To me, food service is serious stuff. Maybe it's because I love good food. Maybe it's because if I'm going to pay for the convenience of not making it myself, there's a certain level of service I expect. Regardless, I recently had two vastly different customer services experiences that dished up some "aha" moments for me in regards to the importance of empowering your staff.

When people learn my wife and I own an outbound tour company, the reaction is always the same: "You have such a fun job!" they say—and it's true.

Robert Miller, Esq. is a retired New York attorney with a master's degree in tourism administration. He was recognized in Groups Today's Top 10 Next Gens feature in the January/February 2015 magazine. Here, he reflects on translating his love of NYC into great experiences for groups.

Groups Today asked, and here come our stories—the battle scars that we share proudly at company outings and industry events.