I try to be positive in this blog. My goal is to highlight outstanding customer service. But.... once in a while I have an experience that isn't positive, but I just think it needs to be shared.
Recently I took my daughter to a locally owned restaurant that is sort of an Elkhart "landmark". The restaurant has a long history that includes having served Al Capone more than once. We decided to give it a try. The handmade sign on their window said they were voted the best burger in Elkhart. I couldn't help but notice there were no burgers listed on the menu. Very odd.
this restaurant was obviously a family run institution. The best way to describe our feeling was this: Have you ever gone to a party or even where you felt like the "outsider"? You know, the feeling that everyone knows everyone and everyone belongs there... except you? That was it. The server (who was probably one of the owners) treated us like "outsiders". It became very obvious when some "regulars" came in shortly after us and she was an entirely different person. So, needless to say, we won't be back. Little did she know that we may have become a "regular" if she had treated us like one instead of an outsider.
Oh, I didn't bother to ask where the hamburger was on the menu. I figured if they didn't care enough about it to put it on the menu, then it was worth ordering.
The Attitude of Customer Service
When I do business with someone I expect them to give me a reason to return. If they don't give me a reason to return, it is very unlikely that I will.
Today's market is full of OPTIONS! I don't have to do business with you, I can go to your competitor. So give me a reason to return to do business with you. This may sound demanding, but that isn't my intention. What I am looking for is evidence that you want my business. You realize that your business wouldn't be in business if it weren't for me, the customer.
My passion for outstanding costomer service began taking root when I was 16. The week I turned 16 I got my first job at the golden arches. Yes, McDonalds restaurant. I had the great fortune of working for one of the best restaurant owners I have come across in my lifetime. Hugh McHugh ran that McDonalds like it was a fine-dining restaurant. He had high standards of excellence and he expected every employee to practice them. What I learned from Mr. McHugh was the importance of little things like a smile, a sincere greeting, using the right words, communication with your co-workers, etc. To this day if I make change for someone I say "One dollar and ninety-two cents" as opposed to "one ninety-two" or "here's your change". Some may question why that would matter. I suppose to some degree it really doesn't matter. Yet it is establishing a level of excellence. It says, "we care enough about you to speak properly." Its really about the attitude that is communicated by those little things.
Today's market is full of OPTIONS! I don't have to do business with you, I can go to your competitor. So give me a reason to return to do business with you. This may sound demanding, but that isn't my intention. What I am looking for is evidence that you want my business. You realize that your business wouldn't be in business if it weren't for me, the customer.
My passion for outstanding costomer service began taking root when I was 16. The week I turned 16 I got my first job at the golden arches. Yes, McDonalds restaurant. I had the great fortune of working for one of the best restaurant owners I have come across in my lifetime. Hugh McHugh ran that McDonalds like it was a fine-dining restaurant. He had high standards of excellence and he expected every employee to practice them. What I learned from Mr. McHugh was the importance of little things like a smile, a sincere greeting, using the right words, communication with your co-workers, etc. To this day if I make change for someone I say "One dollar and ninety-two cents" as opposed to "one ninety-two" or "here's your change". Some may question why that would matter. I suppose to some degree it really doesn't matter. Yet it is establishing a level of excellence. It says, "we care enough about you to speak properly." Its really about the attitude that is communicated by those little things.
Friday, January 18, 2008
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