That’s right. Stop trying to make your customer service better. It’s not good for your business. All of your competitors are doing the same thing. Working to make your customer service better is like whipping the horse to make it go faster. There are only so many ways you can greet people, offer them assistance, hang up their coat, show them your product line or menu and facilitate the transaction… ENOUGH ALREADY!

This is the year of the bold. So rather than JUST making our customer service better, ask yourself how you can make your customer service different and extraordinary. How can we do something other than just facilitate the sale – how can we have this customer generate some great word of mouth buzz about us? How do we get this customer to talk about us and how great we are on Twitter or Facebook?

As an example, recently at a sporting goods store, we heard a customer ask the clerk where a competing sporting goods store was located and this was after a long and informative discussion regarding back packs. The clerk gave the customer precise directions. He then suggested the customer check out the competitors’ price for the identical item and then said… “I’ll see you back here in a little bit”.

How many of us have certain places we like to do business because if they don’t have the item we need they will order it or they can tell us who in town does have it, even if that place is competitor?

In your Running Shoe Monday Meeting, discuss taking your very good customer service and turning it into exceptional customer experiences that goes well beyond the expectations of your customers. You might even consider shopping the competition. Whatever you discover, whatever you learn have it be something innovative and creative that will differentiate you from the rest. You want to stand out.

Here is your bold butt kicker idea: What is one thing that none of your competitors is doing? How can you make that something to set you apart? What would it mean to your bottom line if you implemented this differentiating concept?

That would be BOLD customer service.