It Pays To Be Flexible

I hope you are not thinking of awkward yoga postures or pilates positions. I am referring to instances when service providers behave like robots programmed to strictly carry out establishments’ policies and procedures and nothing else.

“Hi, may I have an iced cappuccino please?” I asked the waitress who was more interested in looking into her POS (Point of Sales) system than attend to me.

“We do not have iced cappuccino, sir.”

           

“You have cappuccino, right?” Pointing to the menu.

“Yes.”

“Could you kindly add some ice into my cappuccino 

then?”

“No. We have iced latte but we can’t do iced 

cappuccino.”

*Awkward silence*

“I could give you a glass of ice but I have to serve your cappuccino in the coffee cup and you would have to do it yourself! I am sorry.” She finally apologised.

I was dumbfounded by her logic and the establishment’s policies and procedures in handling ad-hoc customer requests. From speaking with many peers, this is unfortunately a common scenario experienced by many. Just a few days ago, a friend was refused his order of iced coffee as the menu (only) stated iced cappuccino.

Coffee aficionados might argue that “iced cappuccino” does not exist in the world of acquired coffee appreciation. Regardless, I would like to emphasise my point on customer service delivery in this case, or customer service culture to be more precise.

In relation to my “iced cappuccino” incident, an in-depth discussion with my friends in the hospitality industry has led me to believe that there are two schools of thought when it comes to customer service culture.

1. Task-focused culture – Establishment instructs service staff to carry out their roles and responsibilities according to (black and white) policies and procedures, and do not allow deviations. E.g. Customer orders something that is not listed on the menu, staff will immediately tell the customer it is not available, expecting customers to find something else on the menu to order.

2. Solution-focused culture – Establishments encourages service staff to go out of their way to delight customers within their capacity and capability. E.g. Customer orders something that is not listed on the menu, staff checks with the chef for availability of the ingredients to prepare the customer’s order, comes back and tells the customer they have the ingredients needed and will be delighted to take care of his/her ad-hoc request.

As you might have guessed, I have been nurtured and guided by the service culture of the latter. If I have what it takes to make a customer happy (without compromising safety, health and security policies and procedures of my establishment of course!), I would make it happen. Being in the service industry for more than a decade, I can’t find a reason why service staff are not be able to accede to a slight deviation to a simple request. I have personally served a cup of warm coke and added ice to a glass of wine as requested by my customers. My point – if I can and have the resources (and time) to accede to my customers’ requests, I deliver.

Hence, I mourn at the pathetic display of customer service culture such as the one I have experienced. Yet I understand the appalling inflexibility and rigid standards of service they might have been guided to deliver. Perhaps establishments have overlooked the positive benefits that flexibility can bring to their business.

Here’s some food for thought:

Rapport Building

When customer requests for something out-of-the-ordinary, they know the additional effort that goes into their odd requests and truly appreciate that act of kindness (even when they don’t say it). Hence, should something go wrong thereafter during the course of their time at the establishment, customers are (very) likely to be more forgiving.

Leave A Good Impression

If you want to leave a great impression with your customers, this is an excellent opportunity! An act of customisation to customers’ preferences demonstrates attentiveness and that they are well taken care of. And because of that, you can bet that you’ll see them again.

Useful Information

Odd requests give establishment owners an opportunity to review and enhance its products and services. These “odd” requests serve as useful information and a reminder, in some cases whereby a common or popular need may have been overlooked. If so, businesses may wish to consider making that “odd” request  available for all its customers.

Increase in Customer Satisfaction

A simple accommodation to a minute request can make a huge difference. I have once walked out of a restaurant when they decided that they could not prepare a breakfast dish just 5 minutes after breakfast time (the chefs have not left).  

Great Insights

It almost always helps if service staff are able to explain why they are unable to accommodate certain requests so that customers could understand what the reasons are, not excuses. This is yet another perfect opportunity for rapport building where customers and staff are able to share insights of knowledge, preferences, desires, and tastes. Thus learning from one another.

Establishments have to be prepared to lose customers if they aren’t willing to go the extra mile. Wayne Dyer, a motivational speaker and author will tell you that, “it’s never crowded along the extra mile”. Being a little more accommodating does wonders for businesses.

At the end of the day, the quality of service delivered leads to two simple outcomes – a possible repeat business or your competitor’s. Industry experts even say, “If you do not take care of your customers, someone else will”.

So for now, I will be taking my business somewhere else.

*I would like to hear your feedback or requests, kindly drop me a note at: beinspired@absolutesenses.com

So Far... (but) So Good

In my years of being in the hospitality industry, I have developed a keen eye for extraordinary customer service experiences. However, such “extraordinary” experiences are few and far in between. The last time I was truly impressed was two weeks ago in a place over 6000 miles away – Berlin.

Founded in 1811, Lutter & Wegner’s four-concept establishment was where intuitive customer service came to life, in a form of a young customer service star, Magnus Tobler.

Intuitive Customer Service

There are many ways where intuitive customer service is applied in today’s context. The use of technology to notify one’s credit card transaction in real time, meal options to facilitate diverse diets when performing online check-ins when travelling, these are great examples of intuitive customer service.

In the hospitality industry, intuitive customer service is one of the many assessment tools used in evaluating the standard of service rendered in any establishment.

The assessment encompasses:

• The anticipation of customers’ needs even before they know they need it.
• The interaction with customers to identify service opportunities.
• The appropriate recommendations that complement customers’ preferences.
• The initiative of sharing information to enhance customer experiences.
• The art of pacing without appearing being rushed or neglected.

While we are faced regularly with the generalised system which evaluates service quality in commonly known broad terms of, “greeting”, “friendliness”, “responsiveness”, “product knowledge” and “speed”. The method of assessing intuitive customer service focuses on how each action (greeting, friendliness, responsiveness, product knowledge and speed) impacts the customers.

Anticipation of Customers’ Needs

Imagine, the hostess of the restaurant at which you have made a reservation, addresses you by name upon your arrival. Wouldn’t this tiny gesture of anticipation bring a smile to your face without you having to ask for every single item you need to fulfill a dining experience? Be it a napkin when dining, a high chair for the baby, an umbrella when it is raining, or more water to be topped up. These basic gestures that seemed to have long been forgotten requires a desperate (and immediate) revival. And because this is something that customers rarely experience these days, the prediction of a need before the customer realizes he or she needs it, is what impresses (and surprises) today’s jaded customers.

Interaction with Customers

Good customer rapport is the start of great customer experiences. The majority of our service providers seem to be more afraid of customers rather than proactively getting to know their customers. For the record, being friendly does not necessarily equate to good service. Service opportunities arise when service providers interact and communicate with their customers to unearth their thoughts, feelings and preferences. By doing so, they would be able to expedite a service and render an assistance to effectively meet the customers’ expectations. On the other hand, “overly-friendly” service providers can also ruin a customer experience. The trick is to take verbal and non-verbal cues from your customers.

Appropriate Recommendations

With interaction (with customers) come great opportunities to provide appropriate recommendations or alternatives that match customers’ preferences. Customers often expect a speedy response but fail to realise that a favourable response may on certain occasions require more time and effort. Hence, speed should not be used to determine the quality of service rendered, but rather how appropriate and timely an alternative or recommendation was offered.

Initiative of Sharing Information

Valuable information should always be shared. Service providers need to adopt the practice of sharing what they know to enhance the customer experience at their establishments. Should there be an item that is not available on the menu, customers should be informed before they place their orders or while being presented with menus. Should there be a requirement for customers to wait a little longer for their meals, keep them informed as such gestures reassures that they have not been forgotten. Should there be an opportunity to tell customers more about the establishment, products or services, seize it! I recall many times that I have learnt new methods or gain insights from servers or retailers who share interesting facts on their products or services offered. It’s fascinating to learn from one another.

Art of Pacing

This happens predominantly in dining experiences everywhere. Pacing in service delivery is an art. No customer likes to be rushed when it comes to enjoying a meal (unless of course, you are rushing for a concert performance or your flight is about to land). Any faster, the service will appear rash and haphazard. Any slower, customers will feel that they are neglected. Pacing without causing disruptions is always a tricky business that requires a high level of observation on the service floor and efficient coordination with the serving team.

I would like to believe that exceptionally good service goes beyond providing a greeting, being friendly and fast. Service providers should always be a step (or two) ahead of their customers, to “see” a need before it is being requested for. Intuitive customer service enables the service provider’s initiative and spontaneity to be recognised and analysed in a manner that the common system of service evaluation does not. The mastery of service intuition heightens customer experiences (the way it did for me in Berlin).

In that hour and a half, Magnus demonstrated an exquisite artistry and flawless delivery of an intuitive customer service experience, second to none in recent memory. Magnus is responsible for crafting one of the best dining experiences my partner and I have encountered in a long time without the hefty price tag of a fine-dining experience, something truly lacking back home in Singapore. 

*For more details on the service experience, kindly send your request to me through email - beinspired@absolutesenses.com

Top Of The World But Something Fell Short

One fine evening, I entered beyond the velvet ropes and was ushered into an elevator that brought me up to the top of the world (literally). I was invited for my cousin’s marriage celebration. Decked out in style, I surveyed the much talked about place to be seen for the wealthy and the “in” crowd.

Befitting to the occasion, a glass of champagne was served. I took a sip and asked what champagne they were serving.

“Chardonnay, Sir.” Replied the server.

To which I politely repeated and this time I was specific,

“I mean what brand of champagne are you serving?”

“It’s Chardonnay, Sir.”

*Awkward silence*

“Erm, okay! Thanks.”  

I was not sure if she saw my puzzled look but I was obviously taken by surprise at her response. I had at one point wondered if I was desperately out-dated with my limited knowledge of champagne. It was when I took a glimpse at their drinks menu that I realised they were serving Moët.

This incident (and many others I have encountered if I might add) is a clear indication that not all hospitality businesses are equipping their staff with the basic product knowledge to serve. Or do they presume that their staff know it all?

Providing on-the-job training is very common but pointless when staff do not have an inkling of the kind of products and services that they are offering. Customers are not merciful when faced with ignorance of such basic product knowledge. Even more so when they pay a hefty price tag for the entire service experience.

Here are a few areas that hospitality establishments should take note of when inculcating product knowledge and skills:

Quality Not Quantity

Training your staff is not about feeding them with as much information as possible in a short period of time and hope they have a big “appetite” to digest them accordingly. The process of learning would be meaningless and unexciting if the objective of the training is just to pass on information. You would not want to encourage memorising of content but to instill the understanding of “5W1H” – who, what, where, when, why and how.

Add Value

A brief history and background of the business enables staff to engage customers in the context of the establishment, especially should your site be one of historical or unique value. A small but captivating piece of information could work wonders and promote rapport building with customers.

Build Confidence

With knowledge, comes the confidence to serve and up-sell. With a confident up-sell, customers are more open to “buying in” on the idea. I, for one, appreciate recommendations such as the specials of the day or guests’ popular choices. I recalled on many occasions that I opted for staff’s recommendations and had thoroughly enjoyed those choices.

Encourage Empowerment

Product knowledge also includes company policies and procedures, and most importantly, the empowerment of these policies and procedures. Armed with this knowledge and the liberty to explore, staff are able to follow through on customer service at their discretion without having to seek manager’s approval at every stage. Unless of course, the nature of the problem calls for it.

Include Assessment

Training is never complete without an assessment. Assessment acts as an indicator of skills and knowledge comprehension and aptitude, to render basic customer service. Periodic assessments should be carried out to encourage staff to keep themselves updated on latest news and activities of the establishment. It could also be used to affirm their capabilities and act as a tool for tracking employees’ performance.

That said, I could accept the odd occasion when service staff might forget pertinent information. In such instances, encourage your staff to excuse themselves and check (and double and triple check) for facts instead of pouting a response as silly as what I have experienced.

On retrospect, I could only regret not asking her to check with the bar. Maybe she would have learnt something new that day.

*For more details on the service experience, kindly send your request to me through email - beinspired@absolutesenses.com