Customer service might be making a comeback! Okay, maybe I’m being optimistic, but I am excited to report on a recent experience. Ordinarily when a business drops the ball, we’re not really surprised any more, and it appears to be the general sentiment with American consumers, especially in certain industries. Being the coach I am, I find it irresistible to rank and rate my experiences (secretly observing things, of course) when I’m out spending money: let’s face it, if it’s messed up, it’s an opportunity for me to approach them later on with help. Customer service is the “new marketing“, and knowing that, businesses have a unique opportunity to “right the wrongs” and still come away with a happy customer. In this situation, you might be as surprised as I was how well it goes from bad to good, really good.

Using Your Noodle
The company? Noodles & Company, in Broomfield, Colorado, which by the way has an awesome website. One evening, my family was running from one hockey rink to the next, so Noodles & Company got the vote for our on-the-go dining experience. With only one customer ahead of us, we figured it would be a quick pit stop – definitely not the case. We gave our order and after 20 minutes of waiting, I checked in to see why there was such a delay. The clan of Noodles folk were gathered in a circle, yapping about nothing related to work. “Uh, hi, any idea when we can expect our food?”, I asked. “Ohhhh, we’re out of penne pasta, so we need to make this one dish with another kind of noodle. Which one would you like?” Imagine my delight.