A new drive through self-service car wash called Auto Spa opened up in my neighborhood, so I decided to try it. As I entered and saw it cost seven dollars, I thought that was a bit pricey just to wash the outside of the car, even though unlike other self serves, this one dries the vehicle for you. However, they market themselves as a car spa, so maybe there were some spa like amenities.

At the full-service car wash I normally frequent, they clean the inside and outside of the vehicle for ten dollars. Even when they’re crowded, they go the extra mile as well, sometimes rinsing off the mats or using compound to erase a scratch. They don’t charge for it either. Instead they smile and say, “our pleasure”.

As my car and I exited the auto spa washroom, four men yielding drying cloths began wiping down the vehicle. I opened the driver’s door and pointed to the dirty water that had pooled on the ledge where you step into the car and asked one of the men if he would wipe that too.

He replied, “we don’t do that”.

I was surprised so I repeated what he said and inquired why not?

He answered, “we just don’t do that”.

Not wanting to get into an argument, I pointed out that he was already drying the car and the dirty water at the bottom of the door was caused by the wash.

He shrugged and walked away.

So, as he and his three colleagues stood just feet away, I opened the trunk, pulled out some towels and wiped the dirty water caused by the car wash as they watched.

I was about to leave when a cloud of irritation swept over me. That’s when I got out of the car and found the manager. I told him as one business owner to another, I wanted to give him some friendly advice. After explaining what happened, he said he was sorry, and they would dry it next time. I said there wouldn’t be a next time because I was never coming back. I told him I would return to the car wash down the road because they provided better service and you got more for your money.

He nodded. I continued and explained that the bigger problem is business thrives by word of mouth. If I tell someone I had a bad experience, they’ll tell someone else who will tell someone else who will post on social media and then people stop coming. However, if you go the extra mile and provide great service, your customers can become your best public relations agents.

Something seemed to resonate as he asked who of the four employees refused to wipe the dirty water from my car. Not wanting to get anyone in trouble, I said I wasn’t sure. He walked over and reprimanded all of them. I drove away.

Regardless of industry, going the extra mile is about providing value for others. When you help someone out, do something without being asked or provide an additional service at the same cost, that’s value. Not only do you score a few extra points, but you make others feel good in the process.

I recall a situation that coincidentally, also involved cars. A car dealer we worked with wanted to provide customer service training for its service representatives after someone failed to go that extra mile. A woman who had been without her car for several days came to pick it up. It was a dreary drizzly day with salt and melting snow assaulting cars on the roads. As she drove out and put her windshield wipers on, there was no windshield wiper fluid. Furious, she drove back to the dealership and asked why. The service manager told her it wasn’t on the work order.

A few extra minutes providing checking fluid levels could have increased customer value and led to years of additional business. Instead, the woman never came back again.

So, what exactly is value? To customers, it’s often when a person feels they received good service at a good price, or they received extra services at no extra cost. Companies often claim they provide extra value at no additional cost, but the only person who can determine value is the customer. To me, value is about the experience.

Let’s say you hire a company to provide certain services. They do a good job and you feel the cost was reasonable. Next year, you hire a different company to deliver the same services. They also do a good job, but the people are friendlier, warmer and they spend more time with you than expected. Additionally, they throw in a few extras and give you helpful hints for the future. Then they check in with you a few days later to make sure all is well. You had a better experience with the second company. That experience equals value. Value often leads to loyalty.

As I am writing this article, I’m in the process of getting some insurance quotes. I reached out to three companies. The first company emailed me a form and said when I complete it, they’ll provide a quote. The second company which I already do business with told me to call my agent. The agent told me to call someone else. The third company had someone return my phone call almost instantly. She asked questions, seemed to take an interest in my needs and promised to provide a quote as quickly as possible.

Unless the quote is outrageous, I will choose her. She provided a better experience and gave me a glimpse of what it might be like to work with her company in the future.

Do an on-line search for customer value and you will find over a million articles on the subject. From creating value steps, implementing strategies to improving customer experience, many of these articles provide solid advice. The best ones offer common sense.

That means standing in your customer’s shoes. How would you feel if your car was being serviced for days and they didn’t check the windshield wiper fluid? Or you pay good money to have your car dried and they miss part of it? Typically, it’s the little things that ruin experiences for customers. Little things add up and detract from value. When customers feel they aren’t receiving what’s valuable to them, they go elsewhere, and your business dries up.

I have a pet peeve and my guess is you have the same one. We’ve all forgotten our online passwords from time to time. Retrieving them is typically a straightforward process. You hit ‘forgot password’ and then receive an email with a link prompting you to set up a new one.

However, recently, when I have forgotten a password and followed the link to set up a new one, I have been asked to enter my old password before I can set up a new one. Someone somewhere is missing the point. If I knew my old password, then why would I need to set up a new one? Yet, without being able to recall it and enter it in the form, the site forbids me to create a new password.

Frustrated to the max, the last time this happened, I called the company. More frustration, as I sat on hold for a long period of time listening to a recording telling me how important my call was to them. When someone finally picked up and I vented to her, she apologized and told me it was a glitch in the system.

A glitch, I inquired? I reminded her that she worked for a global company whose site was probably frequented by millions on a daily basis. I suggested that their IT people fix the glitch. She said many customers like me have called the problem to their attention, but the IT people said it couldn’t be fixed.

I recommended that her company employ new IT people.

That got me thinking. What kinds of excuses do we make in our own businesses and how do these excuses hold us back?

As a leadership coach, I continually try to push people out of their comfort zones by changing mindsets. As an example, we recently prepared a company for a series of investor presentations. The CEO, a smart innovative man was a dull communicator. He was articulate, but monotone, soft spoken and conveyed no sense of excitement or urgency to invest in his company’s product.

When I shared my observations, he made a lot of excuses. In his country, “we don’t do it that way”. He said, “Investors want more data” before they open their wallets and my personal favorite “I’m not really trying to get them to invest, just educating them.”

It seemed to me that a CEO of a start-up who meets with potential investors on a daily basis, you are always trying to sell your company and raise capital. Without capital, it’s difficult to reach milestones and survive. Additionally, I suggested that he re-shape the way he was telling the story. He began by talking about his company’s product. I suggested he start by helping people understand the enormity of the problem. That way, the solution would be so much more powerful.

He wasn’t so sure. He said he never did it that way before. More excuses.

I also observed that he used weak words like ‘I think’ which is not as strong as ‘we’re optimistic’ or ‘we’re confident’. He also used filler words such as ‘basically’ a market opportunity’. I said it made him sound unsure. Eliminating these words would help him speak with conviction and sound more confident. He said no one has ever pointed this out before, so it was probably fine.

Another excuse.

That’s when the CFO, who hadn’t uttered a word, jumped in. He said he thought I was right. He told the CEO they were missing huge opportunities to excite potential investors by learning how to communicate more effectively.

Silence. Then the CEO looked at me and asked, “how might I do this differently?”

That question meant he was open to thinking differently which is the first step to improvement. When you think differently, you back off on the excuses. Through a series of role-playing on videotape, he applied some of the suggestions. When he saw the immediate difference, he was excited. That motivated him to continually adjust the way he communicates.  At meetings, people began to hear him differently which ultimately translated to more interest and funding of his product.

All of us make excuses from time to time. We procrastinate. We prioritize other things we’d rather do, and we get distracted. In short, we get in our own way. However, when leaders make excuses, they can risk appearing defensive or unfocused. Instead of communicating positively by sharing their vision and excitement, some get stuck in mediocrity. Mistakenly, that’s what happened in this case.

Several months earlier, the company had a technical issue that spooked some investors away. They fixed it and put it behind them. In fact, the unexpected fix actually substantially improved outcomes. Yet, as the CEO continued to meet with people, he was still focused on making excuses for past problems instead of talking about future opportunities. He sounded annoyed and defensive … inappropriate for potential investors.

A few ways to eliminate excuses:

• Be present. If you focus on the past, you can’t be fully present. It’s like saying I’m not going to the gym because the last time I went I didn’t lose any weight.

• Be honest. If you mislead yourself, you may mislead others. Telling someone that’s not the way people “from your country” communicate may signal you are unwilling to adapt.

• Be accountable. If you surround yourself with “yes” men and women, they agree with everything you say. Instead, listen to people who challenge your excuses.

Leadership is not about titles. Leadership is about behavior. As a leader you set the tone. If your tone is one of excuses, employees may follow your lead and do the same thing. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve given them permission to do so. In the case of this CEO, excuses may have also robbed his company of investors.

The next time you’re about to make an excuse, try thinking differently by asking yourself these questions:

• Are you afraid of trying something new?
• Are you afraid someone else will get credit for a different idea?
• Are you stuck in the past?

Until you become aware of what’s driving your excuses, you’ll have a tough time working through them. However, once you do, you’ll be one step closer to changing your mindset which may help you get rid of those excuses once and for all.