The story begins with loose change and preregistration. It ends with this:

"Now whenever I want to buy ANYTHING remotely related to Magic, I am coming straight to [Highlander Games] first and making sure I buy whatever I can...Scott is an amazing guy and he has turned me into a loyal customer for life."

Here's How We Got There:

Kevin Chong parks his Honda Accord outside Highlander Games to preregister for Khans of Tarkir Prerelease. He's fresh out of change for the meter, but he figures he'll just be in and out, so he decides to risk it.

A few minutes later, Highlander owner Scott Hughes is pulling into work when he spots the parking attendant. He digs a quarter out of his pocket and drops it into the meter—a habit of his.

"There's nothing worse than walking up to your car and seeing that thirty dollar ticket," he says.

Kevin's nervous about exactly that as he leaves the store. On his way out, he overhears Scott mention his good deed to an employee. Kevin quickly puts two and two together and asks him about it.

"Do you drive a Honda Accord?" Scott asks.

Above and Beyond

Not only did Scott win a customer for life, he won incredible value in word of mouth—a perfect example of "earned media."

That night, Kevin got on Reddit and told the story of the magnanimous business owner who saved him a $30 ticket, and his post sparked over ninety replies. The most common question?

"Where is this store so I can check them out?"

And it all started with a simple, nearly-free "above and beyond" gesture. Scott saw an opportunity to make a customer happy, and he jumped on it.

So keep an eye out for those opportunities—maybe keep some change on hand—and go above and beyond for your customers!