From Roz to Cheers: What Your Customer Greetings Really Say About Your Business

Have you ever walked into a business and wondered—do they actually know me, or am I just their 3:15 appointment? 

Last week, my dog Valor and I stepped into our new vet’s office for the second time in two months, and before I could reach the counter, the receptionists lit up, excitedly welcoming us with “It’s Valor! Hi Valor!”

It felt like arriving at a reunion and my dread of dropping another $200 lifted.  

Contrast that to our old clinic, where a bored, monotoned voice would ask, “And who is this?” (Think Roz from Monsters, Inc.—minus the charm).

That moment at the new vet solidified something powerful forme: being recognized isn't just nice—it's transformative. It was like walking into the bar from "Cheers," where everybody knew our names, and I wasactually happy to be at the vet’s office.

In business, this instant of genuine recognition (whetherin-person or digital) represents what some experts call a "moment of truth"—those critical touchpoints that separate customers who become loyaladvocates from those who quietly slip away to competitors. 

It's a lesson companies everywhere can't afford to ignore.

The gap between good service and memorable service isn't found in policies or procedures—it lives in those split seconds when customers feel truly seen and valued. 

Most companies believe they treat customers well, but belief without validation is just wishful thinking.

"Well" is no longer good enough in today's experience economy. You need to ask the right questions, measure what matters, and genuinely understand your customer's perspective—because71% of consumers expect personalized interactions while 76%are frustrated when companies fail to deliver them, and over half of customers will switch to a competitor after just one bad experience. That number jumps significantly higher after two bad experiences.

The Power of Feeling Known

Great customer service is like recognizing an old friend:names, preferences, and history aren’t just data—they’re signals of genuineattention and care. Mark W. Schaefer argues that our best marketing andbusiness relationships are fueled not by automation or scripts, but by realhuman connection—by greeting customers with the kind of warmth that says, “Iknow you, and you matter here”.

Personalized vs. Personal in CX

Many companies confuse personalized with personal.

A personalized email salutation or a CRM record will nolonger cut it. Schaeferpoints out that “personalized is cut and paste. Personal is unique andcustom.”

Personalized approaches use names or segmented offers.

Personal approaches recognize real needs, stories, and uniqueness—like remembering Valor’s name and past visits, instead of asking whohe is as if each encounter were the first time we approached Roz’s window.

Approach

Personalized: “Hello, [Name]!” (scripted)
Feels generic and not authentic

Personal: “Welcome back, Valor!” (authentic)
Feels memorable and connected

B2B Implications: Loyalty Through Connection

In B2B settings, relationships are long-term, recurring, and often involve multiple stakeholders. Gartner research shows that 86% of B2B buyers expect companies to know their preferences and history.

In our own research, we have heard customers often express they expect if they hand over personal details that a company will use it to improve their CX. If that doesn’t happen, customers begin to lose trust and loyalty drops dramatically.

Building loyalty means actively listening, anticipating needs, and remembering details—showing that each customer’s business truly matters. Treating every interaction as an opportunity for surprise and delight, rather than routine processing, builds emotional bonds that drive repeat business and referrals.

Turning Customers into Advocates

As Schaefer says, “People don’t wake up wanting to be marketed to. They wake up wanting to be seen, valued, and wowed.”

The front desk greeting that made Valor feel celebrated (or at least made me feel special) can also be scaled to B2B by empowering frontline teams, leveraging technology for real insights (not just “personalization”), and fostering a culture of empathy that radiates to customers.

Every business has the choice: make customers feel like welcomed friends or like anonymous numbers.

The difference is felt in every conversation and touchpoint (digital or in person), and the impact reverberates in brand loyalty, advocacy, and growth.

So, the question you need to ask is, how do my customers feel when they walk through our doors?

Research is the best way to

Be the team that knows the customer’s name—and means it.

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