WHNetwork Blog

They're Talking About You... Who? Your customers of course! We all know that customers who have a poor experience talk about it to far more people than those who have a good experience, it's just human nature. And these days, they yelp about it as well! Social media has added a whole new dimension to 'spreading the word,' and often that word is damaging. And what's worse, most of the time you don't even realize that you had an unhappy customer. If you had known, then you would have had the opportunity to turn it around - before they started talking - or writing! - to anyone who would listen, or read. There are posts like this all over the various social networking sites: And people don't just use review sites, but the word might be spreading other places as well, places where you won't be able to see it and comment, such as facebook: What's a business to do? Well, if you want to know what your customers think, the best way is to ask them. You can't assume that an unhappy customer will let you know, all over food blogs and social media I see quotes - all in relation to bad experiences - such as these: "I tend to be non-confrontational, so I’m more likely to just never come back than to actually make a complaint unless I literally cannot eat the food." "...and I just didn’t bother to complain." "...we couldn’t even find someone to complain to." "Sometimes my order will be completely messed up and I won’t say anything about it. I don’t like confrontation." Personally, I don't care for customer feedback cards that are either placed on the table or given out with the check. In one restaurant,I were supposed to leave it with the server. What if it was the server I was unhappy with? Many people prefer not having to complain face to face, or may not wish to take the time if they are busy - or you are. On the other had, there is so much to be gained by doing online customer satisfaction surveys, including ease, cost and timeliness. A small business can gain extremely useful information; for example, a newly opened restaurant can find out how the customers found them, what they liked best, and whether they'll come back for more; perhaps saving them valuable advertising dollars. An analysis by Fred Reichheld, author of Loyalty Rules, found that even a 5% increase in customer retention rates will result in a 25% to 95% increase in profits (depending on the business). It definitely pays off to keep customers happy enough to return. Best to start asking your customers what they think, before you're confronted with a yelp such as this: People are already talking. Your only option is to join the conversation. And to ask their opinion - before they share it with others. - Margie Do you need a custom guest satisfaction survey? Call me at 707-933-0687 or email me! Connect with me on WineAndHospitalityNetwork.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare or GoogleBuzz!

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Last week we talked about "standing out in a sea of sameness" and how important it is to ask your customers what they think. (Go here to read the article -scroll down to see all of your comments). I mentioned several very small details I have encountered that made me either come back to - or stay away from - local restaurants. I find it fascinating how very minor details can swing an experience from favorable to not, and vice versa. And the fact is most of us are quite fickle. Especially in lean times, people may not be willing to risk another trip to your establishment if they were not thrilled with their previous experience.

We talked about why it's important to engage your customer to get their feedback, perhaps through an online customer satisfaction survey. OK, so now you are on board; you are actively asking your customers for feedback (feedback of any kind mind you, not just confirmation that you are doing a good job). Now that you have asked, and you have your customer's feedback, what do you do with it?

I believe that you look for different types of information. The first would be anyone who has had a less than fantastic experience. Although many people would agree with this, it is also human nature to put off the unpleasant tasks for later. Don't. Immediately contact anyone who has not had a stellar experience. Why? First of all, they can provide you with details of what may be going wrong: with your service, staff, products, etc. and you can immediately correct it. Second, but just as important, you have a magnificent opportunity to save a customer; perhaps even win a customer for life!

When you contact your customer (and the sooner the better), here are some easy steps to follow:

1. Listen completely/Let them vent.

Give them your complete attention. Don't interrupt, don't explain, don't defend or justify what happened. It doesn't matter why the problem occurred and they don't need your side of the story.

2. Apologize (sincerely).

Many managers don't like to apologize, especially if they feel they (or their staff) were not at fault. If it was your or your staff's fault, acknowledge it! If not, apologize anyway; you don't have to take blame for causing the problem, you are simply apologizing for the customer having a bad experience. And remember: you never know what else has happened in a person's day, be empathetic.

3. Make it right.

There are two trains of thought on this one. The first is to ask the customer what it will take to make it right. Personally, I disagree with that approach. For myself, it makes me feel put on the spot, and I dislike "asking for something." I think the manager should volunteer what they think is right, and should make it above and beyond simply fixing what went wrong.

4. Thank the customer for taking the time to talk to you and sharing their experience (and for their patronage)!

And invite them back...

Now that you have dealt with the issues, it is time for rewards. What did the customer(s) rave about? This is a great time to reinforce and reward staff behavior. Did a server receive compliments? Pass them on - in front of all the staff! Did the customer adore a particular dish? Compliment the back of house - in front of all the staff! (You may even wish to implement an informal formalized reward system).

Next - what about the ideas, thoughts and opinions you have received? You know: "The music was too loud," "The lights were too low," "I hate Sushi," "The service took too long," and on and on. Do you immediately react and change things? Do you lower the music? Turn up the lights? Change the menu?

Not so fast...

It is imperative to know what your concept is - and is not. Do you have a written concept statement? If not, you may want to consider writing one. A concept statement defines your concept: The look, atmosphere, food, service style, target audience, etc. And it can help keep you on track.

Let me tell you a story that was told to me by a friend, who had been in multi-unit management for the concept in this story. They began, as every concept does, with one unit. They were hip, they were cutting edge. The music was loud, the servers edgy, the food casual, yet popular with the young crowd that frequented the place. It was hit. So they did what many people do with a hit - they grew the company.

Some interesting things happened along the way. The young hipsters that started the company got a bit older... married... maybe had a kid or two. Then one of them noticed. Hey this music is too loud for a baby's ears! And there aren't any high chairs! And what is little Suzie supposed to eat? We need a child's menu! And on and on it went. A new HR Manual came out: no body piercing, no visible tattoos, you must look "professional" after all, this is a family joint! (Or wait a minute? Is it?)

Sales went down, down, down. Why? They weren't true to their concept. Sure, they gained some new customers along the way. But at the same time, they alienated their core audience. They lost focus of who they were. And their customers didn't seem to know anymore either.

Prior to making any decision regarding your concept, you need to first ask yourself one question: "Will this support what our concept is?" If you are a sushi restaurant, and you get feedback from someone who doesn't like sushi, you could add other choices to your menu. Or you could just accept that people who don't like sushi aren't your target market. If you are the Hard Rock Café, you don’t play Barry Manilow. Or ban body piercing, unnatural hair color and tattoos. The more you do to appeal to those who aren't your target market, the more diluted your concept becomes.

What are your experiences? What decisions have you made that were right? Which ones would you make differently if you could do it all again? Email me!

-Margie

If you are not currently actively seeking your customers' feedback or need help with a customized guest satisfaction survey - call me at 707-933-0687 or email me.

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Well said Margie. Too often, to solve a problem in business we want to "drive" the customer in a certain direction and we forget about treating them as a fellow human being, listening carefully, empathizing and then remedying and addressing the cause of the negative feedback. Some new tools are now available in the market for restaurateurs to use to make it easy for the customer to give their feedback. There are the traditional comment cards and 800 phone numbers and of course web surveys to elicit this all important feedback. The ubiquitous use of mobile phones now provides a real-time channel to obtain this feedback in a discreet manner, while the customer is still in the restaurant. Too often, the customer does not want to deal with a direct confrontation to complain about an issue, so they bottle it up, get out and just don't ever come back. If they use any modern tools on the web and in the blogosphere, they will vent negatively to everyone they know and more! Not a good situation for the reputation of your establishment. You typically need to be able to provide the customers with more than one channel to provide this critical feedback to you. Of course this should be low cost and not an additional data collection and assimilation burden on the business. It also should make it easy for the staff and management to address issues quickly and effectively. Research also shows that if you can achieve a quick resolution of an issue with customer, you have a great chance to change the situation of the customer being a detractor of your brand and converting them into a strong promoter. Check out a product suite called Txtandtell that uses the mobile channel to do this at http://www.txtandtell.com

Carl Mostert
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Margie,

I am going to have to take this and pass it on internally. Too good not to use and as the guy managing the feedback process at Ted's (an interesting job for the IT guy), it will help us to jump start our customer service policies refresh.
Thanks for doing my job for me.

David Curtis

I hadn't planned on a follow-up to last week's topic, "Is there such thing as too much guest service?" However, given the vast amount of responses I received it seems warranted. The question will remain though -- how do you measure what your guests think?

When I wrote the article, I wondered if it I was only who felt the way I did. After all, I really haven't heard this being discussed; have not been aware of this even being on the radar. However, based on your comments, perhaps it should be. It also made me wonder if the same is true in restaurants. Are customers leaving your place for the place next door because you're providing "too much" service?

I know that one thing that makes me avoid frequenting a restaurant is aggressive plate clearing. Yet it happens, if not constantly, then at least regularly. Does this happen to you? (Or is your restaurant guilty?) You are enjoying a course, enjoying the company, and in the middle of it, the server or busser asks, "May I take your plate?" No, actually, you may not. You see, I am still eating! While I can forgive it once, when it happens a second time, and I am still not done, I begin to find it annoying, intrusive.

Even worse, is when they actually take your plate, and you were not done. Perhaps you excused yourself for a moment, or even just turned your head. You turn around, and your dish is gone! I have actually had half an entrée removed, when I was nowhere near done. I relayed this to the server and was told "Sorry." I haven't been back to that establishment. Was this at your restaurant? How would you know?

I believe this type of treatment/training is due to two things: 1. Trying to turn tables. That requires a very fine balance however. Turn them too fast for the guests and they may turn that night -- but the guests won't be back. Turn them too slow and you may not maximize your revenue. 2. Doing the wrong thing for the right reason. Guests don't want to sit around all night with dirty plates and left over food around them, so you train your staff to get those dirty plates off the table! However, in the zealous desire to get it right, it has gone too far.

If I am finished eating, I will put my napkin across the plate, put my silverware upside down across the plate, push the plate away from me, tell the server/busser that I am finished; or possibly any combination of these. If none of these has happened please do not ask if I am finished -- or worse -- just remove the plate. (Taking a break from eating is not a sign of being finished!)

Here are some of your comments (quite condensed, to read all/full comments, please go to the bottom of the article on this page):

PS -- See if you pick up on the "Safeway" theme as well -- perhaps they need to read this article -- and your comments!

"I have worked in hospitality for a long time including serving at dinners for a winery. We do service overload, but it's not our fault. What happens is the winery overbooks staff for the dinner; so really, there is not much to do but to stand around. The managers freak out because we aren't working so they say, "Go check their water!" "Go fluff their napkins!" Our poor guests are constantly interrupted while we do ridiculous things to look busy. Managers need to realize that sometimes there is nothing to do and that guests should not have to sacrifice their dining experience so that the servers and staff can look busy!"

Becky, Small Lot Wine Tours
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"I was at a very well-known national rent-a-car agency in Denver a year ago. I was waiting in a very long line and had plenty of time to notice everything. At every single place at the counter each agent was clumsily reaching over the computer to shake hands with the next-up person in line. The line is long and they're shaking hands! I don't want to shake hands with a car rental agent and chit-chat!

The truth is - they don't care where I'm going and they don't care if I've been there before. Corporate America has incorporated insincerity into their business model. They don't get that good personality, not fake interest, is appreciated. They don't get that a genuine good sense of humor goes a long way. They don't get that efficiency and fast problem solving makes all the difference in the world to us.

Out here in the west, Safeway started the obnoxious practice of having every single stock person ask if I was "finding everything ok today"? I must have answered that question 7 times in a shopping visit! Do they think I wouldn't ask them if I couldn't find something?!! That's over-kill, and that makes me uncomfortable."

Steve Garman, Reno, Nevada
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"I'm thinking there are definitely different strokes for different folks. I'm with you in the way you felt after describing your experience. However, I know numerous people who would love that kind of attention, and even some who would expect it."

Dave Ashcroft
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"I, too, recently experienced over-solicitous behavior at The Mark in San Francisco. I love this old place and was attending a conference there. I pulled up to unload three boxes and could have taken a moment (no other cars around) and taken two and then one on my own. But the valet brought the huge brass wheelie thing and oh, this and oh, that. At that moment I decided to park there (huge $$) and followed him inside.

I, too, appreciate help, but clearly he hung near me (while 5 people looked on) until I reached for my wallet. That is part of the drill in the hotel/motel environ, I am just glad I had some cash on me! Anywhere you go these days you have to be firm and be willing to say, "No, thank you" otherwise one can go broke with tipping (which I am not adverse to. I think you KNOW what I mean here).

PS - At Safeway if you ask where the butter is they will drag themselves from whatever they are doing and fling themselves down the aisle to get you to that all-important product, even if you say, 'You can simply tell me.'"

Lin A. Lacombe, Communications Consultants, Your Strategic Partner in Communications Public Relations and Marketing & Literary Publicity
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"This is interesting to me to read this because - just this past October/November, I was in India and had this same experience at every better hotel we stayed in. I thought it was just India, trying so hard. I agree with you completely, I would not like this much hovering in the United States. I don't even like being escorted to another aisle in Safeway."

Juanita Poulis
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I know what you're talking about. And, yes, it does make you feel uncomfortable, especially if you're not dishing up 20 dollar bills to all these people 'helping' you -at least that's what their behavior makes you think you should be doing. I thought I'd corroborate your story because I work in a high-end luxury hotel (Wine Director) and I still feel the same way when I travel to places that do this. Thanks for letting it out of the bag. I'm going to share your point with our GM, to make sure we're not doing it."

Michele
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"I stayed at the Marriott Downtown LA for business very recently, and had exactly this type of experience with the personnel from A to Z. Could this be a California thing?? Or are they not busy enough in this economy and therefore have more time to devote to customers?"

Maïa
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"I always think when this happens to me, that someone is looking for a hefty tip. I find this does tend to happen in more mid smaller boutique hotels.....and I feel the same as you, I know how to operate the air conditioning and can find the mini bar. It turns me off."

Nancy Gorshe, Owner/Manager, The DEPOT Restaurant, Historic Seaview, Washington
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"I think that's a fantastic topic to broach. I used to work at a local 5 Star Diamond Resort. We also gave room tours to each guest, it was meant to be an extra special touch, but, like you, it felt awkward. People know how to use a bed, and a remote for goodness sakes!

In the wine industry, I don't think it is possible to over-deliver on customer service. Teaching people about wine, pairing it with cheeses, carrying their purchases to the car, offering other wineries to visit is all part of the normal service.

I've gone tasting hundreds upon hundreds of times, and have never felt that I received over-the-top customer service. Have you ever experienced this in a tasting room?"

Brandy Bell, Wine Club & Marketing Manager, Donati Family Vineyard
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-Margie

Do you need a customized guest satisfaction survey? It is a cliche to say the 'you can't afford not too,' however, in some instances it is true. In economically scary times it is even more important than ever (although we believe it is always important) to know what you are doing right, what you aren't, and to have the opportunity to win back those you may have made a mistake with; perhaps even making them 'customers for life.' A well designed survey will more than pay for itself, it may save your business. Call me and tell about your business, and let's see how I can help. Extremely cost effective and cost competitive. 707-933-0687 or OTLConsulting.com