I ask, What’s Your Pickle, because regardless of what business you’re in we all need a good pickle to give to our customers. Now the saying ‘Give em The Pickle’ is not something I just made up, it’s been around for many years, and it comes from a man named Bob Farrell. I was a friend/fan of his and used his employee training material in businesses of mine over the years. Bob was the founder of Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlors and a customer service legend. His philosophy, born from a customer complaint about being charged for an extra pickle, boils down to this: a "pickle" is that little extra something you do to make your customers feel valued and keep them coming back. It’s not about the product/service you sell—it’s about the experience you create. And this is even true in the magic business more so than others. Magic clients often lack a direct frame of reference when hiring a magician, leading them to draw comparisons from other service-based experiences. This means: Expectations are set by other industries. They might compare your professionalism, communication, and pricing to experiences with caterers, salespeople, DJs, or other event vendors. Customer service is paramount. The overall experience, from initial contact to follow-up, becomes crucial. A smooth, professional business interaction can outweigh minor performance differences. During my magic days, I was never a ‘great’ magician, but I made up for it with some very good pickles that pleased them.


The core idea of the pickle principle is simple but powerful: listen to your customers, figure out what their "pickle" is (that unique thing they value), and deliver it with enthusiasm. If we break it down into four key steps it would be: 1 Connect: Treat customers, the way you’d want to be treated. Build a genuine relationship. 2. Anticipate: Stay one step ahead by thinking about what they might need next. 3. Delight: Exceed expectations with small, memorable gestures. 4. Inspire: Motivate yourself to keep the cycle going.

What’s wild is how relevant this old concept still holds true today, decades later. Whether you’re running a coffee shop, a tech startup, selling magic shows, the principle holds: people remember how you make them feel. A handwritten thank-you note, a quick follow-up call, or just remembering someone’s name can be the pickle that sets you apart. In a world where AI and automation are everywhere, those human touches matter even more.

I like to call it ‘The Magic Pickle’ because all it takes is one little extra pickle to set you apart from all the other businesses out there. So, what’s your magic pickle? What’s that extra thing you do to make customers say, “Wow, I’m coming back”? I’d love to hear your take—or any stories of pickles you’ve given or received. Now before you say my show is my pickle, it’s the best, well that’s not really the pickle. That’s not something extra; the pickle is the little extra unexpected. People already assume they are getting a good product/service or they wouldn’t be buying it. Something extra is a well-received surprise, like getting two pickles when you only asked for one.

Bob’s complete program sold for about a thousand dollars, but for those interested, you can find a few of the old video clips on youtube.

This is one:
https://youtu.be/lwYrB7y_VmY?si=nzagJ0YvhOpQY_Xr

Tom

Thanks, Tom, for posting this video.

While I agree with the concept…”magic pickle” just sounds…well..off.

Yea, it does stink in a way, and I’m the only one that refers to it that way, but you got to admit that it can work like magic.

For example, you would think that if a stinky fish market could become world famous then just about any business could. Well, The Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle did become world-famous primarily due to its unique and theatrical fish-throwing tradition, which started as a way to engage customers and boost morale. They found the perfect pickle to give to the customers.

Founded in 1930, the fish market struggled financially until John Yokoyama bought it in 1965. Facing challenges like competition and low employee morale, the fishmongers began tossing fish to each other in the 1980s to make the workday fun and attract attention. This spectacle--fish flying over the counter with choreographed shouts and banter--drew crowds and turned the market into a tourist attraction. I read somewhere that today, the market sees about 10,000 daily visitors in peak season, with fish-throwing and lively interactions remaining the core draw. Its blend of authentic Seattle character, showmanship, and a globally recognized motivational model made it an enduring icon.

No You can’t throw fish at your magic audience and clients, and if you don’t have it yet, wouldn’t it be nice to have that one little thing that made you stand out and become truly memorable? Oh, I bet it’s out there somewhere….you just have to keep looking...

See more about The Fish Philosophy here:

https://youtu.be/3azPwinY1oE?si=U7YKlHsE2ZqWdmKJ

Tom

There was a monthly computer magazine that had a floppy disk attached. The floppy disc would have a list of programs, and at the end, would be something extra called a lagniappe.

That reminds me: does anybody need a bunch of old computer magazines with floppy disks in the back? I'll include one free AOL CD for every taker.

You could sell them on ebay. I see them on there all the time and in fact I think I sold some in the past.

Tom

Yep, that’s a pickle. I thought lagniappe sounded Cajun and sure enough:

“In Cajun culture, "lagniappe" (pronounced lan-yap) means a "little something extra" or a bonus, often given as a gift or a freebie. It's a way of showing generosity and appreciation for customers.”

Tom

They used that video for training purposes at Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson MO.
It fits their concept very well.

I read a couple of "management training books" back in the day. (Not that I would ever be management, but they were interesting to go through) "Who Moved My Cheese?" was one of my favorites. But there was one about a woman who was put in charge of a "toxic department," nobody wanted to be there and the negative energy was destroying the department. They didn't have the video, and they WERE based in the San Francisco area, so she lease a bus and took the whole department down to the Fulton Street Fish Market to show how you take what COULD be a miserable experience, and make it one worth having.

I haven’t thought about that book in a long time, but yes, "Who Moved My Cheese' is an educational and inspiring book. I’ve also seen some youtube videos that sums it up well.

When it comes to customer service and giving extra (pickles) the video below is a story about an amazing taxicab driver that delivered big time on customer service.

https://youtu.be/vptRq0-Bwf0?si=QhV47PqqRHXEuW5u


Tom

Uber / lyft drivers used to be like that. Now, I'm just happy if the car is clean.

A ‘pickle’ doesn’t have to cost anything because the purpose of it is to show your appreciation, and hopefully it will also be something that they won’t forget. A thank you note, or a call will always be appreciated. But finding something that won’t be thrown away or forgotten soon can be a hard find. It’s not easy finding what we think is the perfect item to giveaway.

One of my favorites all time giveaways, and I have had many, is one that really won’t go in the trashcan. They do cost two dollars each oh, and may not be for all customers. I’ve had magicians right here on the Cafe tell me that they still have a little something that I included free with their order back when I was selling magic. They kept it for years, and it’s the two-dollar bill. At one time I would buy them from the bank, sell some on eBay for a profit, and use the rest as giveaways. I also included a copy of the history of the two-dollar bill. You rarely see them in circulation and most people assume that you can’t get them anymore, but you can. They cost two dollars at a bank. It's a combination of curiosity, novelty, and the hope of something special to come that makes this denomination a keeper for many.

Tom

How do you sell $2 bills for a profit exactly?

You have customers on EBay dumb enough to buy money for more than face value? If so why not keep selling for that profit? What a business model!

Of course, you can sell for more than face value. There are 28,000+ listing for two-dollar bills on eBay right now, all more than face value. Some are Uncirculated, some have special numbers, some are old, and some are plain two-dollar bills. Just like comics and cards, currency and coins are collectibles and there's a huge market for them.

I don't sell currency today because eBay fees have gone up over the years to where you have to sell in volume to make worthwhile money. Buy yes, you can get at least $3 to $5 each for a normal $2 bill. Most any bank will have a few on hand and can get more.

Tom

99% Of all $2 bills are worth exactly $2. The odds of getting a rare uncirculated one from a bank that is worth more that $2.10 is astronomically low.
If you just bought $2 bills and tried to sell them for $3 to $5 you would be broke. You’d never sell them. Except to dummies who don’t know any better.

Think about it for just two seconds. Why not buy $10,000 worth of $2 bills? You claim to be able to sell them for more than double their value. You make $20,000 and then buy more. You can’t lose! How silly.

You MIGHT end up with one in 100 that is worth slightly more if you’re lucky.

I agree, a two-dollar bill is worth two dollars, just like a $5.00 bill is worth only $5.00 if you are planning on spending it in a store. Collectors don't see it that way oh, and a collectible is worth what you can get for it. If you can call it a collectible, the price goes up. The $2 bill was last printed for general circulation in 2003. It’s never been popular with the public; there’s not even a slot in the cash resisters for them. It's not something seen that often and most people believe they are rare.

I have in the past bought a brick, which is one thousand bills of two-dollar bills from a bank, all Uncirculated and Sequential Numbered. Resold them all in lots of 5 to 100 each and made a good profit. I have even bought them off eBay and turned around and sold them for a profit on eBay.

I don’t do it now, because I already have my hands full with two eBay stores. Last year I was in the top three percent of all eBay sellers in the collectibles category. I ’m already retired and hoping to shut everything down one day.

Tom

No you didn’t. You never sold 1,000 $2 bills for between $100 and $5. That never happened ever.

I said in LOTS of 5 to 100 each. MEANING 5 Bills at a time. And 100 Bills at a time.

And yes, I have sold MORE than 1000 two-dollar bills.

But hey, if you say I never did what I did, then just keep thinking that.


Tom

It’s a fantasy. Like I said you can’t sell them for more than $2.10 99% of the time.

Same stories about bicentennial quarters. You know where coin shops keep those? In the little drawer in the cash register next to the dimes.