Service vs. Food

You might recall my little encounter with Gayle at Publix during the Sandwich Smackdown.

It was a rough evening, one I won't soon forget.

Tonight I went to a different Publix and met Nancy. She gave us outstanding service. Friendly, attentive and flexible. I got an Italian wrap and was feeling on the edge so I asked her to press it. I'm not sure what it is about hot pressed sandwiches that get me so excited, but it's something I insist on.

I asked her to press it in fear because I knew this was not "the norm". Normal people don't ask to get their wrap pressed. Normal people just keep their fat mouth shut and take the wrap cold. When I asked Nancy, she looked at me with a smile and said, "I've never done it before, so I'm not sure how it will turn out. But, it's worth a try."

If you remember, I asked Gayle to press my sandwich - not my wrap, and she gave me an attitude because I already had lettuce on the sub and it might possibly fall out.

The Publix "product" hasn't changed since the last time I was there. The meat, cheese, lettuce, and bread are all the same. The decor hasn't changed, nor have the uniforms. The taste of the food hasn't changed.

One very important thing did change though - the service. The service meant more to me then the food to begin with. Sure, I want it to taste good, I want to feel like I got my money's worth. However, the only way I can "feel" this way is if I believe I was well taken care of, served well and cared for.

Tonight, my wrap was unbelievable. I felt good about buying it. It tasted fantastic and I feel like I got my money's worth. I went home happy, content and prepared to go back to Publix and purchase a wrap again.

The service is and always has been more important than the food. Some of you will argue with me, but can you think of a time when you had really amazing tasting food and horrible service and actually enjoyed it?! Now, can you think of a time when the food was mediocre at best, but the service was outstanding?

Which would you prefer?

When it comes down to creating emotions, retaining customers, getting better tips, driving higher sales and being remarkable there is only one answer: Amazing Service.