So what is at the essence of customer service? Tim Stephen of Marchday tells the story of how a restaurant managed to take him on a roller coaster of service….. but what will his conclusion be?
The story starts over the phone; ” I was particularly excited about the new White Brasserie (www.whitebrasserie.com) on the High Street in Teddington, as it was a new Raymond Blanc concept distilling all the best things in his other restaurants into a simple modern dinning experience. When I booked the front of house staff were very efficient and happy to help as a consequence my expectation of the style of service was crystallised and heightened”
He went on to say; ” and when I arrived I was not disappointed at all, the friendly chatty member of bar staff, the decor and ambience were all excellent. However, two small issues arose that started eroding my experience, one of which, ironically, was not related directly to me as a customer. Strangely the interaction between the management team and the staff was not very comfortable . There were a couple of comments that made me feel uncomfortable for the staff, this was further re-enforced when the manager that showed us to our table pointed towards the coat racks rather than taking our coats”
This highlights a key customer service danger for all companies aspiring to deliver the highest levels of service, it is very easy to set out your standards however if they are not reached at each and every stage of the service, there is a chance of being hung by the very same standards. Although the (first) incident with the staff member was not an direct customer service issue, it effects the customers in a negative way.
He continued; “this is when all is forgiven! The waitress (Laura) was fantastic and the food was first class. The service was at the right P.A.C.E!-Positive,Attentive,Courteous and Eloquent, the perfect mixture. Even though it was getting late, desert and coffee were not pushed on us. We left the restaurant very happy”
So the overall experience for Tim ended up as a positive one. The people on the ground were able to deliver on their side of the bargain and ultimately that is what it is all about. The White Brasserie by luck or design was able turn a potential disappointment to a success from the bottom upwards!
