This isn’t a story about M&A as such but it’s a story about customer service that left its mark on me and several other people at the time. It also delivers powerful lessons for M&A practitioners about the need to ensure customer service levels are maintained   during and after post deal integration.The occasion was a Board meeting in San Francisco. It was 7:00pm and the only item left on the agenda was where to hold the staff Christmas dinner that year. We didn’t really have any firm ideas so the item was postponed until the next leadership meeting, and we all walked over to a harbourside restaurant for dinner.