Of all the aspects of business, exceptional customer experience– the “gold standard” of any service industry, is generated most by superior emotional intelligence, a positive mood contagion.

Every Saturday and Sunday at my father’s restaurant, we would run a 15 to 30-minute line waiting for a table in our lobby. It was stressful and exhilarating at the same time. Emotions flowing freely, not just from our customers but those of us on the frontlines of service.

What my father taught us was Two Critical Keys:

First, any slight form of rudeness is contagious, creating a dissatisfied, or even angry customer.

Second, positive attitudes and positive emotions are also contagious so our mission was providing service with a smile. He would say “I want them to see and feel that we are happy to serve them” because at the end of their dining experience, we want to hear the four magic words: “We will be back.”

Leaders drive the service client and demonstrate the emotions they want to see each day with every customer touch.

In days of stress and change, it’s critical to remind your team of the emotions you want to display and equip them with training around the power and influence of emotions. After all, we are living in an emotional economy– give your team the emotional body armor to succeed and drive exceptional customer experience.

Here’s to service with a smile!
–Steve

Warning: For any leader today trying to do everything alone or in an isolated silo, the game really is over. Isolation and aloneness is the death of teamwork.

If you want to aggressively pursue a daring destination (an on-fire vision), you must link-up with others. Equip them with the valuable “emotional body armor” to thrive in today’s volatile environment.

John Maxwell wrote a piece in The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork: Embrace Them and Empower Your Team that sums up the importance of teamwork.

For the person trying to go alone– the game is really over. If you want to do something big, something extraordinary, something memorable, you must link-up and equip others.

–Steve