Be passionate

•  Global Customer Service Week 05 to 09 October 2026 'Going Extra Mile'

Being passionate means demonstrating extraordinary enthusiasm when performing any task. It is about approaching whatever you do for a customer with a ‘burning desire’. Passionate staff enjoy every bit of the work they carry out. Their enthusiasm makes it clear to customers that they are willing to go the extra mile to exceed expectations.

Passionate staff identify customer needs before they are voiced

I was once on a nine-hour flight from Sydney to Changi. When we boarded, the crew guided us to our seats. Just as my wife began to feel too cold, a cabin crew member noticed her discomfort through her body language and immediately provided her with a blanket.

From departure to arrival, the cabin crew’s consistent enthusiasm in serving passengers was a treat to experience. Towards the end of the journey, I asked the lead flight attendant and another flight attendant serving our aisle, separately, “How do you maintain such consistent service throughout the journey, meeting every passenger’s needs so precisely?”

Both crew members gave similar responses: “We feel we are very well looked after by our airline. We can reciprocate by giving our best to passengers and serving them from the bottom of our hearts. We take joy in making others happy.”

This shows the extent to which they wholeheartedly go the extra mile, turning routine service encounters into proactive, deeper human interactions that delight their passengers. For decades, they have lived up to their service credo: ‘Service Even Other Airlines Talk About’. Clearly, they continue to fly high.

Passionate staff take complete ownership of the issue

A warning message appeared on my car’s dashboard display. When I sent a photograph of it to my service adviser at the motor company, she immediately arranged for the car to be taken to the workshop. Having identified the exact problem, she assured me, “Sir, your car is in safe hands now. I will replace the faulty part with a genuine replacement, carry out a couple of test runs and deliver it back to you within three days.”

I received daily updates on the progress of the repairs. As agreed, the car was delivered to me in immaculate condition on the third day. On their own initiative, the team had also given the car a cut and polish to enhance its appearance. What impressed me most was that, after the car had been delivered, the service adviser went the extra mile by keeping in touch for a few days to check whether it was running as smoothly as before.

Passionate staff personalise the interaction

For the past three decades, I have worn Van Heusen or Park Avenue non-iron shirts for their ideal fit, convenience and ease of care. I often purchase them from one of Colombo’s leading clothing retailers. Shirts in my size and preferred colours are often in short supply because of strong demand.

The sales manager regularly follows up with his merchandising team, from placing orders to the delivery of goods to the outlet, to meet his customers’ needs. Whenever new stock arrives, he makes a point of setting aside a few shirts in my size and preferred colours. He then calls to invite me to the outlet. If I have difficulty visiting the outlet, he goes the extra mile by bringing the selected shirts to my home at a convenient time so that I can see which ones I prefer. On most occasions, I end up buying a few shirts, strengthening my loyalty to both the brand and the outlet. Every year, he also sends me a birthday message and keeps me informed of any special promotions at his outlet.

Passionate staff resolve service mishaps and restore goodwill

‘Nothing is over until it is fully over’ is a principle that passionate staff often believe in. They go the extra mile by taking a hands-on approach to resolving customers’ problems or pain points. The end of a transaction should be considered the beginning of a relationship.

After realising that I had not used one of my credit cards for a couple of years, I asked the bank to cancel it immediately. Based on the information provided by the bank, I settled the outstanding balance in full. Although I continued to receive letters that looked like card statements from the same bank, month after month, I did not even open the envelopes, believing that my dealings with the bank had come to an end. However, one day, I opened one of the envelopes and discovered an outstanding balance, with recurring late payment charges and accumulated interest.

I enquired about this with the manager of the bank’s card centre. After checking the records, he explained that, although I had requested cancellation, it had not been processed in the system because of an error on the bank’s part. As a result, the subsequent annual membership fee had been debited to my account, and late payment charges and interest had accumulated over the following months.

My immediate concern was that the account might be recorded as non-performing with the Credit Information Bureau (CRIB). I explained to the manager that I had always wanted to maintain a ‘green and clean’ CRIB report and that the bank’s error had now adversely affected my credit record. This could also reflect negatively on me in future banking transactions.

From the outset, the manager understood the gravity of the issue and kept in close contact with me and the relevant authorities. Within two days, he visited my home with a letter from the bank admitting its error and confirming that my CRIB record had been corrected. He also brought a bouquet of flowers as a gesture of apology.

In summary, when staff are passionate about their work, they understand the bigger picture and the purpose of their role. Once they truly believe in that purpose, they are willing to go the extra mile to drive performance. Exceptional performance enhances an organisation’s profitability and reputation. Passionate staff are the greatest asset to any organisation.

(The writer 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.)

‘PRIME way to go The Extra Mile’

Global Customer Service Week 2026 runs from October 5th to 9th. 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 first day of Customer Service Week, the featured article is 'Be Passionate.’

See tomorrow’s Daily FT for the second article in this series: “Be responsive”