MARKETING MATTERS By Patrick Henry
Th e Fine Points of Service Should restaurants simply do the right thing or is the customer always right? W 22
e have all heard the saying that the customer is always right, and for the most part operators should always follow that rule. Our company lives by the slogan “Simply do the Right Th ing.” Th is should also hold
true for operators when handling customer complaints. Th e No. 1 complaint of customers is not poor food, but poor service. A positive customer experience starts with a greeting by either the hostess or server.
Customers want to feel important and appreciated each time they visit a restaurant. A smile goes a long way and I have always said you can serve average food, but you can’t hire an average staff . You want enthusiastic people who not only care about the customer, but they also care about their restaurant. Just take a look at the history of Southwest Airlines and how the airline’s success has been built on friendly customer service. Even today, its commercials make you feel special when they feature actual employees as the “actors.” When you have a service complaint, a manager or owner should address it
immediately. Th e key is to be a good listener and let the customer vent without interruption. Th en, quickly and eff ectively, have a positive answer for how to handle the situation. For example, “I am so sorry Mr. Smith that we took so long to
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serve your food. I feel bad; I know Marci your server feels badly and believe me our kitchen is not happy about letting you down. We let you down and want you to feel good when you leave. May we take care of your dinner tonight?” I personally think customers feel it is an insult when you off er to buy them a dessert versus buying their meal. Our company policy is if we disappoint a customer, we waive the management fee, no questions asked. It is important to remember that
in today’s world, if customers have a bad experience and you don’t handle it correctly, they can go home and within minutes “tweet” hundreds of people or go
www.cheersonline.com
