Are you an 'I don't know' or 'let me find out' person?
The great physicist Richard Feynman once described how you can spot a real expert versus a phony. Look for three little words, “I don’t know.” The phony will have all the answers, while the expert will be willing to admit what they don’t know. This may very well be true in most areas, but, let’s be honest: In many workplace situations and particularly in the hospitality industry, it just doesn’t sound good - and can make you come across as inexperienced, unprofessional, or (especially) unprepared. At work (and in life), honesty is always the best policy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t choose your words wisely. One can say “I don’t know” in a way that inspires confidence. How? Read on.
Very recently, I was at a corporate event held at a 5 star hotel. That evening, attendees were invited to a gala dinner which consisted of several food stations with food of a high degree of creativity. Each station was attended by a chef - which is good, because not only is the chef there to assist but it presents an interactive passage for guests to experience the event by asking questions. Some of the dishes did not have tags. To make matters worse, the chef at a particular station didn’t know whether the lollipops were of lamb or beef or that cake bites were of crab. He simply went rigid and mumbled ‘eh…mm’…and that’s as close as it gets to saying ‘I don’t know’.
Eventually, I found out from another member of the hotel’s kitchen brigade who happened to pass by. To me this episode screamed ‘unprofessional’. Any chef who steps behind a food station must be aware of the food in front of him or she, how it is made and what are the ingredients, etc. It’s one thing to not know. It’s another to be content with not knowing.
The chef in the above story was obviously satisfied with not knowing. Whenever I see a lackadaisical employee, the first thing that immediately comes to my mind is…”You must have a very poor manager who allows you to work here and have an indifferent attitude”.
Some years ago, during a hotel stay, I recall asking Joseph the receptionist when checking in, whether I could get an all-natural pillow as an alternative to a synthetic or animal fill. He didn’t know but that did not stop him from taking ownership. Joseph immediately replied, “Please give a moment to find out”. Joseph returned and informed me that the hotel housekeeper can arrange to place buckwheat pillows in my room, but also asked me if I preferred King sized (20”x36”) or Queen sized (20”x30”) pillows?
A well-informed and knowledgeable person is always seen as a great asset in the workplace. However, there will be times when you honestly won’t know the answer to a guest’s question. Saying ‘I don’t know ‘is then perfectly acceptable. But stopping there is not. One must immediately qualify the admission of not knowing with a”but… let me find out”.
It may seem simple, but offering to find out the answer plus giving a little more information can have a tremendous impact on the service experience. It shows that you care. This is exactly what Joseph did unlike the chef in the previous story. When I thanked Joseph, he replied, “My pleasure Mr Wahab, I too learned something today from your request”. Now, here was a young man who had knowledge within his department but had infinitely more wisdom in wanting to be more knowledgeable outside of it. Not only that, Joseph showed that he cared. Service is really about genuinely caring. If only the hospitality industry had more Josephs.
Shafeek Wahab– Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Customer Service Trainer and Ex-Hotelier
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