"Give Them The Pickle"

Finding the balance and value in "free" relationship-building gestures as a part of your business model.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Who needs customer service advice from American singer, songwriter, and guitarist John Mayer? But hang with me for a second… and get your head out of the gutter!

During a recent appearance on the Smartless podcast, John shared that, prior to fame, he was an assistant manager at a Mobil gas station. And just like us, he attended the occasional leadership conference. At one of these events, he heard a woman say something that stuck with him: “Give them the pickle.”

What she meant was simple: if someone at the deli counter asks for an extra pickle, just give it to them. Don’t nickel-and-dime. Instead, meet the customer’s needs with generosity.

I love this (and I don’t even like pickles).

Too often, companies focus on the transaction instead of the relationship. Spirit Airlines, for example, has become the poster child for nickel-and-diming. Before you know it, it’ll cost an additional $12 for a left armrest. On the flip side, some companies may have taken generosity too far, like L.L. Bean’s once-famous lifetime satisfaction guarantee.

In 2016, NPR’s This American Life explored how that policy played out. They shared the story of a man who brought in three worn-out shirts from (pause for dramatic effect) 1976. The stitching was failing, which is understandable after 40 years. L.L. Bean couldn’t honor his request for repair, so they offered $84.19 in store credit, far more than he originally paid.

Another customer admitted to exchanging their elementary school backpack every five years. This individual is now nearly forty.

At some point, “give them the pickle” had turned into “give them the whole sandwich.” Unsurprisingly, the policy—originally established in 1911, well before the internet and modern consumerism—became unsustainable. In 2018, L.L. Bean shifted to a one-year return window, still more generous than most competitors.

In the world of custom integration, I see this dynamic all the time. Most integrators are excellent at delighting customers, sometimes to their own detriment. Long warranties that include third-party equipment. Waived service-call fees. Free, around-the-clock remote support (“just call my cell anytime”). The sentiment is admirable, but as projects scale, so does the hidden cost of all that generosity.

The key is balance. Swing too far toward nickel-and-diming, and you lose trust. Swing too far toward “everything is free,” and you’ll sacrifice profitability (and maybe your sanity). The best path is predictable and relationship-driven, not transactional.

Most importantly, listen to your customers. Most are perfectly reasonable and happy to pay for fair service. But how you charge them is often more important than how much you charge.

For example, rather than sending an invoice for 15 minutes of remote support, or worse, not sending one at all, consider a low monthly fee that includes unlimited remote support, system monitoring, and prioritized on-site visits. At OneVision, we know the average customer is happily willing to pay $171 per month over eight years for these premium service benefits. If you’re doing the math, that’s $16,416 left on the table for one customer.

In the end, Mayer had it right: give them the pickle, but not the whole sandwich. When you strike that balance, you protect your bottom line, delight your clients, and build loyalty that lasts long after the transaction.