Gene stopped me as I walked past him. “I’ll be a little late getting to the bus,” he began. “I’m waiting to talk to the manager about my waitress. She was just superb!”
“That’s wonderful,” I replied.
“Our dessert was so delicious that I asked her if she could bring me another,” he volunteered. “She didn’t just bring me one. She brought me two!”
I smiled broadly. “I’m glad you are taking the time to praise her to her boss. Don’t worry. We’ll hold the bus for you.”
As I continued toward the bus, I thought about how little it takes to make a customer happy. Since a couple of people had not been able to make the trip but had paid for the meal, I knew the restaurant had extra desserts. The waitress didn’t have to make more to fulfill Gene’s request. She had extras right at her fingertips.
The dessert was a very rich decadent small piece of brownie in a shooter glass topped by raspberry sauce and brandy whipped cream. While it may have been small, its impact on me had been filling. An hour later, I wondered how Gene felt.
This incident has stuck with me. I have been mulling over an additional lesson from it that I want to share with you. Giving employees feedback on their work, both positive and negative, is critical to having them understand their jobs and perform their work well. Since customers’ interactions are varied, teaching employees the parameters, understanding, and responsibility to handle customer requests on the spot is important. As shown by Gene, this immediate response can make or break the customer’s attitude toward the experience at that restaurant. What would Gene have thought if the waitress had politely said, “I’m sorry, sir; I cannot do that.”
At the very least he would have been disappointed. He certainly would not have been praising the experience. He may even have complained to the manager.
Some days do you feel that all you hear are complaints? How do you get the customers who have positive experiences to praise employees to their faces and to yours? How do you stimulate more customers to have Gene’s reaction? How do you increase customers’ interactions with your employees that leave a lasting impression on both the employees and the customers?
Encourage customers to praise employees. Make it a priority. Print this encouragement on materials that go on the table, doors, and bathroom stalls. Create buttons for all personnel that prompt customers to praise employees. Celebrate the stories of customer praising in your staff meetings, at the entrance of your business, and on your Web site. Show that interactivity with your customers and that their praise is important to your organization.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is How have you celebrated customer praise? E-mail me your answer.
“That’s wonderful,” I replied.
“Our dessert was so delicious that I asked her if she could bring me another,” he volunteered. “She didn’t just bring me one. She brought me two!”
I smiled broadly. “I’m glad you are taking the time to praise her to her boss. Don’t worry. We’ll hold the bus for you.”
As I continued toward the bus, I thought about how little it takes to make a customer happy. Since a couple of people had not been able to make the trip but had paid for the meal, I knew the restaurant had extra desserts. The waitress didn’t have to make more to fulfill Gene’s request. She had extras right at her fingertips.
The dessert was a very rich decadent small piece of brownie in a shooter glass topped by raspberry sauce and brandy whipped cream. While it may have been small, its impact on me had been filling. An hour later, I wondered how Gene felt.
This incident has stuck with me. I have been mulling over an additional lesson from it that I want to share with you. Giving employees feedback on their work, both positive and negative, is critical to having them understand their jobs and perform their work well. Since customers’ interactions are varied, teaching employees the parameters, understanding, and responsibility to handle customer requests on the spot is important. As shown by Gene, this immediate response can make or break the customer’s attitude toward the experience at that restaurant. What would Gene have thought if the waitress had politely said, “I’m sorry, sir; I cannot do that.”
At the very least he would have been disappointed. He certainly would not have been praising the experience. He may even have complained to the manager.
Some days do you feel that all you hear are complaints? How do you get the customers who have positive experiences to praise employees to their faces and to yours? How do you stimulate more customers to have Gene’s reaction? How do you increase customers’ interactions with your employees that leave a lasting impression on both the employees and the customers?
Encourage customers to praise employees. Make it a priority. Print this encouragement on materials that go on the table, doors, and bathroom stalls. Create buttons for all personnel that prompt customers to praise employees. Celebrate the stories of customer praising in your staff meetings, at the entrance of your business, and on your Web site. Show that interactivity with your customers and that their praise is important to your organization.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is How have you celebrated customer praise? E-mail me your answer.
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