Does it feel like customer service has gone AWOL lately? I mean, obviously not in your boutique – wedding shops in general pride themselves on amazing service, and this is such a central part of your business model that it’s sometimes easy to forget the rest of the world doesn’t always have this same standard.
   Take, for example, the barista who recently treated me to a death glare when I had the audacity to ask if she could please scrape off the heaping mound of whipped cream she’d put on my no-whip drink. Or the nearly two hours I recently spent on hold, trying to get through on a major company’s customer-service line, only to finally reach someone who 1) I had a difficult time understanding and 2) didn’t have the slightest interest in helping me. Or a certain high-end store I regularly visit where I have YET to be acknowledged, enthusiastically or otherwise, by an employee.
   I get it – many businesses are overworked, understaffed and stressed about other things. As such, the way they treat customers sometimes falls by the wayside. But I feel like this is happening more often lately, across a variety of industries. So much so that perhaps people are starting to forget what amazing service feels like.
   Enter Jesse. He recently did some work at my house, and was prompt, friendly and enthusiastic. He had amazing energy, impressive patience, and an eagerness to ensure every detail was done correctly even if it took longer than planned. On top of this, he seemed genuinely happy, talking to me about random things and joking around when appropriate. It was a remarkable contrast to the lack of service I’d experienced lately, and it felt like a breath of fresh air.
   Frankly, this encounter made me realize what I’d been missing lately, and this contrast stood out largely because it had been so long since I’d experienced excellent service.
   I’d venture to guess most of your brides are in a similar boat – so used to the hectic, harried environment that is all-too prevalent these days that they, too, may have forgotten what excellent service feels like. Walking into your boutique will present a stark contrast to what has become the norm, and they will be instantly wowed. This is an excellent opportunity to win them over by paying extra attention to the “little” things: attentiveness, friendliness, promptness, caring. It may sound overly simplistic but the impression you create will be one they won’t soon forget.