Yeah, But She has Pink Hair

My husband and I recently visited Santa Cruz, a surfer-college town about one hour south of San Francisco. We hadn’t been there in many years, so we decided to check out a strategically placed information booth on Pacific Avenue, the main street downtown.

My experience with county or city information centers around the world has been less than stellar in the past, so when Bill and I walked up to the booth in Santa Cruz, our expectations were low. We were simply hoping to get a map, and if lucky, a lunch suggestion. Instead, we were bowled over by the welcome, which included a thousand-watt smile, a booming voice and a “Welcome to the neighborhood” acknowledgement. The woman in the information booth was so disarmingly helpful, so willing to assist and to share her love of Santa Cruz, I just wanted to take a picture with her just to express my appreciation.

Santa Cruz customer service

As we chatted, I kept thinking to myself, “She is perfect, now that’s what I am always talking about regarding customer service excellence… someone like her!” And yet, how many companies would miss out on an employee with a spirit to serve this huge? I can hear the resistance, comments like “She doesn’t fit our profile,” “She doesn’t follow our grooming standards.”

I get it. Those qualities are valuable when hiring customer service employees. I just wish we could also include the LOVE standard, the standard that trumps all others. It’s the standard that requires that all destination experts be so in love with their destination that they are literally and figuratively having a romance with it. I guess I am just a customer service romantic at heart.

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