I’m a creature of habit as many humans are. I shop at the same grocery store, use the same dry cleaners, and so on. A routine trip to a Ralph’s grocery store on a busy Sunday evening left a positive impression on me, and got me thinking about the importance for everyday providers to make the consumer experience a memorable one.
I was in search of Israeli couscous and had navigated multiple aisles only to come up dry. After continuing on, I spotted a man who appeared to be a manager. I asked him for assistance, and he marched me back to the rice aisle. Looking again from top down, it was nowhere in sight. He said he regretted to inform me that I might have to go to Trader Joe’s. I thanked him for his help, and made the trek over to the produce section. Moments later, the man was standing next to me with the product I was looking for. I was grateful that he had not only tracked me down, but saved me the hassle of going to a second store on a busy night. As a customer, I appreciated the extra effort he put forth.
When I approached the checkout, he was standing there greeting customers and thanking them for their business. He also gave a cashier an award for his great work, which was witnessed by not only his peers surrounding him, but by the flock of customers in line as well. After I paid the cashier, he also thanked me for my business.
I exited the store thinking about how I don’t ever expect an experience of any kind at a grocery store; I just hope to quickly get my groceries and leave. This time was different; my business was solidified through my experience on this trip. As a professional, ask yourself, how do you transform routine experiences into memorable ones?
