There was no doubt that I could have chosen a better time to go shopping for special flowers, than first thing on Saturday morning in early Spring. The lone florist reluctantly came out from the back room to ask how she could help, then let out a sigh when she realised it wasn’t going to be quick. I hoped that the tiny white roses would be the first thing my dear friend Pen would see when she came back from having heart surgery. This was important.

The florist tutted at my indecision and hesitated to show me the vases she might use. Of course I understood that she was “busy getting orders ready for later that day”. She wanted me to care about her emergency, while she neglected mine.

To succeed in delighting your customers you actually have to step out of your shoes and into theirs. You must see the world through their eyes from the opposite side of the counter.

It’s not always easy, but the businesses that optimise for empathy are magnetic. Less push and more pull.

Whose shoes are you standing in?

Image by Luca Pedrotti.