Be meticulous

‘PRIME way to go The Extra Mile’

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 fourth day of Customer Service Week, the featured article is ‘Be Meticulous.’

Being meticulous in customer service means paying close attention to every detail of the customer journey. It involves getting things right the first time and maintaining control over one’s behaviour as a representative of the organisation. It is a proactive, detail-oriented approach in which every touchpoint, from the first visit or website click to post-purchase support, is carefully designed and managed to ensure quality.

Going the extra mile means considering every detail from the customer’s point of view and allowing that perspective to guide decisions. The principle is to treat perfection as the expected standard. Meticulous service requires foresight: anticipating what the customer will need, planning carefully and leaving nothing to chance.

Being meticulous means taking personal responsibility

Every member of staff across the organisation must take responsibility for creating positive, distinctly memorable interactions at every touchpoint. This makes ‘customer focus’ a daily practice for every employee. To establish meticulous standards and build an Excellent Customer Experience Culture (ECEC), an organisation must align its leadership, systems and frontline behaviour. Culture is not simply what people preach; it is what they consistently tolerate and reward.

Disneyland is known as ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’. Its cast members help bring that promise to life through meticulous attention to their roles. They help guests find out what is happening in the park, and when and where events take place. When asked for directions, they can point out a location on a map and may go the extra mile by accompanying guests to their required event destination.

Just before leaving for Bangladesh, a friend assigned me a challenging task. He handed me five high-end designer spectacle frames and the related prescriptions, asking me to have the lenses fitted by a reliable optician in Colombo who would do a meticulous job. It was an urgent request: he needed to receive the completed spectacles in Dhaka within five days, as he was preparing to migrate to Australia.

Despite the tight deadline, I explored the possibility of having the work done by Vision Care, one of the country’s leading optical service providers. From the outset, the showroom manager understood the urgency. He said, ‘The deadline you have given us is really challenging. We will find a way to meet it, although we have never undertaken a task like this before.’

My friend’s requirements differed for each pair of spectacles. His choice of premium branded lenses, their colours and shapes, and the way they changed colour in outdoor light all had to be matched to his preferences. WhatsApp was our only means of communicating with him. The work had to be completed meticulously, as there was no room for corrections afterwards.

As agreed, once the work was complete, the showroom manager called me to inspect the finished spectacles before they were dispatched. He explained how several teams with different areas of expertise had contributed to the process.

First, the counter staff took the order and prepared the bill. The cashier obtained the customer’s approval and collected the online payment. The agent then arranged for the lenses to be made, after which they were sent to the workshop for tinting. The lenses were then sent to the laboratory for hard coating before returning to the workshop to be fitted into the frames.

The quality control team carried out the necessary checks before releasing the completed spectacles. A courier was kept ready and clearly briefed to deliver them to the person who would carry them from Colombo to Dhaka.

The showroom manager had taken personal responsibility for the task. He explained how he had gone the extra mile at each stage, staying in close contact with everyone involved to ensure that the work was completed meticulously. When staff work with a sense of belonging, urgency and commitment, they are more willing to go the extra mile in delivering such careful service. As Vision Care’s founder and Chairman, Mr Dasantha Fonseka, says, ‘Success in business is assured when you always create an excellent customer experience.’

Being meticulous means setting standards

Meticulous standards should extend to the physical appearance of the business. As the saying goes, ‘A well-kept venue speaks volumes.’ Spotless floors, welcoming lighting and a fresh coat of paint when needed all contribute to the impression a venue creates. When customers enter an attractive, well-maintained space, the setting helps establish a positive experience. Investing in renovations or upgrades when necessary also demonstrates a commitment to excellence and helps the venue remain competitive.

I once visited an organisation for a training briefing. The office was exceptionally well maintained and made a strong first impression on me. At the end of our meeting, the Managing Director accompanied me to the lift. When he noticed a crumpled piece of paper on the floor, he bent down, picked it up and placed it in a nearby bin. It was a simple demonstration of a leader going the extra mile and showing that attention to even the smallest detail matters.

On another occasion, I attended a wedding at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo. I was standing with the groom’s party, waiting for the auspicious time to enter the banquet hall. From a distance, I could see that the hall was elegantly decorated. However, my attention was drawn to a light flickering beside a wall panel.

I noticed the General Manager walking through the hall. He took a notepad from his jacket and wrote something down. Within a few minutes, the flickering light had been fixed. I took this to mean that he had noticed the fault and asked the engineering team to attend to it immediately.

I was delighted by what I had observed. To me, it illustrated how a General Manager could go the extra mile to ensure that the venue was presented meticulously. Every little detail matters when creating an experience that delights customers.

   FT Alert   

Past articles in this series

Be innovative: https://www.ft.lk/columns/Be-Innovative/4-798325

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.)