What one excellent employee can do for your brand reputation

Lucky me! I just returned from a wonderful week in Rome. It was a great opportunity to unplug, unwind, and observe how the Romans live. One of my favorite spots in Rome is a little bar just off the Campo de Fiori, Bar Farnese.

As you may know, in Italy “bars” are typically coffee places as well as purveyors of alcoholic beverages. Bar Farnese is the best coffee place I have ever been to, and I made it a point to go there every morning (except Sunday, when they’re closed) for my cappuccino and cornetto (sort of a sweet croissant). The bar is a tiny, crowded place with a steady stream of customers, mostly working people from the neighborhood. It has three small tables and most people drink their coffee standing at the bar. 

So what makes it so great? One word: Angelo. He’s a small, agile, elderly man who works behind the bar. And he does his work exceptionally well.

Excellent customer service creates an excellent reputation

Here’s an example. When my three companions and I landed in Rome, we couldn’t get into our Airbnb right away, so of course we went to Bar Farnese to pass the time. We were dragging all our considerable luggage, and as we approached the bar, we were disappointed to see that there was no room for us.

As we were about to walk away, Angelo looked up and beamed at us with a big smile of recognition. Understand, I was last at Bar Farnese four years ago. But Angelo greeted us as if we were regulars and beckoned us into the bar. He found a corner to stow our luggage and shoe-horned us around one of the tiny tables. Then, within about two minutes, he brought us four of the best cappuccini I have ever tasted, along with delicious pastries. We sat as long as we liked, enjoyed our treat, and watched as other customers came and went. 

Angelo embodies excellence in several ways. He makes each customer feel like a personal friend. He is highly efficient and his product is top quality. I don’t know if he is the owner of Bar Farnese, but I hope he is. He sure acts like it.

There’s one more important point about Angelo. I think I first met him some time around 1980. So he has been behind that bar for over 40 years. How’s that for longevity?

The Angelos of the world shows us what excellence looks like. They are technically very skilled. But beyond that, they bring joy and generosity to their work. Here’s to all the Angelos!

If you’d like to learn more about how to identify, recruit, develop, and retain more Angelos for your business, contact me.