Cream Cheese as Customer Service
Walking the streets of NYC again lately has invariably led me to the doors of one too many bagel places. It’s been a while since I’ve had a real choice of where to get those wonderful luscious loops of carbohydrates that are are simply impossible to find in Boulder, CO. The increased access however has also reminded me of how the little things can make such a big difference in the perception and reputation of a business. In this case, that little thing is cream cheese.
Whenever I order a bagel with cream cheese, I am curious to see exactly how much cream cheese is slathered on my radiant ring of guilt-ridden goodness. You see, it’s the cream cheese that really leads to the first impression - not the bagel. Is there so much that I can barely pull the two halves apart without it dripping all over my sleeves and lap? Is there so little that I am forced to eat the top and bottom halves together so that I can get at least a little bit in each bite? Why can’t anyone just use the right amount? Well, because the right amount isn’t a set amount - it depends on the person, the bagel and many other things that all effect what the customer is in the mood for.
That’s the whole point. I don’t want anyone to assume how much cream cheese is enough, or too much. I want to enjoy my bagel how I want to enjoy it. I will gladly tell you how much that is if you simply ask. If I pay you $19.95 for a bagel and lox platter and you give me one pathetic little container of cream cheese that has no hope of covering both halves of my bagel and then, even worse, attempt to charge me extra for another pathetic little container - shame on you! You have not only lost me as a customer, but I will walk right out and tell all my friends and family - including my not too discreet grandmother who will initiate the Jewish-Grandma kvetching mill instantly. So much for your reputation as a business.
By simply asking me how much I want, or if what I have is enough, you have instantly made me feel like you take pride in what you do and care about how I, your customer, feels about your product, service or establishment.
Whether it’s parmigiana on your pasta, curry in your Chiang Mai Noodles, or sauce on your steak au poivre, it’s what you surround your core product with that can make or break the deal. As long as you remember that very few people like the same amount of cream cheese, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out how to make them all happy - assuming your bagel rocks.