There is a steak restaurant in town where Marissa, my wife, and I like to get takeout.
Every time, I hope we get the same waiter.
It is only a pickup. But his enthusiasm is contagious, and his cheerfulness is real. It is always a pleasure to see him, and it turns picking up dinner into something I look forward to.
I went back to tell his manager. It made such an impression on me that I made a point of visiting the restaurant to commend him. The manager was thankful, and not surprised. I was not the first. That made me feel good too. This waiter has made an impression on a lot of people, and he has made each one feel like the only one.
Then the opposite. Marissa spent a day at a well-known theme park near us. Everyone was hospitable, except at the quick-service counter, where the person taking her order went through the whole transaction without a smile. Nothing went wrong. It was one small exchange in a good day, and it was the one she had to tell me about.
Both of them did the job. One I hope to see every time. The other, my wife had to tell me about.
It is not about the grand gesture. I have been reading Checking In, by Philippe Krenzer and Jannes Sörensen, a thoughtful book about hospitality as something people do for each other, not as an industry. Looking across their stories of great service, they write: "It's not about extravagance. It's about intent." What people value most is attention, and a run of small, kind moments stays with them longer than one big one.
That is the waiter. Nothing extravagant. A spark, every time, for every person.
I see the contrast more every day. Not only in restaurants, but in every kind of service. And I keep noticing how far a smile and a little joy go, even on the phone, even with a perfect stranger.
Why it matters in our work. The fix has to be right. That is the floor. What people remember is how they felt while we fixed it. Nobody reaches out to their IT team because the day is going well, and that is when a spark matters most.
I want to be more like the waiter. The joy of a spark.
Questions people ask
Is this about being cheerful, or about fixing things?
Both. The work has to be right and secure first. Past that, what you remember is how you were looked after.
Will I know the people who help me?
Yes. You have the same people every time, who know you by name, with the whole company behind them.
How do you know if you are getting it right?
We ask what it felt like. Did you feel known, did you have to repeat yourself, did someone follow up.
