Recently I visited a renowned New York City bakery & café. This was considered one of the oldest bakery establishments that claimed to wow their customers with the best pastries and cappuccinos in the city. As soon as you walked in, you could smell the sweet scent of sugar that wafted in the air. There was a long line of customers, all holding numbered tickets to purchase their dessert to go. We weren’t sure if we were taking out or getting a table, so we grabbed a number anyway. We headed toward the back to another line for tables. There was one waiter, who strolled along many empty tables and refused to acknowledge us as we waiting patiently. After 24 minutes, now with a line forming behind us for table service, and still no acknowledgement from anyone, we politely asked the waiter if he thought it would be much longer. Annoyed, he responded, “No.” By then they called our number so we decided to pick up some pastries to go.

As we sat outside and ate that perfect cannoli — with a fresh, crisp shell, the filling lusciously sweet and perfect in consistency — I couldn’t help but experience disappointment at the poor service we received. I realized then I wouldn’t have minded a mediocre cannoli if I could have had excellent service. The experience of human interaction can never be replaced. Customer service trumps a product or end result. And, of course, those of us who can perfect a product with excellent customer service are the winners that take the cake.