You are not you, you ARE the company - Customer Service Personified.

It's in times like these when the right people makes an absolute difference for an entire company. Let me tell you about this lady I met.

I was trying to get a safe deposit box in a newly renovated bank in Central. It's cheaper there, the box is bigger and the bank branch's location is a lot closer to my office than that of the other bank I was frequenting before. I was planning to get a new box there and move everything from my old box at the other bank before lunch. However, I was informed that I need to provide an address proof, which I don't have with me.

Thinking quickly, I remembered this third bank in Central that I have used as my main bank for years (they don't have safe deposit boxes at all). I went over, waited my turn, went up to the counter and ask if they can give me some sort of address proof. As I expected, the teller went into some preset procedures, started pulling out a form for me and told me that it's going to take a day. I explained to her what I planned to do and that it'd be best if it doesn't take a day.

You know what?

She thought about it for a second, flipped her name tag on the counter to "Busy", proceeded to type out a letter on her computer right there and then, grabbed the Branch Manager and got it signed. This is a huge American bank and this is one of its busiest branch in the middle of the business district in Hong kong. I couldn't believe it!!

One person, for no apparent motive other than her eagerness to help the bank's customers, decided to forgo establish procedures and went completely out of her way to help me out. I am SO glad that I use this bank as my main one all these years. What she did doesn't cost her bank anymore than the extra few minutes, but it turned me into a raving fan for the entire bank in front of my friends!

I am writing to her Branch Manager after this.