At Red-Carpet Learning Systems we like to celebrate and share excellent customer service stories! When anyone on our team experiences exceptional customer service, you’ll find us posting those stories here and sharing them on social media. I experienced one of those customer service stories recently and it was delivered by an Uber driver named (are you ready for this?) Donna! (Coincidence? I think not! LOL!)

Here’s what happened. I was at the Indianapolis airport and scheduled an uber ride. Within seconds my phone rang and it was Donna, introducing herself and checking in to ensure I knew exactly where to stand for pickup. In this case I did, however, if you’ve ever called an Uber from the airport you know how confusing that can be. Already I was impressed!

Soon she arrived. She got out of the car and introduced herself again with a great big smile, opened the trunk and put my luggage inside. She asked if I wanted an ice cold water and when I said yes, she handed it to me. If I remember correctly she also handed me a napkin!

She opened the door for me, which I loved because with Uber I never know if I should sit in the front or the back. Her car was sparkling clean and fresh-smelling and as she got behind the wheel, she mentioned that there was hard candy and mints in the little pocket in front of me.

Donna was friendly and chatted with me – and when she noticed that I was checking email, etc., she stopped. It was just the perfect amount of chatter. As we got close to my destination, she offered me suggestions for dinner near my hotel. Finally, she asked about my return to the airport and arranged (still through Uber) to be in the area so she could bring me back. I loved this because I felt safe and happy with her. Take note – she is a master of the upsell, and you want to buy from her because she is just so good at what she does.

The next day, Donna arrived in perfect time after my speaking engagement and texted me so I knew she was there. When I came out, we connected the ride via Uber and off we went.

Here’s what Donna did. She created a red-carpet and seamless experience. She anticipated needs (such as finding the pickup location), and came up with a way to address them (making the immediate call). She was warm, friendly and sincerely welcoming. She added little surprise and delights (cold water with a napkin, mints and candy!). She took note of my immediate needs and was chatty sometimes, and quiet others and she relieved me of the need to arrange transportation on the way back. The experience was seamless.

Do you want to create red carpet customer service stories like Donna did? Choose one experience you put your customers through and map it out. What can you do before, during and after the experience to enhance each moment of interaction? Comment below and let me know which experience you’re going to work on next!

Like this success story? Help us spread the word and celebrate red carpet customer service stories by sharing on social media (see the buttons below) and be sure to use the hashtag #theRedCarpetWay!

Donna Cutting is the author of 2 books on customer service, including the Amazon bestseller 501 Ways to Roll Out the Red Carpet for Your Customers.  She leads a team of experts who provide tools and training to help you create customer service stories such as the one above. Learn more at RedCarpetLearning.com.