Recently I had a two-hour layover during a business trip to Florida. It was only 10:15 a.m., but I was in the mood for lunch. I walked up to the hostess of a restaurant that had satisfied-looking customers walking out, and I asked if they were, by chance, serving lunch. The hostess greeted me with a contagious energy and said, “Yes, we are! Can I get you a table for one?” She then asked what time my flight departed and she wrote the time down. That little gesture let me know that this restaurant understood the urgency of busy travelers who need to eat and make a flight. The hostess made small talk as she walked me to my table. At my table, she told me the bench across from the table had plenty of room for my luggage and that an electrical outlet was just inches away, should I need to charge my cellphone or laptop while I dined.

Lunch was an absolute delight, and the customer service was just as delightful as the food. As I wrapped up my lunch, I reflected on the moments of magic I experienced with the restaurant hostess. Three moments of magic stand out, and I offer these moments to you as opportunities to create magic for your customers. 

1. Start the interaction off right with a great first impression. The hostess greeted me with eye contact, a natural smile, and contagious energy. This gave me a warm feeling about the restaurant, and it set the tone for a pleasant customer experience. Psychologists tell us we only get about 4-6 seconds to make a first impression. Make the most of your first few seconds with customers by greeting customers with warmth, energy, and friendliness. When you do, you’ll set the tone for an enjoyable customer experience.

2. Know what's important to customers. After the warm greeting, the hostess asked for my flight departure time, and she wrote it down. This restaurant showed a commitment to serving their customers pleasantly within the amount of time they have. For me, that time was more than two hours. For some customers, that window of time might be 30 minutes or less. What’s important to your customers? How can you make their experience with you even better by proactively identifying and meeting their most pressing needs?

3. Surprise and delight your customers. When we arrived at my table, the hostess pointed out the electrical outlet. An available electrical outlet in an airport is like balm to a wounded traveler. The last thing I expected in a restaurant booth was to be able to charge my phone or laptop. Had the hostess not pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed the outlet, because it was down low. Pointing it out was both surprising and delightful. Consider ways you might make your service experience more surprising and delightful, and you'll make a memorable impression on your customers.

Orchestrate the first few moments of your customer experience to make a great first impression, meet the needs of your customers, and include a little surprise and delight. When you do, you'll be setting up your organization to deliver a memorable customer experience that gets customers talking... and coming back!