Somehow I managed to run out of ink, leaving my printer beeping at me in the middle of a document. This is a rather intolerable situation so I called a hard-working local store owner, ordered some ink cartridges, and provided a VISA number over the phone so my husband could easily pick them up for me on his way home from work. I was pleased when he arrived, but, alas, there was no receipt for my records. My husband said the two boxes and a piece of paper were together when he went to the counter but he was handed only the boxes. I emailed the store, explained the situation, and asked if they could email me the exact amount for my records.

What do you think happened next?

1. I received a phone call immediately apologizing and asking me if I would prefer an email receipt immediately or the original by mail the next day.
2. I received an apologetic email right away telling me that the original receipt would be in the mail the next day, which it was.
3. I received an email apologizing, thanking me for my purchase, and providing the total, a description of my purchase, the purchase date, and method of payment.
4. I received an email telling me my husband must have lost the receipt and providing only an approximation of the total.

Unfortunately, the owner of this business chose number 4. How do you think I feel about that? What would Staples have done? How much would it have cost this guy in time and money to choose 1, 2 or 3?

Not only did this guy annoy me but this is a gift that will keep on giving until I finally get my credit card statement and can straighten out my books. It may seem a tiny transgression but I see him quite differently now. The little local business owner can never afford to come off as less helpful and flexible than the big guys.

Today’s Lesson: When a simple effort will make your customer’s life easier, do it promptly and graciously, even if you are certain the customer made a mistake.

Anything less is a “Lip Service Innovation.”

(Read about the origins of Lip Service Innovation and the first of this series.)