You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired.

These excellent customer service examples are nothing short of brilliant, so we just had to share them.

Besides, there’s no better way to learn how to provide better customer service than by looking at what the best providers are doing. Take these ideas and implement them into your own business.

After all, good service is a competitive advantage, and bad service costs billions.

Now then, without further ado…y

Customer Service Example #1: Man Finds Dead Worm In His Cucumber, Tesco’s Response Is Brilliant (Click to Tweet)

I stumbled upon this little customer service gem on BoredPanda. It is one of the most hilarious (and brilliant) examples of great customer service I’ve ever seen!

A man, Wes Metcalfe, found a delicious dead worm wrapped up with his cucumber. His story to Tesco is hilarious by itself…

However, Tesco’s response is what really makes this an example of good customer service:

It doesn’t stop there. The conversation ensues and Wes actually holds a funeral for the worm (all in the name of good humor). Click here to read the rest.

Key Takeaway: If a customer comes to you with something fun, just go with it. It might bring you some publicity, but even if it doesn’t, you (and your customers) will have loads more fun. They’ll love you for it!

#2: Man Sends Tweet on Plane, Lands to a Free Steak Dinner (Click to Tweet)

Peter Shankman, an author, business consultant, and long time lover of Morton’s Steakhouse, had the most wonderful surprise when he got off his flight.

While on the plane, he sent a single, random tweet:

And, to Peter’s surprise, Morton’s actually delivered! A tuxedoed gentleman holding a bag that contained a 24 oz. Morton’s porterhouse, complete with shrimp, potatoes, bread, napkins and silverware, greeted Peter as he got off the plane.

Shankman noted that in order for this to work, the Tweet had to be noticed, someone had to get approval for the idea, a cook had to make his food, the food had to be driven 23.5 miles away from the nearest Morton’s, and someone had to track down his flight information and figure out where he was landing to meet him at the right location.

Was it all worth it? Absolutely.

This single act of random kindness for a long-standing customer was featured on ABC news as one of the top tweets of 2011. It was also picked up by hundreds of other Twitter-ers (I’m making that a word now) who retweeted and shared it, giving Morton’s tons of loving publicity. Woohoo!

Key Takeaway: Go out of your way to really WOW your best customers. You never know – it might just get you on the news!

Click here to read the full story on Shankman’s blog.

#3: Guy Orders Shoes That Fall Apart, Email Response is Hilarious (Click to Tweet)

We’ve already shared this story in our post about excellent customer service skills, but it’s so good I wanted to share it again for those who missed it.

Zappos, an online shoe and clothing store well known for having some of the best customer service examples in the world, does it again.

Someone ordered shoes from Zappos, which fell apart shortly after he received them. He told Zappos about it, and their response is nothing short of genius:

(Source: Reddit)

Talk about personality! Never a dull moment when talking to Zappos customer service reps.

Key Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to show your true colors when dealing with customers. People like honesty and authenticity. Being a little whacky is one of the 11 customer service skills you need to be the best!

#4: What TD Bank Did With ATM Machines Will Bring a Tear to Your Eye (And a Smile to Your Face) (Click to Tweet)

This is one of my favorite examples of customer service done right. It’s truly incredible…

TD Bank was looking for a way to give back to their customers – and they found it. Four branches of their banks opened a new kind of ATM and invited their customers to try it out.

To the customer’s surprise, they couldn’t cash a check or withdraw money from this ATM… just gifts. Lots of heart-warming, tear-inducing gifts. Check it out:

If you don’t have the time to watch the video, they basically called their ATM an “Automated Thanking Machine” and gave away money, a trip to Disney, and even plane tickets to allow a mother to see her daughter who’s sick with cancer.

The video literally gave me goosebumps when I watched it. If you’ve ever wondered, “What is great customer service?” This is it – selfless acts to help those in need when it really matters. In my mind, there’s little difference between customer service and charity.

Key Takeaway: Do good… That’s it. As I always say, those who make the world a better place are given a better place in the world.

#5: Target Employee Helps Teen Land First Job (Click to Tweet)

One teen, preparing for his very first job interview, walked into Target to find a clip-on tie. What happened next is nothing short of true human kindness.

After informing the teen that Target didn’t sell clip-on ties, he showed him how to tie a real tie. But, he didn’t stop there – he also gave the young man tips on tough interview questions and taught him how to properly shake hands!

The teen posted about it on Facebook. The story went viral and was even featured on USA Today!

Key Takeaway: Read your customers to see why they need a particular product or service from you. Then, go the extra mile to help them achieve that bigger goal.

#6: Boy With Autism Needs Special Cup, Tommee Tippee Delivers (Click to Tweet)

If you’re really looking for customer service examples, you have to check this out.

Ben, a young man with autism, is very peculiar about the kind of sippy cup he drinks out of. If you give him anything else, he throws it away and refuses to drink out of it.

Unfortunately, the kind of cup he likes was discontinued, and his parents were down to the last one. His dad, desperate to get Ben his cup, shared a tweet asking if anyone could send him that specific cup.



His son was so reliant on drinking from the cup that he’d twice been admitted to the hospital with severe dehydration when he didn’t have it.

His search for the cup went viral with the hashtag #CupForBen. It wasn’t long before a sippy cup manufacturer, Tommee Tippee, caught word… and gave Ben free cups for life!

Key Takeaway: Stand for a cause. You’ll gain more loyal followers that way, and you might even gain publicity. If nothing else, you’ll be doing good for the world.

#7: Wendy’s Employee Keeps Elderly Man Dry in Rainstorm (Click to Tweet)

Sometimes, providing good customer service is about more than giving a discount or sending a replacement product. Sometimes, it’s about doing the right thing, merely because it’s the right thing to do.

During a rainstorm, a Wendy’s employee cleverly took an umbrella from one of their outside tables to help an elderly man stay dry as he walked to his car.

Key Takeaway: Look for ways you can help your customers beyond “normal” customer service stuff. Snatch every opportunity to help those in need.

#8: Waitress Picks Up Firefighters Check, Firefighters Raise $70,000 for Her Quadriplegic Father (Click to Tweet)

If this doesn’t give you all the feels, I don’t know what will. Here goes…

Two firefighters walk into a restaurant around 6 AM after battling a fire for over 12 hours. Their waitress, Liz Woodward, had been following the story closely on the news.

When the firefighters went to pay the check, they were surprised to find this note written on it:

One of the firefighters, feeling incredibly grateful, posted the above picture on their Facebook wall with this note:

“Such a selfless and kind act. I definitely urge my friends to make a trip out and support the business, and if Liz happens to be your waitress, tip big.”

But, it didn’t stop there. As it turns out, Liz’s father was a quadriplegic and she was running a crowdfunding campaign to get him a wheelchair accessible van. She needed $17,000 – so the firefighters asked everyone they knew to donate to her campaign:

“Turns out, the young lady who gave us a free meal is really the one that could use the help…”

The campaign went on to break $70,000! Now that is one of the best examples of customer service.

Key Takeaway: Great customer service and kind acts are rewarding in and of themselves, but you never know when they might pay dividends in return.

#9: Captain Mike Helps Lt. Norm Navigate Ship Netflix (Click to Tweet)

This is one of the best customer service examples on this list. Netflix uses live chat to deliver excellence!

A portion of a show Norm was watching kept skipping, so he decided to contact Netflix live chat support. What happened next was the “best customer service experience” he’s ever had.

Key Takeaway: I’ve already told you to be a little bit whacky. While you’re at it, be genuine. Notice how Cpt. Mike says “HAHA” in all caps – that’s not uptight business speak, it’s a person being a person while talking to another person!

Some Parting Words of Advice

Customer service can be funny, frustrating, and downright weird. It can bring out the best in us, and the worst in us. I hope by now you’ve felt the joy and sorrow of the people whose stories I’ve shared today.

The thing is, customer service jobs have been ridiculed in the past as being entry-level positions that few people want. Companies like Buffer, Zappos, and our own Formilla say otherwise.

We believe customer service is a highly important job – perhaps the most important in any business. Customer service is where you truly get to make a difference in people’s day-to-day lives.

If you’re ready to take a stand and start delivering excellent customer service today, I challenge you to commit to developing these 11 customer service skills.

Now it’s your turn. What was the best customer service experience of your life? Let us know in the comments below!