Ho‘ohana Aloha

Another on wonder from Seth Godin, bringing this concern back to our working/consuming generations and our need for more visionary thinking.

As an aside, I was thinking the same thing about Costco on our last visit there. They have so much buying clout and geographic reach, and yet they do such a lousy job at bringing seasonal goodness to our local shelves. Visiting them is often so much of the same just-okay-ness and mediocrity.

After my last Managing with Aloha presentation, a woman who spoke up in our question and dialogue to follow offered: She’s always felt the basic training she got in the hotel hospitality business while a teenager has had a lasting effect on her, and the service she continues to give - and expect from others. This reminded me of that, and I really must agree:

bobulate:

Hannah Howard at Serious Eats on the Dos and Dont’s of Serving, but really, substitute “menu” for design services or “kitchen” and “menu” for other words germane to your business, and this is a list for much more than just restaurants:

• Do develop razor-sharp people-reading intuition.
• Do know your restaurant’s menu and wine list like the back of your hand.
• Do check with the kitchen.
• Don’t patronize.
• Don’t ignore anyone, even if you’re so deep in the shits you’re going to scream.
• Don’t ever tell someone “you have to order with your server,” or something to that tune.
• It’s painfully obvious that chatting with your coworkers and texting where guests can see you are big don’ts.
• Also prominent on my don’t list: throwing down a plate in front of someone.
• Do be you.
• Do enjoy yourself.

Have always thought that taking orders and working tables would be good onboarding for anyone working in client services.

Simon Sinek makes a good distinction here: Talk about it in your next Ho‘okipa huddle.

Good customer service is not always saying yes and is not promising the customer whatever he or she wants simply because they ask. Good customer service is being honest, never promising what you personally can’t deliver and then going out of your way to provide the best possible option.

What makes good customer service good is the surprise that you were able to provide a better outcome than expected, not the disappointment that you couldn’t do what you promised.