Forced Friendliness – What Big Brands Get Wrong about Customer Service

When Policies Replace People

Recently, the corporate giant Target rolled out a new initiative to connect more meaningfully with customers: the “10-4 Rule.” Employees are instructed to make eye contact and smile at any customer within 10 feet and, once within 4 feet, to ask how the customer’s day is going or if they need help.

While well-intentioned, there are reports of customers pushing back, saying they prefer natural interactions over those triggered by proximity.

The Problem With Mandated Hospitality

Real hospitality is sincere. Big businesses are missing the mark by trying to mandate rather than cultivate great experiences. If you ask me how my day is going, I will probably respond with “great, thank you,” which tells you next to nothing about my actual state of mind.

To get that meaningful interaction, it’s important to teach employees to look for situational cues to respond appropriately or, more importantly, to foster a culture of care within your workforce.  At the end of the day, we all prefer the place that knows us over the one we experience transactionally.

A Moment That Stuck With Me

Recently, I stayed at a hotel that only offered a few breakfast items. Not wanting a large meal but not thrilled with my choices, I lingered over the menu a bit longer than usual. The server behind the counter noticed. “Not finding anything you’d like?” she said.

I was grateful for her question and explained that I was looking for a lighter option, but the one listed- a yogurt parfait- missed the mark for me. Rather than saying, “Oh, that’s too bad,” this server did something simple; she asked me, “Why?”  When I shared my source of frustration, she sympathized and then went out of her way to customize my meal to meet my needs.

Asking a question and solving my problem only took a few minutes of her time, but left me with deep gratitude and appreciation. I’ll be staying at that hotel again.

How Genuine Foods Trains for Moments That Matter

At Genuine Foods, hospitality is deeply rooted in client and customer engagement, using old-fashioned feedback to enhance the everyday experience.

Do we agree that our teams should greet someone when approached? Yes, but part of our culture is that our employees greet that person because they want to, not because we told them to.

We value our team’s ability to assess situations independently, using the tools they’ve been given. We teach, we train, and we hire the right people.

The next most important factor? Our hospitality is always rooted in care; sales are secondary.