Part of my football match ritual with my son is eating beforehand. It’s often burgers and chips, and a favourite choice is Five Guys. As a customer experience professional, I love to go into the outlet much more than my waistline does. I would say I first came for the food’s reputation, but now I stay because of how important customers are to them.

And it’s easy to see how, every time you step in a store.

Five Guys adorn their walls with customer testimonials. Their quotes are made into art and sprayed everywhere you look. It says many things:

1) We are proud of our customers.

2) Our customer’s think we are great.

3) Our customer’s opinions are important to us.

4) Our staff see our customer’s ‘on our best day’ voice in front of them every time they start a shift.

Many years ago, companies would stuff a few ‘thank you’ letters in a folder and pop it on the corporate HQ reception coffee table. Think again, let customers know you love them, and you love that they love you too.

It’s infectious. At Five Guys they can’t help themselves but find other ways to say thank you to customers, from free peanuts in shells to thank you cards and magazine articles about their commitment to customers.

If you ask me, it makes the food taste even better. Great work Five Guys.