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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/35338
on Facebook and post to 350 friends what a negative experience they have had. Before you know it, within a few hours more than 1,000 people can fi nd out about a less than stellar consumer experience someone may have had in your restaurant. LIMITATIONS ON HOSPITALITY When it comes to off ering a free drink because of a customer’s complaint, we advise you to be careful. If the customer has consumed two or three cocktails, the last thing you want to do is off er that guest another drink. We suggest off ering an appetizer or some type of bounce back on their next visit written on the manager’s business card with a phone number. For example, “Mr. Smith, I am sorry we let you down tonight. Here is my card and phone number. Please call me and be my guest for dinner for two the next time you wish to visit. I will personally make sure you have a nice table and dinner.” Giving away food resolves any alcoholic legal issues. We also suggest you take the customer’s business card and within 24 hours send a note of apology to the guest’s business or home. I promise you the guest will be back and you will not have to worry about any toxic Facebook or Twitter remarks. It’s possible you might even have someone post a nice remark about how the situation was handled. While the customer may primarily be right, no manager, server, bartender, chef or hostess should ever be subject to verbal abuse. It’s not something I tolerate in our company. In fact we have ceased doing business of our own volition, not theirs, with certain companies because they were rude to some of our employees. We even had one instance when a client was so rude that we vowed to no longer do business with him or spend time in any of his restaurants. In fact, his restaurant was one of my brother’s favorite places to go with his family and neighborhood friends and he has never been back. Th e same holds true for a customer in your restaurant who is constantly demanding and no matter how much money he or she spends, it is not worth upsetting the employees or hurting morale. To how eff ective a response to an over-demanding customer can be, I’d like to share a humorous story I heard regarding Herb Kelleher, founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines. Mr. Kelleher kept getting complaint letters from one of the airline’s frequent fl yers. She complained about everything from the way they boarded the planes to the fact that no food was served to some seats being confi gured backwards to the fl ight attendants wearing shorts. Her last complaint was about the bathroom. Keller had had enough of this passenger’s complaints so he wrote her back saying “I don’t think we are the best airline for you and please fi nd enclosed a complimentary roundtrip ticket on Delta Airlines. I think they are the best airline for you and you can direct any future letters to them.” That response, in many ways, encapsulates stellar customer service. Patrick Henry is the president of Houston, Texas-based Patrick Henry Creative Promotions Inc. July 20-24, 2011 All the drink makin’, soul shakin’ good times of Tales of the Cocktail 2011 are finally here. We hope you soak in every last ounce of cocktail knowledge and savor all that New Orleans has to offer during the five days of libation celebration. Tickets are still available to a number of intoxicating events. Get yours today at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com. OUR GENEROUS ANNUAL PARTNERS: TICKETS ON SALE NOW! THIN IT’S FINALLY TIME TO