Shining Service

Seven lessons in customer excellence from a shoeshine stand at La Guardia

I have always believed that every conversation is a learning experience and every person is a teacher. My shoeshine experience at La Guardia airport is a case in point.

I had a few minutes to kill while waiting for my flight to Chicago, so I walked over to the shoeshine stand at the American Airlines terminal next to Gate D1. The shoeshine man introduced himself as John. What attracted me was his cheerful banter with customers and passers-by alike.

Here are seven lessons in customer service that John taught me in fifteen minutes:

Make them smile. To a lady passing by, John, without even looking at her, exclaimed: “Size six and a half. I can tell from the sound of your boots.” He put a smile on her face. He had a joke for every customer and everyone around him. What a breath of fresh air for stressed passengers on a rainy Friday afternoon at a crowded airport.

Keep them informed. I learned from John that Tom Hanks would be shooting a movie about Captain Sully, the pilot who landed the US Airways aircraft in the Hudson River. I learned about his “sexy work wife” next door who runs a concession stand. He was nonstop news, like watching CNN.

Care about their well-being. Someone had spilled coffee on the slippery floor near the shoeshine stand. Without waiting for the cleaners to show up, John excused himself, walked over with paper towels, and cleaned up the spill. His comment: “Can’t have my customers slipping and falling.”

Reward them for loyalty. John’s offer to me: “If you come back with these shoes any time in the next month, I will brush them for you, no charge. I like to take care of my customers.”

Go the extra mile. A man stepped over and saw two people in line. Figuring he wouldn’t have time, he started to walk away. John called him over and told him to stand with his feet together. In ten seconds, he quickly brushed and polished the man’s shoes and sent him on his way. The man tried to pay a couple of dollars. John’s response: “Don’t you dare!”

Have the customer’s best interest at heart. A man came along with a large stain on his shoes, probably from a food spill. John looked at them and said: “Son, you should not polish these shoes. They need to be cleaned with vinegar and a brush when you get home. I could polish them for you, but the stain would just get hidden and embedded in the leather.” He cleaned the stain, brushed the shoes, and sent the man on his way. No charge.

Be fair. The man before me was so impressed with John’s service that he tried to give him a twelve-dollar tip for a six-dollar shoeshine. John refused and handed ten dollars back. “Son, I really appreciate your generosity, but just come back and see me again.”

Seven profound lessons in customer service in fifteen minutes at a shoeshine stand. Next time you are at La Guardia, look for John. When you find him, congratulate him for practicing on the ground what we teach in the ivory towers of business school.