Happy Halloween! It is indeed October 31 already! Now, many of you are familiar with The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde, the riveting, classic novella about split personality. It was vividly written by Robert Louis Stevenson in the 1880’s. It was the book to read in the late 19th Century, one of his most famous works.
But this is a Halloween “blog-ella” about the Jekyll and Hyde of customer service. Have you ever gone to a local restaurant for the very first time where the wait staff seems to be trained by Hyde Service School? Every employee shares the same common temperament of indifference with a touch of rudeness. They do not seem to want to be at work. There are very few patrons in the establishment, and it is no wonder. It is your last visit.
A couple of weeks go by and you decide to go out again. You visit another local restaurant for the first time. You notice right away that this dinner is different. This time it seems, the staff has been personally trained by Dr. Jekyll himself. Not only do the employees exceed expectations, they all actually seem to enjoy what they do. When they run out of a beverage a customer has requested, they substitute another that is more expensive at no charge. Some tables receive free appetizers just to try. Although it is a fairly new restaurant, it is quickly building the reputation for excellence. You are hooked and will be back.
How can one restaurant a mile from another be so completely different? The answer is very simple. It is all about the people and the process. If you find upbeat, friendly people who love to put in a day’s work, you will attract the best customers as well. These customers are the ones who, even in this economy, will be back time and again. People willingly pay for outstanding service and entertainment.
Jekyll service is special. Will Hyde businesses eventually ”jekyll” themselves into an environment of service excellence? It is tough to change culture. Customer Service is doing the right thing at the right time. Not everyone wants to do it.
This post is shared with you by the good folks at Dale Carnegie Training of Central & Southern New Jersey. We would love to connect with you on Facebook.