When we moved to Tucson, a friend gave us a dining card --- you know, one of those buy-one, get-one-free deals. It was one on which the restaurant staff hole punches the card once we have used it so we can only use it once. For us, it was awesome as it is helping us get to know all sorts of restaurants in the area.
Two weeks ago, on a Sunday, we took the card to the middle of town to a Mexican restaurant (we joke that my goal for the next three years we are living in Tucson, I want to eat at every Mexican restaurant I can).  When we entered, we saw they had a Sunday brunch going on.  It looked marvelous----everything you could ever ask for, including mimosas.  While I don't drink anymore, Dave would be happy to partake.  The waitress took one look at our card and said, "It doesn't apply to the brunch".  Hmmm....in my mine, I wondered what difference it made.  We are paying for ONE thing and getting ANOTHER thing free----who cares if it is a $16 entree or the $14 brunch?  At any rate, we were fine.  We just ordered off the menu but felt the service that day was definitely geared to the brunch crowd rather than the "ordering off the menu" crowd.

Fast forward to last night.  After an entire weekend of hosting two Open Houses, we were treating ourselves to a night out at a local Italian restaurant, once again with the card.  The wait staff was attentive and the food was delicious! At the end of the meal, the waiter looked at our card and said, "I've taken off the price for the second entree but don't give me your card.  If I don't hole-punch it, you can use it again."  Now, technically, is he supposed to do that?  Maybe not, but what harm does it do besides "inviting" us back for another chance to get hooked on their Northern Italian cuisine.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

While both meals were great, I'm thinking we will return more often to the second one, and it's not even Mexican food! :)
What is the cost, then, of good customer service?  The answer is limitless, I think.

Just for today, let's think about whether we are being good customers and/or providing customer service that invites folks to return to us.

In church on Sunday, we read James 3:11 which talks about how a spring doesn't spew forth both salt and fresh water.

Do you recall all those sitcoms during the 70s and 80s that had the fake laugh tracks built in?  I disliked the laugh tracks immensely because of the lack of authenticity.  However, something bugged me even more and still does today when it is present.  I remember specifically one episode of "Three's Company", in which one of the girls, John Ritter, and  maybe even Don Knotts kept walking in one door and out another at varying times, thereby missing each other completely.  If someone would have just stood still, they might have connected, but everyone was doing their own thing and on a complete different directional field from anyone else.  It made me crazy!!! Just stop! I wanted to cry out to them.
I was thinking about this as Dave and I were talking about what we think makes people miscommunicate in the first place.  I started laughing and said, "It's like one of those ridiculous episodes of 'Three's Company' when they are going in and out of doors missing each other!"  
The problem occurs when we are going about our business without paying any mind to what other people are doing or have to say.  We get so caught up in our own agenda, we forget to realize there are other agendas in the world.  Maybe it's taking "minding our own business" to an extreme.  
Take a minute to think back to the last miscommunication you had with a co-worker, spouse, significant other, or family member.  What was the true source of frustration?  I would love to hear your answers and even how (or if) it was resolved.  
Just for today, let's take a look at the source of miscommunication and try to connect with the other people in our lives.  
Happy communicating,
Shelly