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Give Them a Winning Lottery Ticket – Story of Customer Service

By July 2, 2018March 28th, 2021No Comments
congrats winning lottery ticket - ira koretsky with young woman at bagels n grinds demonstrating outstanding customer service and friendly attitude

Just the other day I went to Bagels n’ Grinds for a breakfast meeting to catch up with one of my clients. After ordering my bagel and egg sandwich, the young woman, asked, “Is there anything else I can get you?” She said this in a very genuine way, with a bright smile. “Yes please. I would like a winning lottery ticket,” I responded.

You see, I decided to put my improv comedy hat this day. I performed improv live on stage with ComedySportz for more than 10 years.

Side note. My request for a winning lottery ticket is something I do fairly often to gauge the level of “play” in retail locations with customer service professionals, especially of wait staff in restaurants. This winning lottery ticket request is an excellent litmus test of the person’s personality in terms of flexibility, willingness to engage in conversation, and sense of humor. This “test” has never failed me.

She put her palm toward me, smiled, and said, “Wait a moment.” As she walked away, I honestly stopped paying attention to her. Instead, I waited patiently for my food order. A minute or so later, she came back and handed me my “winning lottery ticket,” again with a bright smile.

In my 10 years(ish) of responding with my tongue-in-cheek request for a winning lottery ticket, NO ONE has ever brought me something in response, let alone something as clever and as original.

She kindly took a picture with me. Now, when we see each other, there is an immediate, reciprocal, and genuine smile.

What are your customer service team members doing to engage your prospects and customers, in authentic ways, that resonate with THEM?

ENGAGE YOUR STAKEHOLDERS

What is your culture of engagement?

Do your guiding principles foster good will or sound formal and distant?

Take a look at how you touch your employees, partners, prospects, and customers.

Give them a winning lottery ticket.

winning lottery ticket ira koretsky and customer service young woman posing with the ticket

Interested in (dramatically) improving your customer service with better storytelling?

MORE EXCELLENT STORIES TO READ

  • Cherish Your 1, 2, 3  (read)
  • Save Your First Starfish  (read)
  • What’s Your Fortune Cookie Moment?  (read)
  • All story examples  (go now)

FURTHER READING ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

  • Do What Robert Would Do – Story of Outstanding Customer Service  (read)
  • What Happened To The Good Old Days Of Excellent Customer Service? And The Power of a Referral?  (read)
  • 3 Communication Strategies to Attract and Keep Great Customers  (read)
  • Survey Shows it Pays to Take Your Customer to Lunch  (read)
  • The Secret? Ask Questions. A Story about Goldrush Jack  (read)

Photography Source:  All pictures © Copyright 2018, The Chief Storyteller®, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Ira Koretsky

Ira Koretsky has built The Chief Storyteller® into one of the most recognized names in communication, especially business storytelling. He has delivered over 500 keynote presentations and workshops in nearly a dozen countries, in more than one hundred cities, across 30 plus industries. His specialties are simplifying the complex and communicating when the stakes are high. He is also an adjunct professor in public speaking and storytelling at the University of Maryland's Business School. With over 25 years of experience, he is a sought-after storytelling coach, global speaker, trainer, consultant, communication coach, and public speaking coach.