A 10.0 from the Russian Judge!

Here's a shout-out to First Watch restaurant on Immokalee Road & 41 in Naples. When presented with a customer-service challenge this morning, they nailed it with aplomb. If this were the Olympics, even the Russian judge would have given them a perfect score.

The situation: I ate breakfast, only to realize at the cash register that I'd left my wallet at home. As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"

Pause there. If you're in retail, what would you do? As a customer, I know this has happened to you (uh... hasn't it?). How did the merchant handle it?

As you can guess, First Watch did just what they should have done - just what I write about in Spoil 'Em Rotten! The cashier smiled broadly to put me at ease and said, "No problem. Don't worry. I'll hold the check till you get back."

No fussing, no mussing. No looking for the manager. No hesitation. Indeed, she didn't even ask me how long it would take me to get back, when to expect me, or anything of the sort.

I didn't have to show her my driver's license. I didn't have to give her my phone number. Nada. Zero. Zip. Because it truly wasn't a problem to her. I'm her customer; she knows I'll come back to honor my part of the deal, their part having already settled in my tummy.

*****

Want to see this in action in a supermarket setting? I learned something from my friends at Roche Bros. (Boston area) that impressed me so much that Jane and I put it in Spoil 'Em Rotten! as part of the "Core 15" practices at the fictional Walsh's Supermarkets, where the story takes place. You can find this on pages 120-122. It reads:

Forgot your wallet? You can pay next time your in.

As you read, remember: this is based on standard operating procedure at Roche Bros. Not a bit of it is made up or exaggerated.

By the way, guess who is weathering this recession just fine? As I've written before, that would be Roche Bros. Oh, and First Watch was packed again this morning, as always. Despite the recession and this being off season.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. After all, doing the right thing pays.