How a sandwich taught me everything about a company’s culture

When was the last time a brand made you feel special? When was the last time you said “Wow! Brand X is remarkable, I can’t believe they just did that for me. They didn’t have to!” For VIPs, this might often happen, although I can imagine the allure wears off. But for the rest of us it’s a rare occasion, sometimes once-in-a-lifetime.

You might be thinking, “Stan, you posted on your LinkedIn not too long ago how JetBlue made you feel special,” (and now you’re definitely thinking I use the word ‘might’ a little bit too liberally). Back to my point – yes JetBlue did make me feel special a few months ago. To recap (in case you don’t follow my LinkedIn activity) here’s what happened:

I was taking the last flight from Boston to New York after a long day of meetings. I hadn’t eaten all day and opposite my gate was a Wahlburgers restaurant. Tired and hungry, I didn’t consider how little time was left until I was supposed to board. So I went ahead and ordered a chicken sandwich. As I was waiting for my sandwich, I heard the “last call for boarding” announcement. I frantically headed back to the gate to ask exactly how much time was left. “5 minutes until we close the gate.”

Still hungry and tired, I wasn’t going to miss spending time with my family over a sandwich. So I told the gate attendant that I’d be right back, I had to cancel my order.

I boarded the plane empty-handed, sat down in my seat and put my headphones on. Within minutes I see the gate attendant walking down the aisle with a Wahlburgers bag. She handed me the bag and said: “You can’t leave Boston without trying a Wahlburger.” I was so caught up in the generosity of the act that I didn’t even catch the attendant’s name!

(I posted the flight details on LinkedIn, so if you can help me find the lady the universe shall reward you.)

This experience made me a JetBlue customer for life, but not once did I think to myself “JetBlue is remarkable, I can’t believe they just did that for me!” That wasn’t how I saw the situation because it wasn’t JetBlue who made me feel special – it was the gate attendant. It wasn’t the brand or the company that won me over. It was another person whose actions won me over!

Now ask yourself, “When was the last time a real person went above and beyond their job description to make my experience with his or her company better?” That too doesn’t happen often, but it’s not nearly as rare as a ‘brand’ making you feel special.

A company might create an algorithm to figure out your buying habits then send you a coupon, but that’s not special. There’s no emotional connection in a coupon, or a thank you letter that’s following a template with a (insert first name here) script. Genuinely making an emotional connection requires genuine human interaction. As humans, we’re simply not wired to feel emotions towards inanimate objects.

Google “best customer service story” and the top result is usually this:

A SouthWest pilot went against FAA regulations to hold up a plane so that an old man heading to see his dying grandson could board. In case you’re interested, there’s a lot more to that story.  

While it’s a coincidence SouthWest is also an airline, it’s no coincidence it was another human who went out of their way to make someone feel special. In SouthWest’s case, it was also a heartwarming story.

It comes as no surprise that SouthWest has a strong company culture. In fact, they’re one of the companies highlighted in Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why.” 

SouthWest was built off a strong identity and strives to this day because their strong identity has matured into a great company culture. As a direct result of their culture, they’re one of the best places to work, and their employees continually go above and beyond for their customers.

There’s one thing all employees who go the extra mile have in common: they’re proud of their job! Someone who doesn’t love his or her job is probably sitting, staring at the clock waiting to leave. They’re not motivated to do more than the required minimum – if even that…

According to Gallup “employees who are engaged (happy) are more likely to improve customer relationships, with a resulting 20% increase in sales.”

Engaging employees starts at the top, beyond the CEO or even the Board of Directors. An ‘engaged’ employee is part of a culture where their company as a whole has a purpose. When a company’s purpose is loud and clear, their employees feel purpose in their work and that, in a nutshell, is how great company cultures are formed.

Take notice the next time you’re treated exceptionally well by an employee. I guarantee that if you search their employer on Glassdoor you’ll find a culture rating of 4.0 or above. I propose a challenge to all who read this: if you’ve experience incredible customer service from a company with a weak culture call me out on our Facebook page.

When a company, or more likely their employee, touches you emotionally then you’re probably going to be a customer for life. Exceptional customer service is the cheapest way to win customer loyalty. Following that logic, employee morale is the best investment you can make.