A while ago, I wrote about having a horrendous customer service experience at a wine bar. The gist of the story is that my boyfriend and I walked in, sat within clear view of a waitress, waited 20 minutes and then received a menu. The waitress proceeded to walk out and never come back. After 45 minutes, we decided to walk home. However, I have gone a few times since then (it’s walking distance, I had to give it another try) and my experiences have been much better. Each time I have gone back, they have done at least three things to improve my experience.
Immediate Greeting. Always greet your customers immediately, even if they’re on the phone. The phone should almost never go to a voicemail, get put on hold, or ring 20 times before you speak to someone. Find out how you can assist your customers.
Make the experience personal. Yes, I’ll admit that they know my name now. But the staff pays attention to me if I’m going to have a big bill or not.
Apologize for the previous experience. I spoke with the owner and another bar tender about my horrible service there. They said they were so sorry, that they have received other complaints and are working on the issue.
It’s nice to know that service is not completely static. It’s dynamic…it has to be, and change with customer needs.
Have you had a poor customer service experience, but the business used it as a learning opportunity?