At the weekend we decided to go to a hotel and have a meal, to give my wife a break from cooking a Sunday roast and spend time with my Mum. We went to a place we hadn’t been before and it was a great choice. The venue had loads of character, it was spacious and the interior was decorated with interesting paintings and memorabilia.
The only thing, that let the experience down, was the customer service. From the minute we arrived, something was missing. The initial welcome was ok but then immediately impacted when I mentioned we had booked a table. The guy went into process mode and went around the corner to a computer, which was running slowly, and, eventually processed us, before offering us drinks and then leading us to a table!
Once seated, we were given menus and then the waitress left us. Nothing was shared about the specials board or about the menu itself and we were left to our own devices. When the waitress returned she took our orders and left, but I still felt that something was lacking.
When the meals came out the waiter said “Chicken” “Beef” and delivered the plates to the relevant “Yes please” – it was shocking.
When we finished, we sat for around 15 minutes with empty glasses and our food eaten, no-one noticed. No-one returned to ask if everything was okay, no-one came to take the plates or to ask if we wanted refills or deserts. Eventually, I went to the bar to ask for the bill and it was obvious that the place was running with minimal staffing.
When it was my turn to be served the person asked “How was everything?” and I responded “Great thanks!” I think that it was just a standard question and the guy didn’t really want real, honest feedback but I didn’t offer it either. Maybe I couldn’t be bothered and just wanted to get to the car, who knows!
The thing is though, how can they ever improve their service if they don’t know how bad it was? If everyone says “It was great” why would they change anything?
It would have been so easy to make that experience a better one for us all. It only needed some basic, pleasant conversations, someone to smile, make us feel welcome and pay us some attention. All the things you would expect, if you went to a hotel for lunch.
I wonder if the staff there have just got tired of doing their jobs. Maybe they are bored of serving people and want something different in their lives. Whatever the reason, I don’t plan on returning any time soon. I might have been the only person feeling like that on Sunday, but I doubt it. I wonder what the long term impact will be if a few people left feeling the same way I did and this is the normal experience for guests.
It wouldn’t have taken much to change things, even if they were short staffed. Positive body language, a smile and a warm welcome, would have taken just as much energy as a stomp and a frown!
When I do my work, I have to give 100% and deliver everything to the best of my ability. It doesn’t matter if I’m having a bad day, no-one will notice. If I couldn’t do that, I wouldn’t be at work in the first place. I know, by doing a bad job, it could damage client relationships and our reputation, which is not what we want.
On your bad days, what impact could you be having on others? How do you get yourself ‘match fit and ready to work’ every day?
How would your last customer, colleague or employee describe their recent experience with you?
Have a great week – if you don’t feel like being at work, pretend you do!