I am so sorry, ” I said to the server. “I didn’t realize there was Kale in this salad. Darn it.”

The lovely server who clearly has a handle on excellent customer service said, “No problem. I will have them remake it without the Kale.” She did, and received a lovely tip for her lovely attention to her customers.

Now, if you took the same scenario and applied it toward what flies for customer service in much of today’s photography industry, it would look like this:

“I am so sorry. I didn’t realize there was Kale in this salad. Darn it.”

“Are you kidding me????? Can you not read? The salad description is right there in the menu. K-A-L-E.  How is it MY fault you ordered a salad WITH KALE IN IT? We are busy right now and in the middle of all this you expect me to take care of this? I seriously do not get this.”

I guarantee you’d never go back to that restaurant. Nor would you allow someone to whom you’d given your money treat you that way.

Remember, clients always have a choice. Make them glad they picked you. xoxo