Last November, our writer attended a breakout session at the International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show in New York City where industry behavioral standards were discussed. 

The panelists endorsed a number of appropriate behaviors such as smiling, making eye contact, and having "life" in your voice, as being conducive to guest-facing positions in the hospitality industry.

It got me thinking about the basic requirements and behavioral expectations for most guest-facing positions in the hospitality industry.  In addition to those already mentioned, most companies have an expectation that their employees will greet customers, use names when possible, respond to needs as appropriate, thank customers, and invite them to return.

Personally, while I might remember if a service provider doesn't meet these basic hospitality standards and expectations, I won't remember if he or she actually does.  That's because the service provider has only done what was expected.  In today's environment, it takes more than addressing the expected to make an impression on a customer.  Saying, "Welcome to Las Vegas" or "Thank you for dining with us" or "Hi.  My name is Michael.  What can I start you off with today?" is not memorable.  On the contrary, it's quite forgettable.

In order to be unique, refreshing, and memorable, you need to be different—but that doesn't mean you need to be someone you're not.  By definition, each one of us is incredibly singular in terms of our own uniqueness, tendencies, preferences, and personalities.  Why not leverage this uniqueness with your customers to break the monotony of language that most customers have come to expect as the norm.

Since we are all unique, there's not a one-size-fits-all solution to this dilemma.  For some, using appropriate humor is an authentic way to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

I recall one of the employees at the world famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, responding to a customer's inquiry regarding whether or not they accepted credit cards.  The customer had just placed her purchase on the counter as she posed the question.  The employee, not missing a beat, said, "Sure.  Would you like two?"  The customer paused for a moment to consider the question and then laughed out loud!  I bet this customer shared this exchange—and laughter—with several others afterwards.

For others, expressing a genuine interest in the customer that exceeds the functional requirements to complete the transaction is an effective way to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

For instance, a bilingual employee who speaks Spanish may say, "Bienvenido. ¿Cómo está usted?" to a customer she overheard speaking Spanish to a colleague.  Or perhaps a well-traveled employee could ask a specific question based on where the customer is from that communicates his interest in the customer.  If the customer is from Kauai, for example, and the employee recently vacationed there, then he might say, "Kauai is amazing!  I recently traveled there and explored the entire island from the Waimea Canyon to the Na Pali coastline."  This customer will likely smile and engage in some conversation about his homeland, perhaps sharing a local's perspective on a place this employee should be sure to visit during his next trip to Kauai.

For some employees, offering a sincere and specific compliment is an effective way to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

For example, you might say, "That's a gorgeous watch.  Is it a Tag Heuer?"  And then, assuming you have a genuine interest in and knowledge of watches, demonstrate your uniqueness by adding something like, "Have you seen the new Link Calibre S that Tiger Woods endorses?"  This customer will appreciate that you recognized his watch and, if you're talking with either a watch or golf enthusiast, your interaction is bound to be memorable.

For others, sharing unique knowledge that goes beyond the common, mundane, and expected information is an effective way to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

Unique knowledge is not the same as job knowledge. Job knowledge is necessary for an employee to be proficient in his or her job role.  It is expected by the customer and, generally speaking, is transactional—not memorable.  Unique knowledge, when provided by the employee, is unexpected, refreshing, valued, and memorable!

To illustrate, allow me to share a true story:  One evening a former colleague and I were discussing customer service and he asked me, "Steve, what are some of the names of the meeting rooms at the hotel where you work?"  I responded, "Odets, Wilder, Cantor, Jolson…" He interrupted, "If I were a customer and asked you why the meeting room was named Odets, what would you say?"  I thought about it a moment and realized that I didn't know the significance of the name Odets.  I admitted this saying, "You know, I just got so used to the name representing a meeting room that I didn't really give it much thought."

My colleague made the point that it's our responsibility to know the significance of proper names and to learn the histories and stories that reflect the cultures, neighborhoods, and buildings in which we work.  This unique knowledge has character, is memorable, and—from the customer's perspective—may be the difference between an ordinary transaction and a unique experience.

Here are a few examples:

Unique knowledge about the chef: "Our chef trained at the prestigious Restaurant School in Philadelphia and apprenticed at Le Bec Fin.  She also traveled to France to refine her knowledge of French delicacies such as truffles, escargot, and foie gras.  In fact, our Pâté de Foie Gras is our signature appetizer.  May I tempt you with an order?"

Unique knowledge about the neighborhood: "Our restaurant is located in the Gaslamp Quarter which is named after the gas lamps that lined the streets in the early 1900s when the area was a red light district known as Stingaree.  The name was probably derived from the fierce stingray fish in the San Diego Bay.  It was said that you could be stung as badly in the Stingaree as in the bay!"

Unique knowledge about proper names: "Your meeting is being held in the Odets meeting room on the fourth floor.  The room is named after the playwright Clifford Odets who wrote the plays Waiting for Lefty and Awake and Sing.  Several of our meeting rooms are named after other well-known playwrights.  After all, you are in the Theatre District!"

While customers appreciate nice employees, they value knowledgeable employees.  And the more unique knowledge one possesses, the more value he or she brings to the customer experience.

For some employees, conveying authentic enthusiasm that adds a bit of a spark to an otherwise predictable transaction is an effective way to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, says that, "Any job is twenty percent knowledge and eighty percent interpersonal skills."  Consider how one's authentic enthusiasm for serving customers influences his or her interpersonal skills. 

Customers can easily detect whether or not someone is genuinely interested in serving them.  The well-known communications study by Dr. Albert Mehrabian of UCLA, suggests that 55 percent of one's trust and believability comes from the visual effect—her body language.  According to the study, 38 percent of one's trust and believability comes from the vocal effect (i.e., vocal tone, inflection), and only 7 percent is attributed to the verbal effect (i.e., chosen words of speech).

To illustrate, read the story below of Marty and ask yourself, "How does Marty's authentic enthusiasm for serving customers influence his interpersonal skills—the way he interacts and communicates with motorists."

Marty is a tollbooth operator on a very busy Illinois toll-way.  Unlike most tollbooth operators, Marty conveys authentic enthusiasm for his customers by standing outside the booth by the coin basket so that he can either give you a high-five as you drive by or bend down, look you in the eye, and call out, "Hey, have a great day!" or "Make it a good one!"

When asked why he chooses to stand outside the booth regardless of the weather and greet motorists as they drive by when other tollbooth operators sit in their booths and don't acknowledge a single driver unless there's a problem, Marty says, "It's their option in life, to do what they want to do.  Mine is to be the best I can.  I'm here to serve these people."

Marty is genuinely filled with enthusiasm and authentically conveys this enthusiasm to customers in a way that is unique, perhaps even singular, and matches his style and personality.  Authentic enthusiasm may be animated or may be reserved, but it will be real.

For others, providing pleasant surprises that add an unexpected perk to otherwise ordinary experiences, is an effective way to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

Have you ever received an unexpected upgrade, a complimentary appetizer, or some other pleasant surprise when you were not expecting it?  How did it make you feel?  I bet you can recall many details from the experience—probably because you've shared the story with others many times.

My wife was once sought out by a United Airlines flight attendant who thanked Julie by name for flying the airline as she handed her a coupon for a complimentary in-flight glass of wine.  Not only was Julie pleasantly surprised, she continues to go out of her way to fly United Airlines, in part, due to this positive memory.

Finally, some employees have a penchant for delivering service heroics that become the subjects of many positive customer testimonials and even company lore.  This is an effective way for these employees to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

For our tenth year wedding aniversary, I bought my wife an anniversary ring from Tiffany & Co.  We had planned to stay at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, about an hour and a half from our home in southeast Denver, and I had made arrangements for the ring to be shipped to the hotel from the Denver location of Tiffany.

Well, as it happened, Denver was hit by a major snowstorm the morning of our anniversary and we chose to cancel our plans to drive down to Colorado Springs.  Meanwhile, the ring had already been shipped and was in the process of being delivered to the hotel by United Parcel Service.

I contacted the Tiffany store in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center with my dilemma and my salesperson assured me that she would take care of it.  What happened next was legendary.  The store arranged for one of its security guards to drive two hours south of the store to Colorado Springs where he located the UPS truck transporting the ring, provided the paperwork necessary to claim the package, and then drove the ring another hour and a half to my house.

He arrived around 9:00 pm and would not even accept a gratuity for his extra effort.  Of course, I wrote Tiffany's president in New York City about the service heroics and committed to "never purchase a significant piece of jewelry from a jeweler other than Tiffany and Co."  He wrote back in acknowledgement of my letter and in appreciation of my loyalty.

According to research by Beyond Philosophy, a customer experience consulting firm, 44 percent of consumers described the majority of customer experiences they have as ‘bland and uneventful.'  Resolve to be different!  Consider incorporating these seven simple ways to make customer service memorable into your service repertoire:

1. Use appropriate humor
2. Express a genuine interest
3. Offer a sincere and specific compliment
4. Share unique knowledge
5. Convey authentic enthusiasm
6. Provide pleasant surprises
7. Deliver service heroics

When providing service to your customers, look for opportunities to be unique, refreshing, and memorable.  Most employees I encounter in customer service roles appear to focus more on the transaction than on the customer. Make an effort to acknowledge your customers as real, live people. Look up from your computer screen or register, smile and make eye contact.  Use the customer's name if you have it.  Make it a point to keep the spotlight on your customers as much as possible.  Remember, they are their own favorite topic.

As you begin to practice these suggestions with your customers, you will notice that customers will become more responsive, you will receive more compliments on your service by customers and (hopefully) your supervisors, your job satisfaction will increase, and you may even create some career advancement opportunities for yourself. 

And, best of all, you will be perceived as memorable—which certainly beats the alternative!

Steve Curtin (Right) is a customer service, training, and public speaking enthusiast based in Denver, CO.  www.stevecurtin.com