Always an experience

No matter what type of business you run be it a restaurant, pub, hotel or roadside cafe and no matter what type of customer you have you should always aim and guarantee that the customer leaves after having an experience and by that I mean a positive one.

This doesn’t mean that you need to put on a show of singing and dancing or do magic tricks but you should deliver great service with a great product 100% of the time.

Look at individual customers, business people need efficient and non-obtrusive service.  They are at lunch to work and so if their goals are achieved whilst being served very well then they have had a good experience and will return.

Likewise a  birthday celebration needs some fuss being made of the special guest.  Candles in the dessert, a card or a drink on the house.  Combine this with great service and efficiency and you’ve got loyal customers.

Apply this thinking to all customers, no matter who they are.  You will have the easy to please and not so easy to please, you’ll have the ones with low expectations and the ones with high expectations but the main concern for you is that they all leave with a positive opinion of your business because they have had a great experience.

Don’t allow anyone to leave disappointed.  If they are not happy about something aim to rectify the problem.  If you or your team made a mistake (it does happen from time to time) be aware of this and apologise if you do.  A good honest apology can and will make a hell of a difference.

Don’t forget turn negatives into positives, go the extra mile and make the customer want to come back.

Philip

The worst way to deal with a food complaint.

When I was new to management I was taught a very interesting way of dealing with complaints about food.  At the time I was determined to show my willingness to learn and my “teacher”, who shall remain nameless, was keen to show me his so called skills.

Skills are probably the wrong word to use but I’m pleased he showed me.  I’m pleased only so that I can look back and never make this amateurish mistake again.  However he was not alone as more often I read reviews or hear from others that this method is used time and time again.

So what was his magnificent gift to customer service?

A customer is not happy with their food, they don’t think it’s cooked properly or taste correct.  When they complain the response they receive is “we have sold over twenty portions tonight and nobody else has complained”

What a disastrous response.  Straight away the customer has been made to look and feel stupid, no longer a loyal customer but someone who resents their time and money being spent in your establishment.

Why should the fact that twenty portions have been sold make any difference or have any reference to their complaint and opinion?

Just because other people have had the dish and not complained, does that make this customers point less valid?

Each customer and each complaint should be taken on its own merits. They should never be compared to others.  To make the suggestion that the customer is wrong is paramount to calling them an idiot and a liar and this has no place in customer service.

I know there will be people reading this that will say that the customer needs to know what others have said and that they were wrong, but my question to them is, why do they need to know?

Does it hurt your pride for someone to complain and not like one of your dishes?

Will the chef get upset and have a temper tantrum?

Or is it that on a busy shift you think that insulting a customer’s intelligence and causing an argument is constructive to the running of the restaurant?

My old boss and “teacher” could never understand why he always had arguments with customers, but if he had stepped back a bit, put himself in their shoes, taken a different approach then he might of had a loyal customer leaving with a positive opinion of him and the restaurant rather than never returning.

So that was then.  Now that I teach others what do I do in the same situation?

Easy.  I empathise with the customer, resolve the issue quickly and efficiently by replacing the dish or any other way that I can and look to turn a negative into a positive.  It may cost a few pound to rectify the issue but I guarantee that the customer returns and spends a lot more money in the future.

Always aim to get the customer coming back.

Philip

Don't embarass your staff

On Sunday I visited a newly opened pub in Bedfordshire.  It looked nice, was busy and hopefully will do well, but there was one thing that frustrated me.

This pub serves crisps, Walkers to be exact but they don't let the customers have the packet but instead put them in a bowl, I have no big problem with that, although I find this style of service a bit pompous. This after all was a country pub that sold ham, egg and chips or cottage pie. It's a bit of an identity clash, it's like saying "We are in touch with the locals by serving good old country fayre, but make sure the crisp packets aren't seen, we're too good for that," anyway back to my point.

By mistake the barmaid (who by the way was very happy and smiley, let us try some wines and recommended the best table to sit at) served a packet of crisps without putting them in a bowl. Granted she had been told not to do this and should of done what she was instructed but the owner dealt with this minor (yes not major) issue in completely the wrong way.  Rather than taking the barmaid to one side and reitterating the way of serving the crisps he questioned her, quite loudly, in front of the customers she was serving. "Who gave these packets to customers" he asked, now bright red with embarrasement she replied "sorry, I did. I was really busy and forgot, sorry."  He then said "we don't do that it's rubbish, put them in a bowl."

The owner walked off into the restaurant leaving the barmaid completely dejected and embarrased.  Now I'm the first person to insist on standards and if an order or request has been given to the staff by the owner it should be followed and not changed, but if for some reason a mistake is made then please deal with it in the right way, time and place.

The previously happy and smiley barmaid who is the first person that the customers see was then a shodow of her former self, not a great first impression for new customers walking through the door.

It's such a simple thing to do yet why do people make the mistake of embarrasing their staff in this way.  Is it to show who's in charge in front of customers? Well if it is, what a stupid way of thinking.

Philip

P.S. Just another quick point.  I was astonished to see on the bar menu a Bacon and Brie Ciabatta for £10.  Now we are in Bedfordshire not Chelsea. Must be some bacon!!  

Reply to my last blog

I had a response to my "Why Not?" blog via linkedin.com

The response was:
Hi Philip - great blog! We have done quite a bit on the site on service tips etc. - what do you think are the big trends or the latest ideas in service?

What you are discussing sounds quite like the American approach too - do you think maybe diners in the UK prefer a slightly more hands-off approach?
My response was:

Hello Peter.
I think that the issue in the UK is that diners have become used to the hands-off approach but I believe that the approach that I discussed in my blog is the preferred option.  I understand that we, as a nation, are more conservative in our habits than our Cousins across the pond but their ability to put the customers first is second to none and we can take a leaf out of their book.  With most things that we adopt from America we adapt and dare I say perfect so the same can be said for customer service and going the extra mile.
On plenty of occasions where I have introduced this approach to service the results have always been positive, we don't have to make a huge noise but we do have to make sure that the customer leaves happy and if that means doing something unacpective to win a loyal customer then so be it.
I also believe that attitudes are changing, with customers not only talking with their feet but also with their tweets, reviews etc.  If a moment of genuine care can create a positive review or tweet isn't it something all restauranteurs should be aiming for.  Free publicity is great so "Why not?"
Kind Regards
Philip 

How about saying "Why Not?"

Why Not?

During the past week I was discussing with a client the benefits of anticipating problems and going the extra mile.  My point was not to wait for problems to happen but realise that something could go wrong so deal with it now and not later.  As the saying goes Prevention is better than cure.

The client didn't realise at first the benifits of acting before a problem arose but said things like "if the customer doesn't complain" or "they look ok" but I soon explained that the fabulous thing about the general public is that they don't complain at the time but either send an email or just never come back.

If instead of waiting for a problem I explained that stepping in early with a nice gesture on the house can defuse most potential issues.  The point was raised that the customer might not of complained and they would of receive something free for no reason so why should he do it.  My answer was "Why not?"

Why not? Simple really, by anticipating a problem before it happens and offering a gesture you will help smooth things out with the customer.  If there wasn't a problem, then the customer has just been shown how important they are to you, they receive a gift on the house (and who doesn't like gifts) and you can start building up a nice rapport with them.  We all know that the more relationships you build with customers the more loyalty there is and the busier the business becomes.

Just so you know these "gifts" don't always have to be expensive, a simple gesture is all it takes, a bowl of olives, fresh bread, a glass of wine, dessert, coffee or even a smile and a chat.  Just keep thinking why should I do something to make the customer happy and the answer should always be "Why not?"
 

Trip Advisor.

So there is a reported backlash against Tripadvisor because what they allow to be posted might not be entirely true.

I can't say that I'm surprised and a smile seems to be appearing on my face.  It seems to be ironic that after years of Hotels and restaurants suffering from unjust reviews posted on Trip Advisor that they are tasting abit of their own medicine.

Now obvioously I know that Tripadvisor does not write the reviews and they are just a hosting site for every wanna-be A.A Gill but the lack of response when there has been an unjust review is always disturbing.  It's as though they are prepared to wash their hands of any responsibility but hopefully now they will start showing a little bit more respect to the businesses that actually gave them a platform to start with.

Of course Tripadvisor isn't all bad and I have used it myself but I do always take the reviews with a pinch of salt. I am hopefully like lots of people out there, the ones who might listen to others but are not lead by them.  I'm prepared to make up my own mind, as I know my great, is another persons awful and vice versa.

What is the future? With the current interest for social networking and opnion making I only see Tripadvisor or similar sites having a long future but as I said earlier hopefully they will have to change and respect the businesses that are their bread and butter.  Without Hotels, Pubs and Restaurants where would Tripadvisor be?

Anyway I'm off to write a fake review, just because I can.

Philip

Get the most from managers

I was told an great saying once.  "You have two ears, two eyes and just one mouth, use what you have most of more".

At the time I was young and didn't think much of it but over the years I've realised the importance of listening and looking rather than speaking.  So much more can be gained by allowing others to tell you or show you what they want or need, or more importantly what they didn't want you to hear or see.

It can also be a great tool for training others and I believe when you have listened and looked the things that you should be saying are not statements or demands but questions.

By asking questions you allow others to think for themselves and find the answers, this undoubtedly makes the person you are training learn quicker and more effeciently.  What it also makes them do without realising is grow their confidence, after all it was them who found the answer and made the decision, theres no need to tell them otherwise.

Become a better listener and learn to ask questions and you will grow a strong dynamic team, full of cofidence and loyalty to the comapany.

Thanks
Philip