I recently had the opportunity to visit the Mayo Clinic as a patient after waiting 3 months for my appointment. Now they don't just take anyone and you can't just walk in the front door to be seen.

I had an appointment for 7:30am on a Monday morning. If any o you have been there, you know it is not a small facility. They have everything under one roof to diagnose and treat almost anything.

We arrive on time and are taken in on time. The doctor arrives on time already knowing all about my case having gone over all my test results that I have had done in the 6 months prior to my visit. In 30 minutes she has a plan setup. We are sent to the waiting room while our itinerary is completed. This is where tests are scheduled and insurance authorization is obtained. Shortly after I sit down, they come and get me to take me to the lab to have my blood work done. We arrive at the lab, go right in, 13 vials of blood later, we're on our way back to the waiting room we started at. When we get here, they are waiting for us with our schedule foe the week. Friday ends with the followup appointment with the doctor, the diagnosis and plan for treatment. I'm stunned. I had spent 6 months with doctors and labs running all over creation trying to get done what they achieved in one week. Everyone there was helpful, sympathetic and went out of their way to help us.

On our way home, I wondered why a dealership experience can't be like that? it's a much smaller scale than the Mayo Clinic. Why can't we get all our people to be concerned for each customer. Is it that hard to say hello? Ask if you can help? Ask if they are being taken care of? Is everything alright?

How many of you start your customer experience by making them park their car in a back lot and walk to you? and how many have valet parking? big difference in impression and small difference in cost. 

Look at your whole process from start to finish and see where you can add those little things to give your customers the million dollar treatment!