Wednesday Oct 07, 2026
Wednesday Oct 07, 2026
Wednesday, 7 October 2026 03:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Global Customer Service Week 2026 runs from 5 to 9 October. During this week, five articles will appear in the Daily FT. Since this year’s theme is ‘Going the Extra Mile,’ these five articles will be published under the heading ‘PRIME Way to Go the Extra Mile.’ The term ‘PRIME’ serves as a mnemonic, with each day’s article focusing on one of its core pillars: Passionate, Responsive, Innovative, Meticulous, and Empathetic. Today, marking the third day of Customer Service Week, the featured article is ‘Be Innovative.’
Being innovative in customer service means deliberately finding new ways to create value for customers. Often supported by new technologies, it involves rethinking how problems are solved to make each interaction more personalised, efficient, meaningful and environmentally friendly. It means going the extra mile to anticipate customer needs and prevent problems before they arise, as well as resolving existing difficulties. The aim is to meet customers’ needs in ways that exceed their expectations.
Innovation requires psychological safety
Staff are more willing to go the extra mile to create value when they feel free to experiment, suggest ideas and put them into practice for the benefit of stakeholders. Management thinker Tom Peters has shared the advice, “Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes.” Similarly, Elon Musk has said, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
I live in an apartment built a few years ago and realised that installing fibre-optic cabling for a faster broadband connection would be a cumbersome task. My mobile service provider recently contacted me to offer an alternative: a wireless 5G service described as an ‘air fibre connection’.
I was told that the new portable 5G device would be similar to my existing 4G router and would require no new cabling. I opted for this solution, and the provider installed the unit with an assurance of faster connectivity. What impressed me most was that the relationship manager provided the device free of charge in recognition of our substantial past use of data packages. To me, this was an innovative solution delivered with an extra measure of care.
Innovation requires looking beyond the usual approach
During the COVID-19 pandemic, an article published in Harvard Business Review on 17 August 2020 stated: ‘People who survive disasters are the ones who are able to regain cognitive function quickly, assess their new environment accurately, and take goal-directed action to survive within it.’
We saw a practical example of this in a local delivery company that went the extra mile by introducing an innovative approach to keep its business operating while creating value for all stakeholders. The company already had an online platform, a fleet of refrigerated vehicles, a large cold-storage complex and a skilled workforce.
This company’s normal course of business is growing flowers, doing wedding decorations, online delivery of flower bouquets and gifts. When they realised that the pandemic would leave very little demand for its usual business, it used these existing resources to launch an essential goods delivery service. It reached farmers who were cut off from their usual markets, collected vegetables and fruits, and used its online ordering and delivery system to supply customers who were confined to their houses during the pandemic.
This initiative helped bridge the gap between farmers and consumers at a crucial time. By going the extra mile to meet an urgent need, the company offered a convenient service that attracted strong demand and praise from customers.
Innovation through data-informed value creation
Data-informed value creation in customer experience (CX) involves using customer insights, behavioural data and operational measures to make improvements that benefit customers and support business growth. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems and artificial intelligence (AI) can help organisations gather and analyse this information. Rather than relying solely on instinct, organisations can go the extra mile by using data to tailor their offerings to customers’ specific needs and preferences.
On my birthday, I was facilitating a programme for a company at a hotel. During the first tea break, after I switched on my phone, I received a call from a relationship manager at my bank’s card centre. He wished me a ‘happy birthday!’ and said that he was keen to meet me for fifteen minutes that day. The only time I could offer was during the lunch break at the hotel where the programme was being held. He readily agreed and came to see me at lunchtime.
After wishing me a happy birthday in person, he explained the purpose of his visit. The bank’s records showed that I had used its American Express (Amex) credit card for twenty-two years, with an unblemished record of usage and prompt payment. He explained that the bank had obtained the rights to issue the Amex Explorer card, a premium card available by invitation only. In recognition of my loyalty, the bank had decided to upgrade me to this card, which offered a range of benefits and a higher credit limit.
As it was my birthday, the bank wanted to deliver the card that day as a ‘birthday gift’. This was a clear example of using available customer data innovatively to create value. The officer also went the extra mile to surprise me on a special day. I used the card that very evening to pay for dinner with my family. The following week, I used it extensively and with pride during an overseas trip.
On another occasion, the renowned French pianist Richard Clayderman performed at one of Sri Lanka’s leading theatres. Our substantial use of a telecommunications provider’s services had earned me ‘Platinum Club’ membership. Using its CRM data, the company had identified us as lovers of classical piano music. Its relationship manager offered us two complimentary tickets with reserved seats to attend the performance.
The day after the show, she went that extra mile to call and clarify whether we enjoyed the evening and assured me that we would be invited for similar events suited to our preferences in future.
Customer data can support many innovative ways of going the extra mile while retaining a human touch. These include the following:
Personalisation
Product recommendations and communications can be tailored to customers’ preferences, browsing history and past interactions. For example, a hotel that knows a customer is vegan could send a specially prepared vegan cake for their birthday.
Reducing friction
Complex tasks can be made simpler and more intuitive. For example, Amazon’s box-free, label-free return options allow customers to use a QR code at participating drop-off points for eligible items, reducing the effort involved in preparing a return.
Proactive solutions
Predictive tools can help identify and resolve service issues before a customer makes a complaint. For example, a telecommunications provider that detects a connection problem and resolves it remotely could inform the customer: ‘We noticed that your router began losing its connection this morning. We have updated its software remotely to restore the connection. No action is needed on your part.’
Using customer feedback
Regularly gathering feedback can help organisations refine and improve service delivery. Immediately after a delivery or service interaction, for example, customers could be asked to rate how easy the experience was on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means ‘very difficult’ and 10 means ‘very easy’. A follow-up question, ‘What is the main reason for your score?’, can help explain the rating and identify opportunities for improvement.
Technology offers many innovative ways to go the extra mile. However, efforts to create a great customer experience should always retain a human touch and recognise the emotional needs of customers. Remember: ‘Technology delivers, whereas humans over deliver.’
Be passionate: https://www.ft.lk/columns/Be-passionate/4-798210
Be responsive: https://www.ft.lk/columns/Be-responsive/4-798268
(The author is a sought-after ‘Customer Experience’ specialist in Sri Lanka. Over the last three decades he has conducted over 3,500 inspirational and educational programs for over 800 organisations in 11 countries. His work can be seen at www.dhammikakalapuge.com.)
