Yesterday, my family and I dined at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers in Littleton, Colorado. As is consistently the case, we were seated right away, our server was cheerful, our orders were taken promptly, and our meals were excellent. All that remained, was for our server to present the bill and
Tipping is a form of recognition—a way for customers to say, “Thank you” to service providers. Tipping, in most settings, is voluntary and left to the customer’s discretion. Even so, many restaurant servers feel entitled to 15 percent or more from every table they wait on. Likewise, bellmen and skycaps
Like many who read this blog, I am a student of customer service. I’m interested in books on the subject, discussing the topic with others, speaking and writing about it and, of course, critiquing the service I receive as a customer. One of the questions that’s often discussed and debated
I recall saying to a client across the conference table, “Exceptional customer service is always optional.” Upon hearing this, his eyes narrowed, he leaned forward, and his voice lowered as he responded, “Not around here. Around here, exceptional customer service is mandatory.” I disagreed but, in his defense, most general
Over the years, I’ve had conversations with hundreds of frontline employees in the service industry. All of these employees were passionate about something but, more often than not, their passion had little to do with their job roles. Many described their jobs as boring, routine, and monotonous. These conversations have
Many companies do an effective job of training their employees and holding them accountable to certain job functions. For instance, in the checkout line at my local supermarket I’m routinely asked, “Did you find everything you were looking for?” And, when picking up my order at my favorite take-and-bake pizza
Many companies use terms like “guest” and “partner” to convey the intimacy they have with their customers but the reality is that most employees, when given the opportunity, do not behave as though they are serving a valued guest. If you’d like to test this assertion, simply show up at
Earlier today I received this note from a friend, Evan Crist, and just had to share: We were traveling from Denver to Phoenix for some fun in the sun when Southwest Airlines lived up to their reputation for spontaneous entertainment and pleasing service. (I love the line, “If you are
I’ll skip the introductory paragraph about how bad the economy is and how smart business people are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to offer more value to their customers because—assuming you haven’t been riffed and the lights are still on—you already know this. The point of this post
The Revelation Conversation is Here!
