One Knife, Two Lessons in Customer Experience

What’s wrong with this picture? Nice setting, appealing food, good presentation, and a plastic knife.

And with that little piece of information, you know exactly where I ate this meal. It’s a dead giveaway since the TSA started mandating that all restaurants serve their meals with cheap, plastic knives.

Lesson #1 – Focus On Things You Can Control

There are certain things I expect when I dole out $20+ for a plate of food – such as proper eating utensils. The restaurant is backed into a corner though. They’re not allowed to fulfill my expectations because of a stupid law.

There will always be things out of your control. There will always be expectations you can’t meet. Spend less time worrying about the things you can’t control and more time on the things you can.

Lesson #2 – Little Things Add Up

The TSA is…how should I put this…not the most beloved organization in the world. You’d think that an organization whose sole purpose is to protect us would be lifted up in praise, but they are more often buried in contempt.

While I don’t agree with the TSA’s overarching method of security (which is security theater instead of actual security), I can’t pinpoint the one reason they’re hated so much. I think it’s a combination of all the little annoyances that makes them so detestable. Plastic knives, 3 oz bottles, clear plastic bags, removing shoes, removing laptops, and longer security lines all add up. Then the big things like excessive groping and killer body scanners become absolutely unforgivable.

Petty annoyances add up over the long run. Take time to look at your policies and get rid of the ones that annoy your customers. Business is much easier when your customers are rooting for instead of against you.