10 Customer Service Tips for 2015 - CRM Magazine

Focus on the human element to inspire your employees.

By Jonathan Gale

Posted Jan 9, 2015



As January rolls around again, it's time to reflect on the highs and lows of the last 12 months and plan for the year ahead.



Whatever happened in 2014, think of 2015 as a clean slate—a new, shiny, fresh-out-of-the-box year, which you can make your own. Here are 10 customer service tips to ensure that you—and your customers—have a happy new year.



1. Aim to inspire.

You don't have to be Superman to inspire; you just need to make your staff feel valued and demonstrate that you appreciate the value of their work.



Unsurprisingly, most workers aren't motivated by the thought of the company's shareholders making more money, so simply showing your team an upward profit margin on a graph is hardly inspirational.



Instead, consider the value of what you give your customers. Whether it's that the product or service your company sells has had a real impact on their life or just that your excellent service has made their day, it's the human element that is really going to motivate your workforce.



2. Ensure goals are attainable.

You could set 20 goals for your team this year, but if only a few of them are realistic, you'll create a demoralizing work environment.



Research published in the Harvard Business Review shows how to strike the right balance. The study, conducted by a team at Florida State University, demonstrates that setting a goal that is a range, rather than a specific number, has a huge impact on whether the goal is met.



The research looked at weight loss groups, and found that asking people to lose between one and three pounds per week was more effective than asking them to lose two pounds.



This works because the range makes the goal seem more attainable, but the option of achieving more adds an element of challenge. The same principle can easily be applied to call center targets.



3. Find the right bottom line.

Along with employee- or team-specific goals, you need to establish a customer service ethos that acts as a bottom line for what's expected from your team.



This should not be result-oriented, but rather relationship-oriented. For instance, this could be trying to say something in each call to make the customer smile or laugh or just calling the customer by name.



T know more please click here Customer Service Tips for 2015 - CRM Magazine

Five Ways to Poise Customer Service for the Future

It’s Monday and the first day of Customer Service Week. Let’s begin by setting goals for a long-term strategy to make sure that customer service is one of your company’s competitive differentiators. I think it’s a fair estimate that a typical customer service representative handles more than 10,000 calls a year. That’s 10,000 interactions, 10,000 opportunities to positively influence the customers’ loyalty toward the brand and the company. There is no other department so uniquely positioned to achieve this goal. The Customer Service Department must take its place on the C Suite level to have the greatest impact.

Here are five ways Customer Service can demonstrate its value and be a top rung in the organization’s ladder. 

1. Turnover in Customer Service is extremely high. According to Forrester’s analyst, Kate Leggett, having less than a 20 percent turnover for call centers is considered good, with some experiencing over 100 percent. As issues become more complicated and communication instantaneous, organizations must have agents who are competent and well trained with comprehensive information about your company’s products and services.  By definition, this requires longevity.  Representatives should be appreciated and compensated for their expertise. It’s important to include representatives in the decision making process.  They are an integral part of the bottom line profitability

2. Stakeholders are critical to Customer Service.  Many departments within a company rely on Customer Service to support them with information not easily obtained otherwise. Consider getting feedback from stakeholders to assess their satisfaction levels. Discover additional services that Customer Service can provide to stakeholders to further support their functions. This will result in additional exposure and help secure supplemental budgets for personnel, training and technology

3. Customers demand a personalized experience. There are new innovations in technology almost daily and multiple products and services from which to choose. Delivering a unique customer experience becomes even more crucial.  Hiring customer service agents with specific skill sets and providing ongoing training is mandatory.  The customer service representative must have the necessary tools to accommodate an individual’s specific needs and requirements.

4.Executives need to walk the talk. Posting letters from C-Level executives highlighting the importance of Customer Service doesn’t mean anything.  Company executives should spend at least a half of a day a year responding to telephone and email inquiries. Feedback should be provided about what they learned from the experience and the processes.  Sending wave files of selected calls won’t achieve the same goal.

5. It’s more than just putting an empty chair in your meetings. Jeff Bezos, from Amazon, placed an empty chair at all meetings; that represented the ”customer.”  This was to keep in the forefront that the customer is central and what would they think of any new ideas suggested.  But is that sufficient?  The person or team in charge of Customer Service should also be in those meetings. That department has the direct connection to the customer. An empty chair can’t talk. Customer Service has its finger on the pulse of what customers want.

Bottom line:  Customer Service is responsible for customers, a company’s most important asset.  Let’s celebrate Customer Service Week by acknowledging both the customer and those who represent them and make sure we give representatives the tools, authority an recognition they well deserve.

Article Source :-Five Ways to Poise Customer Service for the Future
About the author:  Richard Saporito is a NYC Restaurant Insider with more than 30 years experience.  He is currently the President of Topserve Restaurant Consulting, Inc. and the author of "How To Improve Dining Room Service."  Discover how to improve your restaurant's dining room service and dramatically increase your profits here:


Product How to Improve Dining Room Service E- Book 
Website http://www.howtoimprovediningroomservice.com
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This book says everything I have always believed. Its not only the Chef that makes a restaurant successful. The wait staff is also important. Most successful restaurants all have one thing in common... They provide customer service which exceeds their customer's expectations! From the statistics below you will see why its so important Well, consider these statistics from the White House Office of Consumer Affairs in Washington, DC... For every complaint you're aware of, there are 26 additional customers who have unresolved problems or complaints... A dissatisfied customer will tell 9 to 15 people about their displeasure and sometimes they will tell as many as 20.

  On the other hand, this same group also found... Up to 96% of customers would do business with you again if they felt you acted quickly and to their satisfaction and many said they would refer other people. On average, happy customers will tell 4-6 people about their positive experience. The Fact Is... Businesses that provide extraordinary customer service can improve their profitability, increase market share and will have customers who are willing to pay more for their products and services simply because of the extraordinary service they receive.

10 Heartwarming Stories of Remarkable Customer Service 2014

Everyone needs to a dose of customer service inspiration every day. Here are ten heartwarming stories of outstanding customer service performed by businesses who “walk the talk” when it comes to delivering the kind of service that wins a customer over for life. Read on!

10 Heartwarming Stories of Remarkable Customer Service 2014 from Merlin Information Systems

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION - THE STORY OF WILLIAM WALDORF AND GEORGE C. BOLDT

  

WILLIAM WALDORF ASTOR AND NANCY ASTOR

GEORGE CHARLES BOLDT
(April 25, 1851 to December 5, 1916)
He was a Prussian-born American hotelier. A self-made
millionaire, he influenced the development of urban hotel
as a civic social centre and luxury destination.

 It was a stormy night. an elderly couple looking for a room for a night, came to Belle Vue Hotel, Philadelphia. The young clerk at the desk informed the couple that all rooms of his hotel were booked and also that not a single hotel room was available that night in Philadelphia because of an international conference. 


          However, seeing their plight, he decided not to let them to go out in that bad weather. He, therefore, offered them his personal room. The couple were reluctant as that would cause great inconvenience to the young clerk. "Where are you going to sleep, young man, if you give your room to us?" asked the old man. "Oh, I am young and single. I can sleep at the reception area in the night. I insist that you accept my offer as I cannot let you go out in this storm. You may not even get a taxi in this kind of weather." Having been left with no choice, the elderly couple accepted the young man's offer and spent the night in his personal room. 


          Next morning, before leaving the hotel the old man after having expressed his gratitude offered a handsome reward to the young man. "Please don't embarrass me with offer of money for my room. I didn't give my room expecting any monetary compensation. I just wanted to be of some help to you." The old man was really touched by the young man's compassion as well as high sense of honesty. "You are really a good human being, my son! I thought God had stopped making people like you. What are you doing herein such a small hotel? A person like you should become the manager of the best hotel in the world."


          "I am quite happy working here in this small hotel and moreover, I don't have skills to run anything bigger than this. However, thank you for your kind words and compliments." said the clerk.


          "Tell me, if I built some day the best hotel in the world, would you come and join me?" asked the old man with a cunning smile. The young man thought this as some kind of jovial gesture of an old man at an emotional moment. "Yes, if you built one, I will definitely join", said the young man, wanting somehow to get rid of the old couple as he had to take up the pressing list of day's work lying on his desk. "Good bye", said the old man. "You would hear from me soon." "Good bye", replied the young clerk.


          Three years passed, the young clerk was already promoted to become manager of the hotel. While going through his mail one day, he opened an envelope and found a return air ticket to New York, with an invitation letter to attend an inaugural function. However, not much details about why was he invited, were given. 


          The young man became curious and decided to go. Upon his arrival at New York, the young man was welcomed by his host who personally took him downtown. There, in front of him, lay the finest hotel he had ever seen.


          "That," said the gentleman, "is the hotel I built for you to manage." While standing on the street corner beside the soon-to-be world-renowned WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL, the young clerk, GEORGE C. BOLDT, was titled its first manager. 


          For the next twenty three years, until his death in 1916, Boldt remained faithful to the hotel and to the confidence WILLIAM WALDORF ASTOR had placed in him.    

WALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL

Article Source :

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION - THE STORY OF WILLIAM WALDORF AND GEORGE C. BOLDT

The Moral of this Story:- "Do not turn your back on those who are in need, for they might be angels"

Top 5 Books Every Restaurant Owner Should Read - Rewards Network

Too busy to read? Never! Grab a cup of coffee and steal a moment for yourself to savor tricks of the trade from some of the best restaurant professionals in the industry. Inspiring and enlightening, I think these books are more than worth your time. - 

Restaurant Success by the Numbers: A Money-Guy’s Guide to Opening the Next Hot Spot Paperback by Roger Fields
Don’t let the title scare. For those restaurant romantics, Roger Fields does an amazing job providing insight about creating and maintaining sound financial decisions while catering to a broad audience. Instructional, informative, and entertaining, this book is chocked full of valuable information from deciding bar size to understanding your market’s needs. He reinforces the importance of knowing your customers by providing some interesting facts. Did you know that eighteen to twenty-four year olds eat out more often than any other group? Written with authority and encouragement, Restaurant Success by the Numbers is one of those books that can inspire great decisions.

See more at: Top 5 Books Every Restaurant Owner Should Read - Rewards Network

Changing people's perceptions - Virgin.com

Changing People's Perceptions 

by Richard Branson

I am lucky enough to have met some of the most amazing people on the planet. Every so often I sit back and think about who inspires me, who has given me the ideas to screw business as usual, and re-evaluate what I take as being good and bad, successful and unsuccessful.
Its a great read so read on
Changing people's perceptions - Virgin.com

Report: Wife says no, Apple says yes to iPad 2 | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

A very interesting story on customer service

Report: Wife says no, Apple says yes to iPad 2 | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Deepavali Greeting to all

Customer Service Lesson from Fish Sellers

Fish! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results

Amazon.com
I came across this book on display at a group team building activity in my former hotel. This Team Building company brings lots of different corporate groups to our hotel. This particular group was learning about providing Great Customer Service. The book looked like a children story book similar to the cover of "Who Moved my Cheese". It even had a boring cover with just the word "Fish" and a drawing of a fish on it. So I just passed it by. Yes I am guilty of Judging a Book by its Cover. 
Then lately my present boss, highlighted of about Customer Service and how we can try to make the work more fun even for work that is boring and mundane. He highlighted about the Pike's Place Fish Market in Seattle, America that is famous. People go there not only to buy fish but also to see the antics of the staff there. He said that there is even a motivational book written about this place. I remembered this book and got it. Like most books in this lens, its a simple to understand and a fun read. The book shares with you how to boost your employee morale and thus increases your revenue.

Seattle- Monday Morning
The story starts with an introduction on how a First Guarantee Financial supervisor named Mary Jane Ramirez life changed after the death of her husband within a year of moving to Seattle. And how she reluctantly accepted a promotion to manager of the dreaded third floor. A department which is the joke of the other departments in the bank. A place that everyone wishes they didn't need to come in contact with. Some department managers say that the third floor is able to suck the life out of you. Working there she realized why people dreaded coming to third floor. It was due to staff doing everything slowly. She then pondered on how she can bring life to the third floor. She noticed that the job was boring, so she needs to make the job exciting.
One day to avoid hearing negative comments about her new department during lunch breaks. She normally goes for lunch by the waterfront, but today she happens to take a turn towards the market. Here is where she finds the world different from what she knows. She finds the Famous Pike Place Fish Market. She is amazed at the energy of the people selling fish there. They seem to enjoy their work. In between the chaos she happens to chance upon Lonnie, one of the workers there. Lonnie offered to explain how she can use the Fish Market's strategy in her workplace. The very next day, during her lunch break she rushes to meet up with Lonnie. He explains that all jobs are boring. Then he goes on to say the first strategy that makes the Pike Place different from the other fish markets, the first strategy is as follow. The first strategy is "There is always a choice about the way you do your work even if there in not a choice about the work itself" 



Choose Your Attitude 
Lonnie shares with Mary Jane how he and his friends changed their attitude when they come to work everyday. Everybody thinks working in a dreary,wet and cold fish market can be a difficult job but Lonnie and his friends come to work with the right attitude. With this thought in her mind, Mary Jane went back to work and confronted her boss on what was commented by the big bosses in the meeting. Her boss then gave her a recording of the meeting. Mary Jane started to notice that by changing her attitude, she in turn changed her surroundings. Everything started to fall in place and she plan to bring this same attitude to work on Monday morning. She makes a note that she have to change her attitude first before she can change others. On Monday morning she calls for a meeting with her staff and highlighted the concerns of the VP and how he referred to the  third floor as toxic energy dump. After her talk, she found out her staff wanted to change but they needed a push. She saw some improvement in their attitude.

Play 
The second ingredient was what kids do best and we forget to do as we go older which was PLAY . Lonnie teaches that the fish market uses play in their daily work and with that they enjoy their daily job. The benefits of using play in our daily work life is productivity improves, there is a low turn over, teamwork and friendships. This I noticed in my present job, I am so afraid in failing or looking bad to my bosses. I didn't enjoy myself therefore I felt work was boring. Even in my home life, me and my other half used to be playful but lately we both became serious and had a lot of arguments. So now I changed my attitude and played more at work and at home.

Make Their Day 
The third ingredient to great customer service was to include your customers in your play. This will give a lasting impression to your customer. People will always remember something unique that they have done. Include your customers but don't go overboard.

Be Present 
The last ingredient is to be present. This is an important ingredient that I am trying to teach my managers. A manager have to be present in the restaurant. He have to be seen talking and showing concern about the food and beverages served. I learnt this technique from a manager in my former place. There we had a very slow kitchen, where food normally comes out after 1 hour. What most people do is to normally hide in the kitchen. So naturally we received a lot of complains. But what one new manager did was to go from table to table talking and assuring the customer the food will be out. He made sure the food came out fast and hot. He keeps telling the staff if the food is served steaming hot, then the customer will know that the kitchen is slow. If its served cold then the customer will think we were slow in pickup

Annoying Little Bars Of Soap

I found this when I was cleaning my files in my PC. I used to use this as an example of simple instruction can lead to frustration if not properly handled properly

Annoying Little Bars Of Soap

The following letters are taken from an actual incident between a London hotel and one of its guests . The hotel ended up submitting the letters to the London Sunday Times.


Dear Maid,
Please do not leave any more of those little bars of soap in my bathroom since I have brought my own bath-sized Imperial Leather. Please remove the six unopened little bars from the shelf under the medicine chest and another three in the shower soap dish. They are in my way.


Thank you,S. Berman
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Room 635,
I am not your regular maid. She will be back tomorrow, Thursday, from her day off. I took the 3 hotel soaps out of the shower soap dish as you requested. The 6 bars on your shelf I took out of your way and put on top of your Kleenex dispenser in case you should change your mind. This leaves only the 3 bars I left today which my instructions from the management are to leave 3 soaps daily. I hope this is satisfactory.


Kathy, Relief Maid
-------------------------------------------------
Dear Maid - 
I hope you are my regular maid.Apparently Kathy did not tell you about my note to her concerning the little bars of soap. When I got back to my room this evening, found you had added 3 little Camays to the shelf under my medicine cabinet. I am going to be here in the hotel for two weeks and have brought my own bath-size Imperial Leather, so I won't need those 6 little Camays, which are on the shelf. They are in my way when shaving, brushing teeth, etc. Please remove them.


S. Berman
-------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Berman,
The assistant manager, Mr. Kensedder, informed me this morning that you called him last evening and said you were unhappy with your maid service. I have assigned a new girl to your room. I hope you will accept my apologies for any past inconvenience. If you have any future complaints, please contact me so I can give it my personal attention. Call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM.

Thank you.Elaine CarmenHousekeeper
-------------------------------------------------
Dear Miss Carmen,
It is impossible to contact you by phone since I leave the hotel for business at 7:45 AM and don't get back before 5:30 or 6PM. That's the reason I called Mr. Kensedder last night. You were already off duty.
I only asked Mr. Kensedder if he could do anything about those little bars of soap. The new maid you assigned me must have thought I was a new check in today, since she left another 3 bars of hotel soap in my medicine cabinet, along with her regular delivery of 3 bars on the bathroom shelf. In just 5 days here I have accumulated 24 little bars of soap.
Why are you doing this to me?


S. Berman
------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Berman,
Your maid, Kathy, has been instructed to stop delivering soap to your room and remove the extra soaps. If I can be of further assistance, please call extension 1108 between 8 AM and 5PM.


Thank you,
Elaine Carmen,Housekeeper
-------------------------------------------------


Dear Mr. Kensedder,
My bath-size Imperial Leather is missing. Every bar of soap was taken from my room, including my own bath-size Imperial Leather. I came in late last night and had to call the bellhop to bring me 4 little Cashmere Bouquets.


S. Berman
-------------------------------------------------


Dear Mr. Berman,
I have informed our housekeeper, Elaine Carmen, of your soap problem. I cannot understand why there was no soap in your room since our maids are instructed to leave 3 bars of soap each time they service a room. The situation will be rectified immediately. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.

Martin L. Kensedder
Assistant Manager
--------------------------------------------------
Dear Mrs. Carmen,
Who the hell left 54 little bars of Camay in my room? I came in last night and found 54 little bars of soap. I don't want 54 little bars of Camay. I want my one damn bar of bath-size Imperial Leather. Do you realize I have 54 bars of soap in here? All I want is my bath-size Imperial Leather. Please give me back my bath-size Imperial Leather.


S. Berman
---------------------------------------------------


Dear Mr. Berman,
You complained of too much soap in your room, so I had them removed. Then you complained to Mr. Kensedder that all your soap was missing, so I personally returned them - the 24 Camays which had been taken and the 3 Camays you are supposed to receive daily. I don't know anything about the 4 Cashmere Bouquets. Obviously your maid, Kathy, did not know I had returned your soaps, so she also brought 24 Camays plus the 3 daily Camays. I don't know where you got the idea this hotel issues bath-size Imperial Leather. I was able to locate some bath-size Ivory which I left in your room.


Elaine Carmen
Housekeeper
----------------------------------------------------


Dear Mrs. Carmen,
Just a short note to bring you up-to-date on my latest soap inventory.
As of today I possess:- On the shelf under the medicine cabinet -18 Camay in 4 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.- On the Kleenex dispenser - 11 Camay in 2 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 3.- On the bedroom dresser - 1 stack of 3 Cashmere Bouquet, 1stack of 4 hotel-size Ivory, and 8 Camay in 2 stacks of 4.- Inside the medicine cabinet - 14 Camay in 3 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.- In the shower soap dish - 6 Camay, very moist.- On the northeast corner of the tub - 1 Cashmere Bouquet, slightly used.- On the northwest corner of the tub - 6 Camays in 2 stacks of 3.
Please ask Kathy when she services my room to make sure the stacks are neatly piled and dusted. Also, please advise her that stacks of more than 4 have a tendency to tip.
May I suggest that my bedroom windowsill is not in use and will make an excellent spot for future soap deliveries. One more item, I have purchased another bar of bath-size Imperial Leather which I am keeping in the hotel vault in order to avoid further misunderstandings.


S. Berman

The Brilliant Basics to Exceptional Restaurant Service

Service in the front is as important as as a good chef. I have mentioned this in my website Restaurant Promo Ideas previously. You can have the best Michelin Star Chef, but if your staff can't sell the product or can't get the food item to the customers table properly and promptly. You will slowly loose your customers.As customers are the life blood of any restaurant, your business will gradually decline. There are lots of resources on the net to help you train your service staff both free and with a price tag. This free ebook consist of 13 chapters of the author's experiences and knowledge in relation to restaurant service. The Brilliant Basics to Exceptional Restaurant Service

11 Ways to Say Thank You to your Employees

Improving Customer Experiences - Is It Still Important Or Is Price The Only Thing That Matters?

Has the economic downturn minimized the importance of the Customer Experience?

In Chapter 5 of my book, Strategy Activation: How To Turn Your Vision into Marketplace Success, I talk about how important it is to improve your holistic customer experience to differentiate your company from your competitors. As products and services continue down the inexorable path toward commodification, it is the ongoing customer experience that drives customers to choose one vendor over another. However, in the past two years, as the economic downturn has forced significant changes in customer behavior, many have questioned the importance of the overarching customer experience. These naysayers claim that in tough times price is the only thing that matters. Customers, they say, are more likely to accept a bad experience as long as they are getting a good deal. This perspective, however, is not confirmed by the data.



When Money is Tight, Customers Expect an Even Greater Customer Experience...

The most recent Harris Interactive Customer Experience Impact Report surveyed consumers on how they engage with companies both online and via phone, what they find frustrating, and how negative and positive customer experiences affect them. They discovered these facts that are startling to most business owners today...

* 87% of the surveyed consumers stopped doing business with an organization or company because of a negative customer experience. That's up from 68% reported just two years ago.

* Even during tough economic times, the significance of customer experiences does not dwindle. More than half (58%) of consumers polled said they will pay more for a better customer experience during a down economy.

* Consumers stated that the most important thing companies could do to encourage them to spend more is to improve the overall customer experience So, it's clear that even when finances are tight, people still value good service.

Why This Study's Results Are Not Surprising To Me...

When money is easy to come by customers are likely to be more forgiving. Consider this restaurant dining example... When the economy was booming many couples found themselves dining out twice per week or more. With eight to ten dining-out occasions per month a single bad experience is easily forgotten. However, when belts tighten, monthly dining-out occasions may settle back to just two or three. With fewer opportunities to "splurge" on an evening out couples and families now demand that each experience justifies the expenditure of limited funds. Thus a bad experience like poor service, long wait times and cold food makes a bigger impression and stays with us longer. Once you have a bad customer experience, you may wait months before you visit that restaurant again - and that's if you ever go back. Plus, you'll probably tell your family and friends about your experience. This will make them think twice before they visit that restaurant.

Real Proof That Bad Customer Experience News Travels Far...

A recently published Forrester Research report, "How Customer Experience Drives Word of Mouth" cites:

* Consumers tend to discuss bad experiences with more people than they discuss good ones

* Gen Xers, as a group, tend to tell the most people about a bad experience

* Gen Yers are the chattiest in general. They are more likely to tell someone about a good experience. They are also the most likely to share a bad experience. So, don't you think that you should find out right now exactly what your customers are saying about your organization's performance over the past eighteen months? Have their experiences diminished in the wake of corporate austerity? As we begin to see the recession bottom out, now is the time to explore this issue; to find new ways to improve the customer experience; to ensure that your customers have only good things to say!

Strategy Execution Consultant Scott Glatstein, President of Imperatives LLC turns market opportunities into record breaking profits even in a recession. Now, with his new book, "Strategy Activation: How To Turn Your Vision into Marketplace Success ," Scott unveils his groundbreaking plan for improved customer experiences and higher strategic profits. Get your FREE Sneak Preview at: http://www.strategyactivation.com
Source: http://scottglatstein.articlealley.com/improving-customer-experiences--is-it-still-important-or-is-price-the-only-thing-that-matters-1258447.html

Service Equals Performance Equals Service

Service can be described as a “performance” of some kind involving two parties, whereby one party is the benefactor and the other party is the performing party receiving some type of monetary payment. The value of the Service depends on the personal experience of the benefactor. When I looked it up in Webster’s, there it was at #11 out of 31 definitions. The payment part was not included, but the key word mentioned was “performance.”

As I relate this to restaurants, it’s so easy to see why dining room service is excellent training for actors, since they’re performing all of the time. There might be days when their energy level is low, yet they are still expected to perform in the show on stage at night. It is not much different for dining room service staff whose livelihood depends quite a bit on how they look and act before many people on any night. The word “performance” makes a lot of sense when relating it to other Service fields such as medical, legal, financial, and armed; even in religion they have prayer services.

With increased human knowledge and modern inventions, the term “Customer Service” has evolved over time. Whenever a new technology is invented, an array of “services” develops making it accessible to the general public. Its success depends upon product “performance” and the product-related “Services performance.” Whether it is a bulb to make a room bright or a flying machine that sends people around the world faster, the need for developed services attached to new technologies does create jobs.



Even at the computer we dial up our Internet “Service” Provider to gain access to the information highway. The instantaneous delivery of sorted out information within seconds is now the norm. Proper navigation “performance” (that word again) allow us to surf the World Wide Web, streamlining information at our fingertips. ” With improved search engine technology, the return of consumer searches has become more categorically specific, proving that better performance results in better Service.
Take a look around and you will notice Service performances touch every part of our daily lives - many of which are taken for granted.


*****************************************************************************

About the author: Richard Saporito is a NYC Restaurant Insider with more than 30 years experience. He is currently the President of Topserve Restaurant Consulting, Inc. and the author of "How To Improve Dining Room Service." Discover how to improve your restaurant's dining room service and dramatically increase your profits here:
How to Improve Dining Room Service E- Book




For more customer service ideas, please drop by my website Restaurant Promo Ideas.

8 Things You Should Never Say to Customers

This article was sent ro my email. Its very interesting and true. Sometimes the words we use might tirn away our customers. To us its a norm but to a customer is rude. In my hometown is normal to cuss when we meet an old friend with vulgarity. But to a customer is not right to do that even if he is a long time friend. He is still our CUSTOMER. I myself is guilty of number 5.  Below is part of the Article for more go to their website.

8 Things You Should Never Say to Customers

By Jeff Haden

Great customer relationships: Hard to establish, easy to ruin — especially when you say the wrong things
Here are eight things you should never say to customers (even if you would secretly love to):
1.“No.” A boss once told me, “Never tell a customer no. Always say, ‘Yes, we can. Here’s what that will cost.’” If you absolutely can’t provide a certain product or service, you can’t, but often you can’t simply because you don’t want to. (In the example above I didn’t want to. What the customer had asked for was certainly possible but would have been a real pain to pull off.) Price unusual requests accordingly: If you can make a decent profit, why not? Making a profit is why you’re in business.

5.“No problem.” Maybe this is just a pet peeve, but I’m always irritated when, say, I ask a waiter for dressing on the side and he says, “No problem.” I know he means “yes,” but “no problem” still implies I really am causing a problem. When I’m the customer, I’m favoring your business with my patronage; your business isn’t doing me any favors, so never imply you are. Replace “no problem” with “yes.”

To read more go to the website  8 Things You Should Never Say to Customers

Train Your Staff how to Handle Different People's Requirements (cont'd)

This is a continuation of the previous post “Train Your Staff how to handle Different People's Requirements”

6. The Customer with Special Dietary Needs
With this type of customer you only know if the customer tells you that he has special dietary needs. Therefore product knowledge is important. You need to know what's in the dishes you are selling. If you are not sure don't assume, get somebody who knows. This is because some people will get really sick and can be fatal to them. Make sure you highlight these requirements to the kitchen. If possible inform the chef personally.

7. The Intoxicated customer
Drunken customers can be a nuisance not only to you but to other customers. Seat drunken customers where they will not disturb other diners. But don't make it look like you are getting rid of him. Sometimes an intoxicated customer will be bothersome and rude. Be patience. Be tolerant and call the Manager if the situation goes beyond your control. Be sure the customer pays the bill first.

8. The Handicapped Customer
They are often sensitive to being considered helpless, so don’t be overly helpful. Help them discreetly. I once had a regular who insisted to be treated like everyone. He used a crutch. Listen to clues as to what your guests needs from you. Treat them as you would treat any other VIP.

Don’t Eliminate the Middle Man—Add One!

I came across this interesting article by Richard Saporito. It highlights that the service personnel in your restaurant is equally as important as the chef at the back. As mentioned in my Creating Great Customer Service Culture , 60% of restaurants fail in the first year. Reason being is that the food is only 20% contribution to the sucess of the restaurant. The article is as follow.

Don’t Eliminate the Middle Man—Add One!

Today, there are situations when we actually add a “middle person” instead of eliminating one for increased service efficiency. If it’s cost-effective and demand is high, then proper market positioning will make it a worthwhile endeavor. For example, my sister just informed me of a food delivery service in New Mexico that will let you choose one out of many different food outlets (all types of ethnic/fast food)- and then guarantees delivery within a specific time period. This not only gives the customer assurance of reliability, but more choices for dining take –out style.

In other areas of industry, the same idea holds true. There are electrical suppliers that no longer manufacture the product of electricity, but now are involved only in the delivery process of electricity to the customers. Because of market fluctuations, the new delivery supplier will utilize many other different energy suppliers to get the product of electricity to the customer efficiently and at the best market price. Again, adding the middle man seems to benefit all around.

In relating this theory to restaurants, it is the food runner that has become popular, especially in the larger dining establishments that rarely existed years ago. Food runners are employees who only work the rush hours of the dining room- only running food back and forth from the kitchen to the tables with light dining room table interaction (condiments, fresh pepper etc.). It is a 2-4 hr. shift, depending on how long the dining rush lasts.

Before large restaurants existed, the waiter would complete the process of order taking and delivering of the food. Today, the food runner can be implemented (additional middle man) relieving the waiter of this time consuming and sometimes painstaking process. The waiter must share a percentage of his tip with the runner, but in return his job is eased because the food is delivered for him- allowing extra time to work more tables and up sell to customers thereby increasing sales. Though, it does remain the waiter’s nresponsibility to check the table for additional diner needs-- either while the food is being placed by the runner or shortly thereafter. The tip-out to the runner is usually 10-15% depending on the service system, but well worth it if waiter sales can increase by 20-30 %.

The main point is the food runner addition improves delivery service efficiency while being cost-effective (if the sales increase outweighs the payroll increase). Properly integrating employees into the dining room with exact middle man connections always makes for smooth service flow. It’s not a matter of just blindly throwing extra employees at a service problem, but organizing the best system possible with the minimal amount of labor.

Adding the middle man can sometimes streamline operations in such way that it becomes irresistible and impossible to ignore. Always, the demand arises when delivery routes of a service system become overloaded.

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About the author: Richard Saporito is a NYC Restaurant Insider with more than 30 years experience. He is currently the President of Topserve Restaurant Consulting, Inc. and the author of "How To Improve Dining Room Service." Discover how to improve your restaurant's dining room service and dramatically increase your profits here: How to Improve Dining Room Service E- Book


Restaurant Promo Ideas

Train Your Staff how to Handle Different People's Requirements

Different people have different likes, dislikes and requirements. So I would like to suggest that you train your staff on the different groups of people. When I was a waiter, we were trained on ways as to how to give the best and appropriate customer service to a certain group. We were trained how to serve elderly, the tired, the hurried and so on and so on. So nowadays as part of my training to my service personnel, I have added training on ways to better serve different groups of people. Below are some of the ways. Maybe you can use it in your own training.

1. The Early Customers
Most of the time the service personnel will normally frown when the customer comes early before they have set up. Train your staff to receive them courteously and let them when service will begin. Offer them a drink perhaps coffee and newspaper or magazine to read to keep them occupied.

2. The Late Customer
As always make them feel welcomed. Train your staff to provide good service without making them feel that they are being hurried. Ensure the service personnel inform the guest 15 minutes before kitchen or the buffet is closing to give them time to order other things example desserts.

3. The Customer that's in a Hurry
Recommend something that the kitchen is able to prepare fast like a hot soup or sandwich perhaps. If there's a buffet then recommend it. Train your staff to let them know how long the items will take to prepare. Provide the best possible service you can offer. Ensure the staff is pleasant but don't waste time talking stories.

4. The Angry Customers
Most of the time your staff will avoid guest like this but if handled well this type of guest can be a regular to your outlet. Listen to their comment; thank him for calling this to your attention. Try to rectify the error but if its beyond your job scope, then get someone to handle. Don't forget to inform him that you are you are passing his comment to another person who is able to handle the situation,

5. The Tired Customers
Sit them at a quiet table and assist them with packages and coats. Set them in a quiet table. Assist them with their clothes and packages. If the weather is cold then suggest a hot soup, hot drink. On hot days suggest a chilled salad or even a frozen drink. Avoid disturbing them as they might just want to relax quietly.

Converse in the Language of the Locals

Malaysia is a multicultural country, so you will have different languages used. Even though Bahasa Malaysia is the national language and English is taught in schools, you still need to use the local language or dialect. This will then make the locals happy and thus create lasting relationship. This was apparent when I was working in a resort in Cameron Highlands. I have always worked in places that people understood Bahasa Malaysia or English, so it was easy to create promotional materials to attract the locals to my restaurant. So naturally I brought the same thinking to Cameron Highlands. What I didn't realize was that most of the locals were farmers who were only fluent in Chinese. So whatever flyers or promotional materials that we sent out was just rubbish to them, which I only found out after talking to a local farmer. Now I have software that I can write out menus and flyers in Chinese. I even hired a clerk and a few staff that can read, write and understand Chinese. Well this got the attention of the local Community and now they are frequenting my outlets. In the months of June till August, we get allot of Middle Eastern customers as they want to escape the heat in their country. So for these months my promotional materials are written in Arabic. How its even easier with Google Translator.
If you can learn the local language or dialect, that is even better. The locals will warm up to you if you took the trouble to learn their language. This I found to be true when I was attached to a hotel in Thailand. The Thais were so happy that I could speak their language and even my staff respected me more.

Be Sensitive to the Local Culture and Beliefs

This is very important especially if you are new to the community. Anything that you do, you must be sensitive to the local culture and beliefs. Do some research on the taboo in that community. If they find it offensive than avoid doing it. One example to this point is, when I was a waiter for a hotel that had just been taken over by an international chain. The Group General Manager, a foreigner insisted that for the new menu, we serve the local dishes in a wok. To the local community eating out of the wok was a taboo. We told him about this but he brushed it off, saying it was rubbish. We went ahead with this menu. The result of this action is that the locals avoided us and those that came were very annoyed. After a few bad reviews from the customers eventhough the food was great, the Group General Manager finally gave in to change the menu but it was too late. It took us another year to build back our local clientele. Even the design of your place or the uniform is also important. In the East Coast of Malaysia, the people there don`t take too kindly to their waitresses wearing revealing clothes. When I was working in Thailand, they have so much respect for their King and Queen to the extend that they don`t serve alcohol on the King`s and Queens` birthday.
Also if you know their culture you can use this to your advantage too. One episode of Restaurant Makeover, the designer found out that it was a culture for the Somalian families to dine together in a private dining area. So she created an area just for that. By the way they were making a Somalian restaurant. Well this a great customer service to the Somalian community.
All this means is that different cultures have different beliefs and taboos. In order to give great customer service and be on the good side of your customers, you must know what is the beliefs and taboo of the community around you. Even Sun Tzu has a verse for this in his Art of War. It goes like this
"We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps." Chapter VII. MANEUVERING Verse 13
To know more on how I use the Art of War, please click here. How I use the Art of War