If you’ve ever sipped fresh coconut juice right out of the shell, you’ve savored one of life’s sweetest sensations. When I’m in Thailand, I always buy my fresh, chilled coconut juice from Noi—my favorite street vendor. She consistently delivers genuine care as she selects an ice cold coconut, hacks it open with a machete, inserts a straw, and then hands it to me with a smile.

There’s another coconut vendor nearby who sells the same product, but not the same experience. It only took one buying experience from the grumpy vendor for me to realize that even the best coconut can leave a sour taste in your mouth when the service is poor.

So, I return to Noi again and again. One day, a translator helped Noi share her story with me, explaining that Noi works 7 days a week for about 10 hours a day. On average, she’ll sell 40 coconuts and 30 bottles of fresh, squeezed orange juice. After purchasing her products and paying one dollar a day for her rental spot by the subway stop, Noi’s daily profit is about 600 baht (or $20).

Sometimes as I travel around the world doing seminars, I am reminded of scenes from Bill Murray’s movie Lost in Translation. My experience as Noi’s customer has reminded me of a universal business lesson: Regardless of the type of product or service you’re selling, customer service doesn’t get lost in translation—so whether you sell coconuts or computers or consulting, make sure to WOW! your clients.

 

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