The other day I was waiting on a couple and in the innocuous routine of engaging conversation (small talk) I discovered that they were in from out of town. I also overheard their celebrating! Celebrating that the wife's doctor visit finally turned out "negative". I could tell they were ecstatic by their exhilaration so at the end of their meal I presented them with the house "freebie" for special occasions: a scoop of ice cream with a birthday candle. They were surprised and delighted!

Dr. Wade Dyer, in his The Power of Intention seminar talks about the importance of giving "feel goods". What I provided the above couple was a "feel good". The common act of presenting the celebratory ice cream and candle to a guest is an exact ritual that puts a stamp on how important something is. This simple ritual is an outward sign of an emotion, perhaps not so easily put into words. It makes a connection with our customers and establishes long term personal and professional relationships. Even the ritual of saying please and thank you to our customers is an acknowledgement of how much we value and appreciate their patronage.

Juliet Schor, Boston College sociologist and consumerism expert, said recently in a Washington Post interview, "... We'll pay more for the psychic benefits. It's why people buy upscale Starbucks coffee when they could find cheaper no-name coffee elsewhere."

Some time back I had a table of two and several times when approaching this table I noticed one guest weeping often. I made no mention about her emotional condition but at the end of their meal I brought her that scoop of ice cream with the lit candle. I said to her that whatever was troubling her would pass and the future will have brighter days. It is amazing what a little kindness does for people. It costs nothing and is easy to do, yet can be so profound in its effect upon people. It's a "feel good"... a "psychic benefit". And at the same time it's good for business! The owner and I now have a regular customer who returns often plus brings additional friends and family!

There is a new technique I read about recently that some restaurants use a system of "just flip the sign or "raise your flag" and your waiter will help you. While the mechanics of this are simple enough what happened to eye contact, checking with your customers and continuously monitoring your customer needs by seeking opportunities to offer proactive service? Where and how is a relationship being created?

I've mentioned before Bob Brown's (www.bobbrownss.com) 4-Elements of Extraordinary Service. They include the unexpected, unnecessary, unwarranted and undeserved. It goes hand in hand with Bernard Martinage's line from his book, The Professional Service Guide (www.restaurantprofessional.com), "The more casual the dining room, the greater the opportunity to exceed guests' expectations by performing correct service."

So for this New Year 2005. encourage and teach creative customer service skills with your staff! In the meantime, Make It Fun... Make It Easy... Make Some Money !!! (TM)

Paul C. Paz is a Hospitality Consultant & Author of the book Service At Its Best: Waiter-Waitress Training. First and foremost, however, Paul is a professional waiter. Paul can be found online at WaitersWorld, a site dedicated exclusively to those aspiring to gain personal, professional, and financial success plying the craft of Professional Waiter!