(Internal communications sample for Whole Foods Market, 2012)

We're in the business of making people's days. But it's a messy business, the business of giving legendary service when we're not feeling so legendary ourselves. We know the difference between good service and legendary service. Legendary service is made of real conversations, maybe giving away a product, and smiling because we can, not because we have to. It extends beyond customers into how we treat other Team Members. It’s not the stuff of legends; it’s how we do it at WFM.

But what if it’s one of those days? You roll out of bed in time to brush a few teeth and scramble out the door. You arrive to work and the day's tasks seem to multiply like germs in the bulk bins, and there aren’t enough hands to get the work done. Yesterday was a good day but today seems off. The caffeine hasn’t kicked in. And—why the heck do you work at a grocery store?

It was that kind of day for me, the day I realized I didn’t have to feel happy or excellent to satisfy and delight.

One of our regular Whole Body customers came in for her usual, and we exchanged our usual hellos. Before she left, she pulled me aside. For the first time in a few dozen interactions she told me her real story. Her husband had been sick for years, and those years were too many bad days strung together. She cried a little and told me our store was her happy place. It was where she came on a bad day.

What if every customer was having that kind of day? Or, what if every customer was a person in a hurry, anxious to find a perfect treat for date night, or someone who just discovered a new food allergy? We love our regulars, the twice-weekly shoppers who come in and share a few sentences before they go their merry way. Then there are the others, who we win one interaction at a time.

Happiness and excellence is born from creating memorable experiences—with our customers and with each other. WOW a new product. Say hello to everyone you pass. Initiate a conversation with that new TM who doesn't fit in quite yet. Be fun and engaging. And—find the people who do this well. You’ll know us by the spring in our step. Even if it’s one of those days.