Give Them The Pickle
Henk walked into the same diner he’d been going to for 4 years… He sat down at the same table he’d sat at every Sunday for the last 4 years…
The booth on the right side, 3rd down by the window. The only difference this time… The Diner had just recently been bought and was under new management.
The server came by and asked Henk what he’d like.
“My usual: Bacon Cheeseburger and fries, with an extra pickle! I’ve been coming here for 4 years today, and I always order the exact same thing!” He said enthusiastically.
The server responded with: “Oh, that extra pickle is going to cost you an extra $1.50”.
Henk said: “What? I’ve never paid for an extra pickle for the last 4 years I’ve been coming here, I’m not gonna start now…”
The server said: “Sorry, new management, new rules, no freebie extras allowed”.
Henk got up and walked out.
In a disappointed tone with his head down he muttered under his breath…
“I guess it’s time I find a new place to eat my lunch on Sundays…”
That day, that Diner lost a customer for life.
Consider this:
Would it have cost more for that server to just give Henk his freaking pickle on the house?
Or to lose his business completely for the next 4+ years?
Which adds up to:
$92.00/month
$1104.00/year
$4416.00 over the next 4 years…
But they chose to save a measly $6.00/month.
Which only equals a measly $72.00/year.
Which only saves $288.00 over 4 years… and you get the idea…
Now sometimes it’s the restaurant or organization’s policy.
They have super strict rules. They say no to everyone. They are rigid. Sometimes the servers or employees have a little bit of wiggle room.
I learned this lesson from a company that had award winning customer service. After that, I went on to work for companies who had the exact opposite philosophy.
Of course they’d never name their philosophy: “No Free Pickles for anyone ever”…
But that was pretty much what it was…
So here is the deal:
If a customer wants, an extra pickle, an extra 5 cent bag, they want a smile, they want help out to the car, or an extra penny to make up their change so they have the exact amount….
Just give it to them…
They are just asking for something insignificant that really doesn’t matter to the organization’s bottom line, but will keep that customer coming back rather than going to the competition.
It’s a no brainier to just do it. You saw the math above.
If you are in a place where you would be afraid for your job, or you know you will legit get in big trouble for giving a customer the pickle, then let’s just say: It’s not a place you wanna stay.
Let me know if you agree!
P.S. If you want to learn how to be completely confident in your next job interview grab this guide.
Click on the link below!
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Top-ten examples of stories that have proven to be impressive interview answers
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Now you’ll need to come up with your own stories! (You can steal the ones in the guide if they apply to you though too, I don’t mind)
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In Work & Life
I’ve got your back!
-Natalie Fisher