That's where I was this past Wednesday.  Sherri and I and the kids took in a Braves game at Turner Field in Atlanta.  I walked away that night flabbergasted...

Not because of the product on the field...

Not because of the beautiful stadium...

Because of the employees!

Turner Field and the Atlanta Braves are a pleasant reminder that you CAN teach customer service and you CAN apply it consistently.

We approached the ticket lines and an employee said "Welcome to Turner Field."

We left the ticket booth and the employee said "I hope you enjoy the game."

We went through the turnstiles.  One employee said "We're glad you're here" and the other said "Welcome to Braves Country."

We entered a regular elevator that was staffed, and the employee told us to "Have a great time and enjoy the game."

We went to a stand that sold both ice cream and beer (interesting...) and all three employees engaged us in a conversation which they started!

"So do you pull for the Rays or the Braves?"

and we talked for a couple of minutes about sports.

Leaders, let this be a lesson to all of us.  Excellent customer service DOES still exist in 2010, but it takes consistent leadership to make sure it is applied.

I am not naive enough to believe that EVERY Braves employee was like that.  I was just lucky enough to encounter every one that was service focused.

And what a great time we had!  You can bet that I'll return to Turner Field later this summer, and I look forward to interacting with those engaged employees once again.

Oh, and since I am there, I might as well watch the game...