In Zagat’s “New Rules of Dining Etiquette” they close with “The customer is always right. Expect hospitable, efficient service or take your money elsewhere…and then tell 10 people.”
In today’s rapid fire always connected world, telling hundreds of people about bad service is just as easy as telling 10. Regardless of whether your business is a restaurant, hotel, shoe store or dry cleaners, how are you ensuring that your employees are able to make your customers feel appreciated and well cared for?
Be prepared.
What’s good for the scouts is good for your business, too! Make sure that your staff isn’t stretched so thin during peak hours that they are unable to provide exceptional customer service. If Evelyn calls in with another one of her “migraines,” guess what? It’s time for you to hit the sales floor and support your troops.
Benefits sell. Specs Fail.
Make sure that your sales people are fully aware of all the product benefits and are comfortable communicating them to your customers. Anyone can read a list of product specs and features, and those same people should be placed in the back room doing inventory.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Make sure your staff is familiar with any and all specials. No one wants their lobster bisque to get cold while the waiter runs to the kitchen to see if the duck confit is fresh. By the way, the answer to that is always “yes.” What else are you going to say?
Create Problem Solvers
Empower your team to make decisions that can greatly impact the customer experience you offer. If the customer wants to switch hotel rooms because they wanted a better view, wanted onion rings instead of fries, or wants to exchange an item for another size – your staff should be able to do so immediately with a smile rather than having to go ask their manager.
Feel Free to Help Yourself.
While most people like to be waited on, they are capable of performing certain tasks perfectly fine on their own. Make the decision of how you can eliminate a few services in order to improve overall efficiency. If your shoe store is full of women waving peep toe pumps, strappy sandals and riding boots and yelling their shoe size, it’s perfectly acceptable to present them with their requests without going through the whole Cinderella glass slipper scenario.
So how would your clients rate your staff’s service? Find out with customize customer experience measurement from Electrum Branding. Contact us today for improved service tomorrow.