Whenever we get food at our favorite local Chinese restaurant, they keep throwing a little something extra in for free. Just as a way of saying thanks. At first they would do it when we’d order large amounts for the whole family (13 people) and I just figured it was because it was a big order. A few fried noodles here and there, some extra rangoons. But when Anna and I got a small order of some sweet and sour chicken and vegetable rolls, they still threw in two chinese doughnuts for free.
That got me to thinking about the importance of going the extra mile (happily!) for our clients, and even people that we interact with outside of business relationships. Sometimes I log into Facebook after a busy weekend, and see wedding vendors complaining about the clients they had to work with, how grouchy their bride was, and how unhappy/sore/tired etc they are. Wow. Is that the kind of attitude we should be portraying? Sure, weddings are hard work … and the work definitely doesn’t end after the wedding day is over either – but putting all of those negative feelings out on the internet for your friends (and potentially, your clients if you friend them on Facebook like we do :) is definitely not the best thing for business.
When you think you’ve reached the limit of what your clients are expecting you to do, surprise them and go even further. Give them some Chinese doughnuts with their order, with a smile. And then look for people who aren’t your clients to do the same thing for. The world would be a better place with a smile, and a little something extra for everyone that brightens their day.
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