Most great movies have one line worthy of frequent repeats—“Show me the money,” “Frankly, my dear…,” “Win one for the Gibber,” “Make my day,” “Greed is good,” the list goes on and on.
One of our favorite movie lines came from As Good As It Gets, a 1997 movie directed by James Brooks based on a book by Mark Andrus. Lover boy Melvin (played by Jack Nicholson) awkwardly told his new girlfriend Carol (played by Helen Hunt), “You make me want to be a better man!” What would service need to be like for your customers to say, “You make me want to be a better customer?”
Service should never be viewed as a chore, task or obligation. It should be expressed as a gift and a special endowment delivered from a generous heart. What if you were given a $100 million gift with the instructions that you could keep half of it only if you gave the other half away over the next two years? Would you see the directive as a dull, got-to-do imposition? Nope! You would be thrilled at the chance to share your bounty with others. Service should be delivered with the same attitude. The result would not simply be a customer who returns…but, one inspired and ennobled by your special gift.