You’re being watched. Creepy, huh? But it’s true. While you carry on your day-to-day activities, someone is watching you. And here’s the really scary part–that person’s opinion of you could either boost your career or torpedo it.
On a trip to speak to the chamber of commerce in Durango, CO, I discovered that I was in need of an optometrist. While putting on my contact lens that morning, I noticed a small rip in it that could cause me problems if I didn’t get it replaced. So, shortly after getting off a plane in Durango, I walked in the door of Advanced Eye Care with my prescription for a rare bifocal lens.
I said hello to the receptionist behind the desk and described my dilemma to her.
“You probably don’t have this lens, but I thought I might ask,” I said, handing her my prescription.
The young lady took the piece of paper, saying, “Hmm, I’m not sure if we have that lens. Let me ask someone in the back.” After just a few moments, she re-emerged, telling me that no, they didn’t carry my prescription but could order it for me.
I told her that I was in town less than 24 hours and that option wouldn’t be possible. Hearing this, she asked if I’d mind waiting just another minute to see if there was any other solution she could offer. She disappeared into the back room again and after another minute or two came back out holding a trial lens that was close enough to what I needed to get me by. The staff waived off my attempts to pay for the lens and their service, telling me to just make sure I came back to see them sometime.
But here’s the thing. They didn’t know who I was. I don’t walk around wearing a T-shirt saying, “Charles Marshall, Humorous Motivational Speaker and Customer Service Expert” on it. Most of the time I look like, well, just a regular type of guy.
Coincidentally, their entire staff happened to be attending my customer service presentation the very next morning at the chamber of commerce event. When I needed a story to underline the point that you never know who you’re waiting on and what effect that interaction will have on your business, what business do you think I referred to as a stellar example of local customer service?
And that’s my point. You never know who is standing in front of you. In every interaction with your customer you have the opportunity to make them either a fan, or in some cases, a foe.
Did you hear the story about United Airlines baggage handlers breaking musician Dave Carroll‘s guitar a while back? The story goes that he tried several times to get them to pay for the guitar to no avail, so he did what a lot of musicians would do in such a case–he wrote a song about his ordeal. In the song, “United Breaks Guitars,” he even goes so far as to name the specific customer service representative that gave him the final “no.”
Then he posted a video of the song on YouTube. It immediately went viral with something like 5 million views in a very short amount of time (back in the early days of YouTube when 5 million views meant something). Dave Carroll was invited to go on several national TV shows to talk about his viral video and before long, United Airlines came calling with an offer to pay for the guitar. But it was a case of too little, too late. Dave refused their money, kept his song, and his video on YouTube.
Get the point?
Every day somebody is watching you. That person has the potential to become your biggest fan or your worst nightmare.
Me? I like fans a lot better than foes, so I suggest treating everyone you come in contact with as if they were your best customers. And a lot of times, that’s exactly what they’ll become.
© 2025 Charles Marshall. Charles Marshall is a nationally known humorous motivational speaker and author. Visit his Web site www.CharlesMarshallSpeaker.com or contact him via e-mail at Charles@CharlesMarshallSpeaker.com
No comments yet.