While traveling this weekend I experienced both ends of the service scale in restaurants.
In one place the maî·tre d’ came to our table to thank us for a nice review my cousin had written on Open Table. Their systems had the ability to know a review had been written, what it said and when the reviewer returned to the restaurant. This allowed the host to make a personal connection with us. We felt appreciated.
On the opposite end of the service spectrum, the following night we had to leave a different restaurant for poor service. The entrees had not been served after over an hour of waiting and we were going to miss our show. We had told the server about our time constraints when we sat down and were assured this would not be a problem. There was no communication with our table and we could not find our server. The kitchen was backed up as we later learned.
These two polar opposite experiences remind us of the importance of creating a positive customer experience. Teamwork is essential to delivering service. Each member/areas has to communicate with the other and work in unison. As a group they must keep each other and the customer informed.
In addition, as we know, making the customer feel valued and appreciated is essential to excellent service.
We are all on the giving and receiving end of service. Knowing what you value as a customer can inform how you deliver to your audience. How are people reviewing your service? What are they saying? Would they come back? Why or Why Not?
These questions are good food for thought (and action)!