Leave Happy

When you get right down to it, a coupon in a restaurant doesn't get you very far.

Yes, it definitely gets you something for free or at a discounted price, but the employees traditionally aren't over excited that you're coming in just to get something for free. Especially when you might be the guy who has a free appetizer coupon, orders a water and leaves a dollar tip (I'm not saying I'm that guy).

My sister-in-law had a coupon for Jamba Juice that was good for one free 16oz smoothie. She has had it for a very long time. It was bent around the edges and it was ripping down the middle from being folded in her purse for months.

I have never been to Jamba Juice before, I'm not much of a smoothie guy. To me it's seems like an extremely overpriced drink that promises more than it ever delivers.

However with a free coupon in hand we hit up Jamba Juice last Friday. When I have a coupon I get right to the point: give me my free junk and let me get out of here. But, the Jamba employees were so absolutely pleasant I couldn't help but strike up a conversation.

My wife doesn't get smoothies either so neither of us had any idea what to order. I kept going back and forth between two different fruit flavors and I ended up enlisting the pleasant employees for their help.

After a five minute debate the employee convinced me to get Pomegranate Paradise. To be honest, I was nervous, I hate pomegranate. But the employee swore by it and promised to replace it if I didn't like it.

Ah yes, the famous guarantee that "if you don't like it we'll replace it" blah blah blah. How often does it happen that you actually end up NOT liking what they are promising to replace? (Never)

I got the smoothie, the employees watched with anticipation and after two gulps I really didn't like it. I think the employees could see the look on my face - it just wasn't that good.

Immediately without thinking she offered to replace it.

I felt horribly guilty. Not only was the smoothie I was drinking free, but it was also what she recommended. I didn't need another one so I told her it wasn't a big deal.

She insisted. "What other kind of smoothie do you want to try? We want you to leave happy."

What did she say??? Leave happy?!

What a simple, yet earth shattering concept: make sure your customer leaves happy. That is something I guarantee 90% of restaurants aren't doing. Think about the magic of it though! Here I am a customer who hasn't spent a penny in their restaurant and they are trying to make me happy? Why? Because these hourly employees at Jamba Juice understand that every single person that walks in matters and they shouldn't be blown off (even if they have a coupon).

Since she was so determined to give me another free smoothie I picked a safer Strawberry Swirl. After she made the smoothie there was still some left over so she filled up another cup half way with the leftover and brought it out to us in the seating area.

One coupon: two and a half free smoothies and delivery to our table.

Wow.

I was completely floored. Not only was the smoothie delicious, but I couldn't believe that they cared so much about my experience even though I wasn't a paying customer.

While I didn't spend any money at all on this visit, Jamba Juice was successful because they made me a customer for life. If I ever want a smoothie I will always go to Jamba Juice with no exceptions - so in the long run their 5 minutes of extra time and two free smoothies paid off in a very big way.

When's the last time you had an experience as amazing as this at any other restaurant and left happy?