Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/236097
A Closer Look Every Success Revolves Around One Core Concept. What's Yours? Your customers are hungry for the right mix of top quality and superior experience – make sure you can deliver and they'll come back for more. BY JEFFREY GITOMER My friend, Andy Horner, and I were eating lunch at Chick-fil-A one Friday. My three-year-old daughter, Gabrielle, was with us. The minute we walked in the door, we were all handed a sample of their new tortilla soup. A bit spicy, but absolutely excellent. I should note the person serving the soup was a smiling young woman who seemed both happy to see us and happy to serve us. We placed our order, and it was ready before I got done paying. I should also note both the cashier and the food server seemed both happy and happy to serve us. When we got to our table we had a dilemma. Our food was hot and ready to eat, but Gabrielle wanted to go to the playground. So we compromised. After she ate three pieces of chicken, she got to go on the slide. The playground is a major kid's attraction at Chick-fil-A. Meanwhile, as we were eating our lunch, not less than three people came by our table to offer us service of one 32 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | January 2014 kind or another. When is the last time that happened to you in a fast food restaurant? Never? I thought so. These weren't just people who asked us if we needed anything else. They were also smiling at us, chatting just a little bit, and suggesting things they might do to help, such as asking, "Would you like a refill?" or making a comment to make sure Gabrielle was enjoying her lunch. I should further note each person was both smiling and exceptionally sincere. I put one of them to the test. I gave him my credit card and asked him for a small bowl of their new soup. "Right away!" he said. And two minutes later the soup arrived. I could not tell if the people who stopped at our table were managers or janitors. It didn't matter. They all acted exactly the same way, as if they owned the place and their life depended on our happiness and gratification