I did a customer service seminar earlier this year for a fun company. It was for front-line people who spent 99% of their time with customers. They didn't get much face time with upper management. And this is common with a lot of the companies I work with.

What wasn't so common was the big guy  in the back of the room.

He was one of the top officers in the company. Even without a name tag and title, you could tell he was someone important. He had presence. But what impressed me most was how invested he was in what we were doing. He was there the entire time (not like a lot of execs). He asked relevant questions. he made important points. He used the terminology we used. And, he took the time to take what we talked about and apply it to specific situations their company faces.

He was totally engaged in the process.

This thrilled me because it meant this company was serious about providing remarkable customer service for their customers. It meant this seminar wasn't just a band-aid solution to a problem they faced. It also meant that what we talked about that day had a greater chance of being remembered and applied by the people in the company.

For a company to serve their customers so well they come back and they tell others (on a regular basis) they need to have a culture that supports, encourages and rewards service. This culture comes from the leadership. If they don't believe in the power of service, their employees will not make it a priority.

And money spent on a half-day training seminar will be wasted.

So, I congratulate this company for having leaders who understand the value of great customer service. Even better, I applaud them for making this a priority and showing it with their actions. The presence of "the big guy" at that seminar probably had more impact on the employees than anything I did. It showed he cared and that's a powerful thing.