The cry of “Customer service stinks these days” increasingly issues from people’s lips. It’s an infectious attitude.
The other day I found myself indulging its negative bias, adding to two separate conversations decrying this supposed phenomenon of post-COVID social change with my own tales of woe. And then memories of recent positive experiences came flooding back, with one standing out among them and moving me to issue an opposing cry: Outstanding customer service is alive and well, right here in our community.
On a recent Monday I slumped into Rancho Bernardo’s Town Center Cleaners — a business I’ve frequented for decades, though not as a big spender — with a problem. Stains blighted the front of the pale green dress I wished to wear to my son’s wedding the following week. Pristine when I’d taken it out of its storage bag months ago, it now bore the results of being briefly placed in a shopping bag alongside dark brown shoes.
As I wound down from my desperate plea for expert assistance on a tight deadline, Maxie, one of the owners, smiled warmly, looked me in the eye, and offered soothing reassurance. First, the marks hadn’t been there long, which was good news. Second, her husband, Sunny, especially skilled with stains, would get to work as soon as possible. They’d give it their best shot, though there was no guarantee.
She asked me to give them until Friday in case they had to try more than one solution, promising to keep me up to date by phone, and hoping to get it back to me sooner. If they were unsuccessful, I’d still have the weekend to shop for a new dress before needing to leave town. Agreeing to her thoughtful plan, I left.
Maxie called only minutes later, asking me to return for additional discussion. As I drove back to the store, I despaired, but wide smiles greeted me when I arrived. Shortly after I’d left, Sunny ventured a steaming, and there hanging between him and Maxie was my beloved dress restored. I erupted in gratitude.
Their usual protocol would be to finish with a dry cleaning, especially since they’d noticed slight yellowing under the arms. But Maxie feared the mother-of-pearl buckle might break, despite precautions they could take. What was my wish?
Thanking her for her sensitivity, I declined dry cleaning. They both seemed relieved at my decision, even though it meant less revenue for their business. Then they refused to charge me for the stain removal, stating that they were happy to help, and sent me on my way with warm congratulations on the wedding.
Outstanding, wouldn’t you say? Throughout the entire encounter, these business owners offered exquisite kindness along with technical help. They heard me — down to the minutest detail — understood my dilemma, honored my feelings. That constitutes the essence, the highest nature, of what we call customer service: human being connecting to human being; I see you, I care, and I want to help.
Isn’t that what we all hunger for, deep down? Not for someone to serve us but for someone to care . In this post-COVID world let’s what’s really most important. And understand that every relationship is a two-way street.
Let’s ask ourselves, how do we show up when we need something? With humility and vulnerability, or with a sense of entitlement and defensiveness?
And let’s question our default focus. Our innate wiring to attune to the negative originally served our species well as we scanned the savannah for that saber-toothed tiger. But for those of us who now inhabit places like RB and are privileged to live lives devoid of constant lethal threat, allowing it to still dominate harms our collective life. Keeps us trapped in a skewed view of our world.
Thankfully, with awareness, we can consciously choose to open our eyes, look around, and notice the positive we also encounter daily. And, finally, let’s not keep that perspective to ourselves. Let’s speak to one another about our community treasures. For they are many, and in plain sight.
Laurie Lee Davidson is the author of “Growing into the Gray: Reflections on Transforming Trauma for Women and the World.” She has lived in Rancho Bernardo for nearly 30 years.
