I dined solo at Ristorante Spaltodieci in Monza one evening. It was a mild evening – I was in jeans and a T-shirt and chose a table in the al fresco area. While my food was being prepared, I worked on my F1 blog on my laptop.

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When my main course arrived, I closed the laptop, enjoyed the meal and returned to my blog straight after. I had been there 40 minutes when the temperature started to drop, and sitting outside I felt it. I was considering leaving when the waiter, Salvatore, asked if I’d like to move inside where it was warmer.

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I was impressed that he’d sensed I might be feeling the cold and I gladly took him up on his offer. Inside I ordered a dessert – an order the establishment would have missed out on had I not moved inside.

About 30 minutes later, my laptop was about to run out of battery and when asked if I’d like anything else, I declined Salvatore’s offer telling him my laptop had no power. He noted I was using a Mac and asked me to wait. A minute or so later, he emerged with a Mac power supply and asked if I’d like to use that.

I replied yes and then ordered another drink. I ordered another drink after that and finished my blog at the restaurant, uploading it using their WiFi.

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Salvatore’s intuition and willingness to help, resulted in them securing revenue from me that otherwise would have walked out the door. I love customer service experiences like this – I think we all do – but sadly it is so rarely experienced.

If you’re in the customer service game, always be switched on and looking for ways to make your customers happier and more comfortable.