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
