Changing your employees mindset on how they see difficult customers

We need to change the mindset of the employees who think dissatisfied customers are a problem. I have read in his newsletter sometime ago, that Ron Kaufman highlighted that the words you use to your employees about your customers is very important. He gives one example that in Disney World, they call customers that are complaining "Customers" and others "Guest". So if there is a problem customer, the staff will call the manager saying "a customer wants to see the manager". When your employees gets nervous, defensive, and confused when they are managing a difficult customers, this is partly because of their mindset that the customer is a nuisance or problem. So if we change their thinking they will treat difficult customers better and in most cases that I have noticed, the difficult customer will become your loyal customer. That is why I refer to customer complaints as "comments". Because comments is something for us to improve. Therefore each company needs to set clear and concise company does have and don’ts, and also clear organizational training and discussions to help employees interact with customers to enhance the customer experience. What I do in my daily preshift briefing is to let the staff highlight what issues they have encountered. If they have solved it, how they have done it. If not, I will open the situation for discussion and later choose the best solution and also give some of mine. By doing this your staff will be able to deal with different human conditions when the situation arises again.

10 Tips for Delivering Good Customer Service.

1) Treat everyone that walks into your door like somebody especially your requlars.
Because regular customers expect (and deserve) to be treated as someone special. Sometimes you don't need to remember their names, or what their favourite orders. You just need to acknowledge that he/ she has been there before. What I normally do if I notice a regular client, I will introduce or show the person to a senior member, manager or my hostess in my establishment. I will highlight all important information about the guest. The reason for this is that if I can't remember something about the guest, I have a backup memory system. And also if I'm not around the guest will be taken care off according to his likes and dislikes.

2) Be polite!
We often see the people behind the counter simply bark out "Account number" or "Name" without a please or even a smile. This we will normally see in Governmental Organizations. Train your staff to use the word "Please" and "Thank You" . The word "Name, Please" sounds a lot better than just "Name". And add that with a smile even if you are faking it, this will make the customer mellow down. Even if he came there to complain. Also it is never acceptable for a that person to insult a client.

Recently I read an article about a 2005 survey conducted by Schulich School of Business MBAs suggests that the problem of rude and not polite staff exists in over 30% of companies, and costs them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost customers (and revenues) each and every year.

3) Thank your customers.
Do it like you mean it. Make sure when your employees conclude a transaction, they should end it with a smile and a sincere "Thank you " . Nowadays we often receive or say a robotic "Thanks, Have a nice day. Next" . Train your staff not to be robotic, you must start first. Lead by example. I used to work in this hotel that had this restaurant that had a lot of bad comments mainly because of the slow kitchen. Then I hired a manager to assist me there. He started going around talking to the guest, assuring them that food was on the way. Just being nice to the guest eased their frustration on the slow food. He even smiled and thank the guest politely as they left even if they were angry. Later the staff followed him and there were a major increase in positive guest comments. The food was still slow but the guest was happy when they left.
When you get large purchases, verbal greeting should be followed up with a hand-written thank you note or card. One way that in order to get a sincere smile from my staff, I always remind them that the person leaving now is paying our salary.

4) First impression is important, you won't get a second chance.
In the article mentioned above there were two independent research done, that concluded that nearly 90% of customers form an impression about how competent and reputable your company is based on what they see when they walk through your doors.
This is true. People normally tend to judge the book by its cover. That is why its so important for your place to be clean, neat and also presentable. How would you feel if you go into your accountant's office and see files all over the place. On the table, on the floor ever on chairs. Would you have confidence that he is able to do you books nicely. Same thing for your customers. Ensure that the area that is in the view of your customers is clean and organised. Your staff needs also to be well groomed. Nothing turns a guest away fast than unkempt staff. Also ensure that your toilet is clean. An important point to note for those in the restaurant business. This is the area that is normally neglected.

5) Keep promises
One of the quickest ways to lose customer confidence is no follow-through, late delivery of a service or product, not notifying the customer in advance on the delay and providing an alternative solution if necessary. What this means is that "do what you have promised".
This normally happens when the sales team is not sure of the product or services they are selling. So they promise a lot of things, just to close the sale. When its time to deliver, the production team can’t deliver what was promised. The customer will be frustrated and angry. We will then lose his business and also have a bad reputation if the customer tells everyone.
My suggestion is everyone in your establishment should know their product and also the limit on what your company can deliver. Most guest prefer that you let them know that you are unable to meet certain of their requirements, rather then telling them can and later cannot fulfill.

6) Surprise the customer
When it is possible to provide an extra level of service, do so. As for me I normally surprise my regular guest with a complimentary dessert, a colouring book for the kids or ever offer them a free karaoke room on slow nights. These special gestures go a long way towards building customer loyalty and to winning you new customers. It has been known that a dissatisfied customer will tell 10 - 16 others, but people who have had an unexpectedly good experience also recount their stories.

7) Provide full service.
If you want to be above the rest of your competitors, you need to provide something extra. For example mobile phones, most will sell only mobile phones and the accessories separate. By law in most countries and for safety reasons you need to use a headphone if you want to talk on your mobile while driving. Why don't just throw in a Bluetooth wireless with every purchase of a mobile. And if you are selling battery operated toys include the batteries with the toys. Small things will be greatly appreciated.
Think about what you can add to help make things easier for your customers.

8. Admit your mistake.
If you have made a mistake, admit it and set things straight. When customers have a complaint or comment listen, truly listen. If possible take notes, that will show the customer you are interested in his complaints. Then apologize and take corrective action. In most cases, the very act of listening (without interrupting) is enough to diffuse the situation and make the person feel worthy as a customer. In my years of experience I have found out if complaints are handled properly and professionally, you can turn the guy complaining into a happy and reqular guest. Be prompt answering when your customers have a problem or enquiry with your company. Try to answer all enquiries within 24 hours. If by any chance you can't (maybe you need to get more clarification), then inform the customer (also within 24 hours ) what actions that you are taking.

9) Listen to your customers.
Talk to your customers and get feedback on what they like and don't like. Do the corrective action if something goes wrong. Let customers know that their business is appreciated and that their opinions are important to you. We get comments that there is no variety in our food. We tried doing different promotions monthly but still got the same comments. We also got bad comments on quality and taste but couldn't identify which product or who was causing the complain. So what I did was get all my staff to go around talking with the guest and fill it in detail in a book which is read by chef and me. From here we identified which cook was not a good cook and chef gave him training until he improves. We also learnt some interesting things about what the guest means by no variety.

10. J.B.N- Just Be Nice
This is perhaps the most important procedure in any service industry especially the restaurant business. Word of mouth is the most effective promotional method. So if your restaurant are nice, the food is good and the wait staff are friendly and effecient, people will tell their friends. And their friends will tell their friends and the list goes on and on. Visit your regulars or event potential business at their workplace or even their homes. The most effective way is on special occasion like birthdays, anniversaries and so on. If you have a band bring the band along. What we did this Christmas was prepare a few yulelogs cakes and gave them personally to our regulars. We even brought our band, singing Christmas carols. Well we got a better response for a festive dinner this year.

None of these suggestions takes a lot of time or money to implement, yet they can pay dividends in increased customer satisfaction and retention. The key, though, is to ensuring that employees understand the importance of their front-line role and get good training and supervision.

When a Customer Walks in your Door

Here is a checklist or steps that you can use to train your staff in delivering quality customer service. I use this steps in my trainings. Got it from a friend and I have added some of my own experience into it. Its a sequence that starts from the time the customer walks in till the time he leaves your establishment.

When someone walks into your store, you must always remember that he/ she is a potential customer. You and your staff need to:

1) Be visible as soon as he enters your store

By acknowledging him, you will give him the impression that you value his business. Look up from your point of sales, stop whatever you are doing for the moment. If your work needs you to be away from the area, such as going in and out of the storeroom, then you need to have some kind of gadget that alerts you when a customer enters your store. I have seen some not to expensive ones that run on batteries. It gives out a sound everytime someone passes its beam of light. You can put it at the entrance doorway.

2) Greet the customer in a friendly manner.

The resort where I started my career had this Japanese Restaurant. The staff there greeted everyone that walked in the door by calling out "Good Evening" loudly in Japanese. Even the cooks behind the counters greeted the same way. The manager there said that's the way the Japanese greeted their customers. Well you don't have to follow that style. Just greet the customer how the community around you greets their friends.
Make eye contact, don't stare. Smile, don't grin. And say something such as, “Good (time of day). How may I help you?”

3) Show that you are willing to help.

By acknowledging and greeting the customer, you will give him/ her the impression that you are ready to assist. Nobody likes to be followed around or rushed while they browse through your menu or your store. So train staff not to continually follow customers around or rush them through the menu. Even interrupting them every few minutes to ask them how they are doing will sure to annoy them and chase them away. If the customer says "Just looking around" or "Just browsing" , just let them browse and after a while approach them to enquire if they have found what they’re looking for.

4) Listen carefully if the customer has an enquiry.

Listen carefully to what he has to say. The way to show that you are actively listening is by making eye contact, nodding, or even jotting down notes. Ask questions when the customer is finish if its necessary to get more details that will enable you to solve the problem. Never and I say it again Never interrupt a customer when he or she is speaking. You can’t listen when your mouth is moving. This is what I tell my staff about active listening "God gave you two ears and one mouth, so as you listen more and talk less."
Be sure that you and your staff know your products and services inside out. I ussually make my staff repeat the product knowledge of a new item daily in our briefing until I or my assistant is sure that the staff knows the product by hard. I ask them to say in their own words, so as they don't sound like a robot. For good customer service, tell customers what they want to know, not everything you know about it.

5) Always be cheerful, courteous and respectful
Throughout your interaction with the customer maintain a professional image. Never, never ridicule him if he ask a not too bright question. Remember he is paying our salary. Again never judge him by appearance I have seen some people who are dressed simple but they have the money to purchase your product. So be nice to everybody.

6) Make sure you end on a sweet note.

Even if the customer doesn't want to buy anything, you should end the interaction on a sweet note. Never pull a long face or grumble. You should never use phrases like, “Here we go again” or “Okay, then” and turn your back to the customer. If the customer is not ready to buy, you can suggest , “Is there anything else I can help you with?”, “Would you like a brochure?”, or “Would you like to try that on?”
If he or she wants to buy something, escort or direct the customer to the counter where you or someone else will go through the payment procedure with him.

Customer Service Training Tips : Customer Service Tips

I found this interesting video on youtube. They have a list of topics on video

First Impressions is important in Customer Service

I worked under a Resident Manager who used to highlight this "You only get one chance to make a good first impression". This saying is also true in Customer Service. In the hospitality industry the Receptionist and Wait Staff are the frontline staff of the hotel which whom customers comes in contact first.

If the Front Line staff is professional, friendly and is able to handle a customer’s needs, then that customer will have a positive impression of the hotel. This experience can lead to repeat business and also as a great word of mouth advertising tool. On the other hand, if the Front Liners are unprofessional, uninformed and unable to fulfil a customer’s needs, then this will result in a negative impression. And then the customer will definitely voice out his/her grievances. Now with the help of the World Wide Web, this grievances can reach millions of people.

So the staff should be constantly briefed on the company and product knowledge as well customer service skills necessary to exceed customer expectations. How the staff is dressed is also important. If they are comfortable and look professional, they will project a positive image to the guest. I have noticed that most people feel that they are professional if they are dressed in a suit and tie, then if they are in a t shirt. Reason being in a T shirt they will feel more casual and therefore take things too lightly.

Happy Employees bring in Happy Customers

I have seen in my daily life and work that if the company has happy staff then they have good customer service. What this means is that “Happy employees are happy to serve customers”. If your employees are happy they will love their job and will do their best to ensure the company has a good reputation. It will be shown when they provide a service or product to the customers. Even the way they welcome your customers will be cheerful not like the robotic way you see in the fast food joints. Most employee are not motivated by money. They need a workplace that is positive and motivating, where their needs are met. Like me most employees like recognition for good work and commitment. We like to be recognized for our creativity and efforts. A good book to read on how to motivate your staff to achieve this results is THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER . So what this all means is that you have to look after your internal customers first.

How to Handle an Angry Customer

In the hospitality business we are often confronted with angry customers. So I always tell my staff that most of the time the customers are not angry at you; it’s only because you are an employee of the hotel and you are the only one in front of them, so naturally you become the target. I tell them sometimes its even nothing to do with the hotel, maybe something happen on the way to the hotel. I even created a funny story to elaborate this issue.
It goes like this "The guest already have driven 3 hours through a winding road, another one kilometer to reach the hotel, there is traffic jam that's take them an hour or more to slowly reach their destination. On top of that, the air conditioner is not working and it rains therefore they cannot wind down the windscreen. To add to their bad luck, somebody lets go gas in the car. And to make matters worse, its the driver's mother in law who is the culprit. So when they reach the hotel, they will eventually blow up at the slightest mistake, even the sight of you smiling at them. So think about, the guest is not angry at you just what has happened to him on the way up. "

So how do you train your staff how to handle this situation. Lets start at the very beginning when the customer walks in.

1. Observe their and your own body language.
When a guest walks in, always observe their body language. Body language can always be used as signals on how angry the guest is. Are their arms crossed, shoulders hunched, restless, staring or acting rude? Even the way he walks can tell you how angry he is. Is it fast or relaxed? You need to always remember the person isn’t mad at you, so you must also observe your own body language. Introduce yourself, and be polite. Try not to have the "Oh shoot, an angry customer. Boy does he look mad." look. Ask the person his name and address him by name. Observe your tone of voice, what you say. Try not to make him wait; look up from your paper work immediately. When talking to him always maintain eye contact.

2. Listen to what he has to say
Let the customer start do not interrupt him, and listen until he has finished speaking. Always maintain eye contact even if he is yelling. Always keep in your mind that he is not angry at you. Most of the time its best to let him let of some steam. Show him that you are paying attention by repeating some of the important points brought up and assure him that you understand and intend to help. Note down the important points so as not to miss out anything. Show empathy, put yourself in his shoes how would you feel if the same thing happened to you.

3. Be very careful on the words you use.
Words like “I only work here,” “It’s against our store policy" ” I’m only following the rules.” will sure to make matters worse. The customer doesn't care if its against hotel policy, he just wants a solution. Assure him you will do your best to solve his problem. If the problem can not be solved immediately ,make sure you inform the customer you will do your best to get an answer and when you will get back to him. And make sure you follow through with a response. Don't forget to get the necessary information so as you can contact him. Many a times we forget to get a customer's contact info cause we want to get rid of him as fast as possible.

4. If you are not Able to help.
What if for any reason or other, you cannot solve the complaint, then it is acceptable to refer the customer to your superior. But make sure you explain this to the customer. Just explain to him that your supervisor will see to his complaint, give him their name and contact information. Again don't make it look like you want to get rid of him. Explain that your supervisor is a person who will be able to assist in his problem. Always let your supervisor know every detail before he/ she meets the customer. This is so he/ she can be prepared before seeing the customer. I never like handling complaints that I don't know head or tail what's going on.

5. Check back for Satisfaction
After you have solved his problem, check back with him if he is satisfied. If you go the extra mile to help solve his problems this will then ensure his loyalty to your company and also to you. I have noticed that most people prefer to go back to the person that have help solved their problems. The reason they have built a high trust level towards you.

Angry customers are always going to be around but if we handle the situation professionally we can turn the situation around and thus built repeat business for us. Keeping customers coming back is the best way to keep profit rolling in. One must remember most customers don't like complaining and there are a very small percentage who simply likes complaining.

Get to Know Your Regulars

Repeat business is very important in any business. I feel that its even more important than creating promotional activities. If you have very good repeat business, you don’t have to constantly crack your head to think of new promotional activities to bring in business. This I found to be true lately. I have always created beautiful flyers and also promotional activities. You can see some of it in my page Restaurant Promotional Ideas . It brought people in but you must always be on the look out for regulars. I now have highlight to my staff, that if they see any regulars or some people from the local community call me. I will then drop by and say hi. Most regulars feel very important when they see a manager dropping by to say hi. Well nowadays I see some results, business is getting better even in the current economic downturn. Well when the economy gets better, then this people spending power will be better. Get to know their names, spouses name, kids name. Ask about what they do for a living. Show the customer that you enjoy seeing them and make them feel at home. Play with their kids, give them some treats e.g a speciality drink or dessert. What I have now a small colouring books and crayons which I give to the kids to take back. This days kids tell the parents where to eat. Look at McDonalds and KFC.

Most important people in your company "The Staff"

Good Customer Service is all about the people in your organization not much the standards you set up. You can have a great Vision and Mission but if the downline don't understand it, they can't put it to work. One way which I have used is, I print out our Vision and Mission on a card the size of a business card. Laminated it and give it to every staff in my department. In our daily pre operation briefing I make everyone repeat our Vision and Mission together in one voice. Then I catch three of them what they understand about what they have read in their own words. Later I will ask them to give an example each. After doing this we received a lot of positive comments. Don't forget to praise the staff that receives the positive comments. This will lift up their spirits but don't always praise the same staff cause this will make them a diva or primadona. He will think he is unreplaceable.

Product knowledge

Make sure everyone in your establishment has the proper product knowledge. They should know what you are selling, the promotional activities and even how to get to your establishment. Don't you hate being pass around when you enquire on something. What will piss your customer more is if the thing they are asking is advertised and your staff don't know anything about it. What I normally do is, every month I will list out all the promotional activities in my place, print it and pass it to staff to keep with them. In it I will put all necessary information like duration of promo, time, price and even the menu. Everyday during our daily pre operations briefing we will catch 3 person, make them read and ask them if they understand.


As for directions, to prevent guest from getting wrong directions thus missing your restaurant, you can prepare some index cards and place them next to your phone. Write out each possible route to your restaurant that you can think off. Use individual cards for individual routes and you can add some more as you go along. This will make it easier for the staff to explain how to get to your place. By having something to relate to the staff will be more confidence to converse online. What we are doing now is creating a FAQ booklet of questions that is frequently asked by the guest. This booklet will not only cover things from our restaurant but also the surroundings. We will give it out to every new staff.

Know your customers

The other day I saw something on the Asian Food Channel that reminded me that we should never assume what our customers think of us. The documentary was Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare. It was about the famous Chef Gordon Ramsey. He goes around helping owners of restaurant improve their restaurant and in turn their profit. This week it was a restaurant in Spain, the restaurant had a small kitchen but a menu of 75 items. The owner wanted to try something different. He even had a dish of Deep-fried Prawns served with Chocolate Sauce. He only assumes that the customer will like it. This reminded me of the time when I was working in Phuket, Thailand. We added to our new menu Spaghetti Carbonara. The chef cooked it using the traditional method, lots of cheese and cream and thick. We noticed that the dish came back half eaten. So we went around asking people why this is so. Then we found out it was too thick and too creamy. So the chef did some modification to the dish, he added some chicken stock and made it with a little gravy. This was a winner. Nowadays in my present restaurant I have a book where the senior wait staff write out comments that they get from the guest, no matter if its good or bad. The book is read by me and my chef. I have found some interesting information on how to improve my food and service. The wait staff has to go and meet a minimum of 2 people each daily. Don't depend on the guest questionnaire in the middle of your table. Most people don't like to waste time filling it up unless its really a serious complaint. One on one interaction is really important. Try it and you will see for yourself. I always remind my staff if you don’t know ask, don’t assume. Assume is making an ASS of U and ME.

Be afraid, be very afraid- Off the social media

Nowdays most marketing gurus recommend the use of the social media like facebook, twitter to promote your product. While this is very true, the social media can also hurt us back. As anyone can put up something on the World Wide Web, we should be very vigilant in locating what people are saying about our product. One fine example just happen about a month ago. A hotel in Melaka, Malaysia had a few unfavorable comments about cleanlines in a tripadvisor website. Another person used that comments and put up a blog of the top 10 dirtiest hotels in the world. He put that hotel in the the list of the top 10 dirtiest hotel in Asia. I received that blog in my mail, already five times to date. I have stayed there on one occasion and found the cleanlines to be acceptable. Imagine what would happen if you would search the net for this hotel and find this blog, I'm sure you wouldn't think of staying there. Formerly we are always told to be careful of the word of mouth. Now the word of mouth is even bigger with the social media. My suggestion is to have a few staff dedicated to surfing the social sites looking for comments both good and bad. Improve on the bad and highlight the good. Replying the comments will show peple that you care about their feedback,never hit back or discredit the person. By doing this you will build lasting business.

The buck stops with the CEO

There was a great article in today’s Sunday Star about the dismal standard of service in Singapore. And how this can be solved by the leaders joining in to improve service standards. I find this to be very true. This is leading by example. Most companies have great vision and mission. And even greater slogans but if the leader don't show any effort in making the slogans work, then the staff won't follow. It will be another decoration on the wall.
To read the full article, click here The buck stops with the CEO

Tell Uplifting and Inspiring Stories

I like to tell my employees stories that will help them understand the importance of good and genuine customer service. One that I have heard and is constantly reminding my new employees is the one about the Oriental Bangkok staff giving a guest his shoe laces as the guest was in hurry for a very important meeting and he forgot to bring his shoe laces. That is why Oriental Bangkok is noted as one of the best service hotel in the world. I also like to print for them true stories of how good customer service will also in turn help you. One example is the story below which someone send to me.


The Hotel Manager

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get shelter for the night.

"Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked. The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town

"All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out in the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."

When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me; I'll make out just fine," the clerk told them. So the couple agreed.

As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."

The clerk looked at the couple and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn't easy.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round- trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.

The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky.

"That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage."

"You must be joking," the young man said.

"I can assure you that I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth.

The old man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt.

This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels. The BOOK says that we are not to turn our backs on those who are in need -- for we might be entertaining angels.

Simple way of stopping wobbly tables

If you are like me. I hate seeing pieces of servittes, paper or coasters placed under my restaurant tables, so as it doesn’t wobble. Use this simple and effective method. Slice wine corks and place them below the legs of wobbling table. Your table won't be wobbly, won't have unsightly paper sticking out from under it and your guest will be happy to enjoy their meal. Customer satisfaction is another good marketing strategy. Keep some on standby.

I love freebies

I love freebies. I think so does everyone else. Here's a great e book on Restaurant Service. and the best part of it its free.

The Brilliant Basics to Exceptional Restaurant Service
A word from the author. This book consists of some of my experiences and knowledge with respect to hospitality. For many years, I had an ambition to write a book to help people in the hospitality industry to serve customers better. With over two decades of experience in this field, I felt I would do better justice by bringing out this book. I wanted to provide something substantial at absolutely no cost. Finally, I made up my mind to write a book with the basics of providing quality service. I have applied my experience and practical knowledge into this book.

Baby Cot

So far I haven't seen any hotel or food outlets using this idea. I have worked most of my life in family oriented resorts. What I have noticed is that most families that have little toddlers have some difficulty dining in restaurants. If the child is above two years its ok cause you can give them some paper and crayons to keep them occupied. The below two years is the issue. Sometimes the baby is sleeping and parents have to hold them while eating. So what I did for our restaurant was to purchase a rattan baby basket. Whenever the staff see a small baby especially when he/ she is sleeping, they will bring the basket with a pillow and blanket. Put it on two chairs for stability. So far the response we got was good. Imagine if you are a parent and someone did this for your child and you, how would you feel. Make sure that the pillow case and blanket is always changed.