The other day I was in a bank lineup and I did something we all do now and then. I let the person behind me go ahead of me because I wanted to make sure I was served by my favorite bank teller - the teller that makes me laugh and who I most trust. When dining at your local restaurant, don't you sometimes feel disappointed when it's not your favorite server serving your table? How many of us have stories of phoning a business and getting totally different answers whenever we talk to a different employee? How often have you heard someone say, "Just phone them again because it totally depends on who you get."     

I call this phenomenon "service roulette." But it shouldn't feel like a crap shoot every time someone walks into a business or phones in with a concern or question. Here are a few thoughts on how to minimize the odds of your customers taking their hard-earned chips somewhere else to play:

• You are only as good as your weakest link. Invest in your hiring, on-boarding and training!
• Consistency is critical. One misstep or one poor performer is all it takes to lose a customer for life.
• Ensure everyone understands the minimum expectations for outstanding service.
• Create a system to collect continual feedback so you can identity areas for improvement and discover who your stars are.
• Turn your star performers into, well stars! Recognize them. Use them to benchmark performance against. Have your stars conduct training sessions and mentor other employees so everyone learns the secret to their appeal and success.