The question on Quora was: What is your best customer service experience in hotels?

I wasn’t the customer.

The reason service at Four Seasons Hotels is exceptional is because it’s culture, not a veneer. Consideration is expressed inward as well as outward.

There was a cappuccino bar out in the foyer at my upscale wedding gig. As the audio engineer for the event, I’m still part of “the help”, so I don’t presume to help myself to the dessert spread, or stand in line at the espresso bar, but I knew the staff well, and knew to be discreet.

The dessert crowd had thinned near the end of the event, and no one was in line. That was my opening - I stepped up and ordered a cappuccino. The barista methodically brewed my drink, which of course isn’t a simple pour from a carafe, but takes a couple minutes. Not wanting to be seen standing around the spread, I stood off to the side as he worked. I started feeling awkward standing around the foyer, feeling a tug to return to the bandstand. As he foamed the milk, I regretted not finding a quicker caffeine fix. Just as the barista topped the cup with a sprinkle of cocoa, a wedding guest appeared and ordered a cappuccino. Guests come first; the barista handed it straight to him.

Which was entirely the right thing to do. I knew the rules.

I knew also that the barista would make another for me, but I couldn’t afford to stand around another minute, so I smiled, shrugged, and nodded to him and dashed back to the ballroom. Without saying a thing, we were on the same page - I understood why the guest got “my” cappuccino, and he knew I wasn’t storming off, just that I couldn’t stick around for another.

I forgot about it, and finished out the night with the band. I had started wrapping cables and pulling down speakers, while guests slowly cleared. There was a tap on my shoulder. The barista stood behind me with a kind smile, holding a fresh, hot cup of cappuccino.