Some people are more equal than others; but not in service delivery
“Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do or do not do in return, but because of who you are”
The mantra of just about every company today is that they are “Customer-driven”.. But certain businesses can drive away some customers, by their erratic service behaviour.
Here’s a scenario I’ve seen been played out occasionally. No doubt you’ve probably observed this as well at some restaurant or another. Quite often, this sort of thing happens in a upscale venue where the price to experience ratio pivots more in favour of the former with less of the latter i.e.it turns out to be a highly priced run–of–the-mill dining experience. It is here that one of the biggest individual slaps to the face to many restaurant guests can occur.
There you are, sipping your red wine, after finishing your appetizer and waiting for your mains to be served. The service you receive, although accompanied by a fixed smile, is something that is done without energy or enthusiasm - because of habit or since it is expected. In other words, you are that quiet, unassuming average ‘Joe’ who does not command much attention.
But then, when somebody sits down at the table next to you, the staff seems to suddenly come alive. This guy, going by his attire, flashy bracelets and carriage exudes importance. And because he is perceived to be important, the restaurant staff does more for him. They smile more; they magically anticipate his needs and are more responsive when he asks for something. With him around, the servers seem to have suddenly discovered their sense of urgency. Essentially, everyone treats him like royalty.
The tragedy is that both Mr. Royalty and I are guests, ordering from the same menu and paying the same prices (at least I assume so). And yet, we receive entirely different service experiences…from the same people who serve us and who act totally different when serving us.
Once, upon querying whether the person receiving so much attention was some celebrity, I was told that he is a ‘regular customer’. Now, I get it that someone who is a ‘regular’ needs to be given due recognition; but not in the way customer service is dispensed. By all means, reward that regular customer with perhaps a complimentary glass of wine, maybe dessert or even a loyalty discount. Don’t however differentiate the level of service attention between a regular guest and an infrequent or first-time customer.
One thing that I learned early in my hospitality career was that if a guest or customer made a bit of a fuss, he / she received extra attention. At many of the ‘briefings ‘ (lineup prior to service / start of shift ), where everyone in the team gathers together to either go over the menu, the specials for the night, including the calling out of VIP reservations, I’ve often heard this, “ Pay special attention to Mr. X – he can be very loud and fussy…” Another reason trotted out for paying special consideration, was “She’s a very regular customer”. It got me thinking “if we treated everyone with special attention, won’t there be more regulars?”
Over the years, I’ve come to realise that ‘paying special attention’ is not what customers need. Instead, customers should be treated differently. Each may have special needs and expectations; thus, each of them will require a unique service experience. That is called personalized service. However, personalized service is not what I am referring to. I am alluding to the perception of worthiness that is assigned to people. Worthiness in service delivery is not dependent on customer attire, frequency, spend or tipping generosity.
Service staff must be made to understand that everyone they serve is a VIP. If not, service excellence is just a nice notion – a lofty thought that doesn’t exist in reality.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Ex-Hotelier
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