Small Business: Do They Have an Edge in Customer Service?

Kelly Spors tells an interesting tale of how a small local bakery went over and beyond standard practices in order to accommodate the customer in this post on the Wall Street Journal blog. Kelly was stressing out because the owner of the bakery shop called her cell phone reminding her to pick up her cake that she had ordered since they were closing in half an hour. Sensing Kelly’s anger, the owner offered to drop off the cake at her job, since she wouldn’t make it on time. Kelly declined the generous offer, and instead the owner had a baker stay at the store a little later than usual so that she could pick up the cake at a more convenient time.

In a world dominated by larger corporations and big businesses, small businesses have to rely on exceptional customer service in order to compete with giants. What are some examples of personalized service you have received from small businesses? Do you agree with the notion that smaller businesses have better customer service?