It was a day that epitomizes why my lovely bride and I frequently travel to Healdsburg, a sleepy little village nestled in the middle of some of the greatest vineyards in the world.  We woke up in a cottage in the middle of one such vineyard in Alexander Valley.  After a lovely breakfast at our favorite bakery, I dropped Lori off at Barbier Farms for a dressage clinic with our dear friends, Dominique and Debra Barbier, while I headed to Lake Sonoma for some hiking.  At noon we rendezvoused for lunch in Geyserville and set out to visit some new wineries that we had yet to experience.  It was the customer experience at the first winery that inspired this blog.

It is often said that to make a small fortune in wine, it is best to begin with a large one.  The breathtaking beauty of this winery was evidence that the owners did indeed have financial means to fulfill that prophecy.  It was located on the side of a hill with the type of views of the valley that inspire artists.  The spacious patio was well appointed and perfectly situated to take advantage of the abundant sunshine.  The wines were separated into to tasting flights, one for the affordable bottles and one for the reserves.  Each wine was accompanied with a well-written and informative description and was delivered to the seating area with precisely the correct timing.  Many of them were produced from vines that the visitor could observe from their comfortable seat.  They even provided a complimentary platter of cheeses, crackers, and nuts – an amenity rarely experienced in this more laid back area of Sonoma.  The owner mingled with visitors, making small talk.   Everything they did was absolutely spot on.  Technically.  And it was that technical perfection that made the shortcoming more glaring.  There was no joy.

The customer experience, at its most primal level, boils down to two critical elements:  appealing to the head and the heart of the consumer.  It is essential that you are able to fulfill the technical requirements of any service.  The customer expects you to be competent whether you are offering discounted products or luxury ones.  But performing your job is only half the experience.  Customers want to be delighted, and behavior breeds behavior.  If you want your customer to be delighted, then it is important that the employees are delighted, too.  A service provider who efficiently completes each service task with no enthusiasm in the effort will create customers who are satisfied with the result, but who will not remember the experience.  What memorable service moments do you have?  My bet is they were not burned into your mind merely because the company was competent.  Flare, excitement, personalization; these are the element of je ne sais quoi.  And je ne sais quoi is what we remember.

One does not have to dance on a table to display a passion for their craft.  I don’t expect my plumber to bound into my house with song and soft shoe (although the mental imagery of such an experience does bring a smile to my face).  However, service offered without the slightest hint of joy makes for a hallow customer experience.  And hallow customer experiences do not create loyal customers.  So, whether you are serving wine, tending to patients, or selling software: be sure that you show some zeal.  The customer experience is equal parts execution and attitude.  On a beautiful summer day in the heart of California wine country, one well-heeled winery had nailed the technical part of service.  Unfortunately, no amount of money can buy the other half.  That one comes from the heart.