Early in my consulting career, I was occasionally asked to perform inglorious tasks such as spending the night at Kinko's and fetching coffee for our project team. So, it was no surprise when I received a call at home in Atlanta from my project partner with a seemingly routine request.

The Partner wanted to send our client in Toronto a birthday gift basket with several nice bottles of wine. The next day. Of course, I told him I’d take care of it.

At the time, I wasn't aware that wine delivery in Toronto was apparently not quite...legal. After calling almost every wine store, supermarket & courier service in Toronto to discuss creative ways to address this 'opportunity for success,' I was running out of options.

Before checking flights to Toronto for the next morning, I decided to try a Hail Mary and called the American Express Platinum Concierge service. I only had a regular Amex card, but figured it was worth a try. I called and explained my situation. Without hesitation, they told me they would see what they could do. A few hours later they called to tell me they would take care of it and the wine basket would be delivered the next day.

There is no substitute for the human touch in creating a memorable customer experience. This is one of the biggest advantages retail stores have over their online competitors today.

Retailers, please use this to your benefit.