Real World Story: This year I’ve presented many dinner programs for healthcare workers at upscale restaurants. The service I’ve received at these high-end establishments has been mixed—from BAD to best. On one occasion, however, I had an experience to remember.
The second I walked into Capital Grille, I was greeted by a smiling hostess who immediately asked how she could 
assist me. I told her about my evening’s speaking event, so she asked a coworker to personally escort me to my meeting room. He graciously accepted the task from the hostess and kindly led me to my room. As soon as I entered the meeting room, a wait staff person introduced himself and his co-worker and explained they would be serving the event attendees that evening. Both gentlemen staffers were dressed professionally and wore name badges that were easy to read. Wait staffer Michael asked how and when I wanted the evening meal served. He and his coworker were extremely accommodating and friendly to me, each other, and especially all of my attendees throughout my entire speaking engagement. When serving and clearing tables, they were quiet, tactful, and respectful of my attendees and me.
When guests needed to visit the restroom, instead of pointing down the hall to its location, wait staff instead directly walked attendees to their destination.
From the minute I entered the room to the second I ended the evening program, staff were attentive, friendly, accommodating, and professional. They had met the promises and expectations they set on their website: “With service as gracious as it is attentive, we look forward to impressing you.” And was I ever impressed!
Strategies that Turn it Around:
Things Capital Grille did right:
- Immediately acknowledged customers with a smile and greeting
- Personally escorted customers to their destinations
- Explained the process to customers to avoid unmet expectations
- Accommodated the specific needs of all customers
- Wore name badges that were easy to read
- Dressed professionally, acted tactfully, and were extremely respectful
Remember: When customers feel their needs are important and taken care of and they FEEL special, they will remember you and talk about you to others. Invest a bit of capital of time, focus, and commitment to each and every customer each time to positively affect your bottom line. And that’s capital you can bank on.
What do YOU do to focus on each customer each time? Please share your stories and comments.