Yesterday, I stumbled into China Wok with an iPhone in my left hand and an iPad in the right. I had precious little time before my conference call was to begin, and my hurry was obvious from my abrupt entrance. The owner looked up and grinned. She quickly shouted to the cook “Chef Special Pad Thai! No Pork! Double Chicken!” She knew me. She knew who I was, what I wanted and served it up swiftly, with a smile. It was a stellar customer experience and it won’t soon be forgotten.

There’s a warm feeling you get when you walk into a familiar place of business. When the staff knows you by name, greets you with delight and asks if you’d like your usual order, you feel welcome and respected. I’ve worked in the software industry for some time now. At every company, I’ve continually wondered how we could provide that “known and valued” feeling to our customers. I’ve wondered, is there a way to help each customer feel honored, every time they interact with us?

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