Janet and I were in Santa Fe with our friends Georgia and Tom Davis.

While there, we enjoyed some great restaurant experiences and one notably bad one.

These experiences are quick lessons in customer service.

When we arrived at Bouche, every table was occupied. Would we like a complimentary glass of champagne or wine while we waited? Absolutely! When seated, the manager brought us complimentary appetizers.  With two small gestures, the manager turned our mild frustration into a feeling of appreciation.

Turn now to a local coffee shop where the running joke among locals is that this place hires only people with sour attitudes.  At this place, locals come for the coffee in spite of how they’re treated. They know they’re rewarding bad behavior. Needless to say, there’s room for another coffee shop in Santa Fe.

Georgia and Tom have a piece of art in their home by Spencer Kimball called “Good Guy, Bad Guy.”  It’s two identical images of a cowboy’s face. One cowboy wears a white hat. The other cowboy’s hat is black.

When it comes to customer service, do you and your colleagues wear white hats or black hats?