I just returned from the Normandy beaches in Northern France. My father, who fought in WWII, was wounded in area combat on July 25, 1944. Dad was one of the lucky ones – he made it home.

But many did not. At the American Cemetery at Colleville, I walked along the perfect rows of marble crosses (9,387 in all) which marked the graves of young, brave Americans who paid the ultimate price for my liberty. I then wandered out to the edge of the cemetery overlooking the Channel, and found myself drawn to Kansas native Jim Gablemann, as he aptly taught some war history to the small group of eager listeners who encircled him. “Keeping troop morale high was a top concern,” Jim explained. “What lifted a weary soldier’s spirits? For starters, hot coffee and fresh bread. That’s why the U.S. Army shipped make-shift bakeries into the Normandy area as soon as possible,” he shared.

As I stood listening, Jim’s words immediately ignited this mental picture: a dog-tired, war-weary soldier, covered with grime, devouring some thick slices of fresh bread chased down by hot coffee. A soldier’s short, simple pleasure in an anything-but-simple time.

Loyalty lesson: Delivering an exceptional customer experience, day in and day out, requires staff fortitude. What simple pleasures help keep your frontline morale high? What’s something new you can do to show staff you care? The U.S. military shipped bakeries! What’s your plan?

There I am… along with a few other lucky folks getting a rare, behind-the-scenes tour of the famous Dorchester Hotel in London. (I’m in town to present at the European Conference on Customer Management and my fellow speaker and a long-time Dorchester advisor, Christopher Daffy, graciously arranged this amazing opportunity. Thanks Chris! ) While in London, I’m staying at the conference hotel – the Royal Lancaster, a few blocks away – but one of my pals on the hotel tour, customer experience expert and author, Lew Carbone, is a guest at the Dorchester.

Our guide has just toured us through the Dorchester’s impressive culinary facilities including the staff dining area. As Lew and I leave this area, a staff message board catches my eye. “Lew,” I call out with amazement, “There’s your picture and bio!” Lew stops dead in his tracks, stares wide-eyed at the message board and with a big, knowing smile, replies, “So that’s why all the staff here seem to know me!”

Loyalty Lesson: What untapped tools can help your staff deliver exceptional customer experiences? What readily available customer information, shared with front-liners, can mean the difference? Make this a brainstorm topic at your next staff meeting. And get ready for some ‘ah-ha’ ideas to surface!