Wow! …Simply Wow!
By Scott Gillespie
As I write this week’s article, my head is still shaking in amazement by the service I received today at a restaurant. Even if you are reading this a few days later, I assure you my head is still shaking in disbelief at the level to which my colleagues and I were treated over dinner.
This week we are talking about Wowing your customers way beyond their expectations. Let me set the stage…
I’m at a conference in Grand Rapids, MI for facilitators to provide training for new businesses and start-ups to help them build a thorough, comprehensive business plan that will provide a road map for their success. It is a fairly content rich, fast paced day full of great ideas and many a-ha moments.
At the end of the day, we left with that healthy, exhausted feeling that get when you accomplished a great deal, so we decide to check out a seafood restaurant a few blocks away to grab a bite to eat and unwind.
Now let me recreate for you this incredible service experience…
We walk into Charley’s Crab on the river in Grand Rapids and are greeted with a warm smile and “welcome!” But it was more than that. It was different. It was very genuine. Enough so that it tilted my head slightly to the left as I took notice. It was only a sign of things to come!
Being a nice spring evening we asked if we could sit out on the patio and they accommodated this request. Since the sun was starting to set, the hostess said she would also prepare a table inside in case the chill became too much and we wanted to move inside.
Next, Paul, our server - make that, our new friend - introduced himself, engaged us with a quick conversation, got us our drinks and proceeded to not just list the specials, but used this opportunity as a canvas on which to paint a mental image of not just what the specials were, but what his favorites are and why. At this point I’m ready for one of each!
He brings our appetizer and another fun story about the area. And it wasn’t awkward. It wasn’t like we weren’t waiting for him to finish so we could get back to our conversation. We hung on his every word with interest as genuine as the person telling it.
Next up were the entrees. They came to us as if prepared on one of those fancy chef shows you see on A&E with great detail in presentation that was exceeded only by its taste! Towards the end of the meal we experienced another genuine moment when the chef - our friend Brandon - came out to check on how he did with our dinner. It wasn’t a quick, “So how was it?” It was a genuine interest in how we felt about the meal. Once he was satisfied that we were satisfied, HE thanked US for the meal - as in he was genuinely thankful for the opportunity to serve us.
And yes, it gets better. After we were finished with our meal, our next new friend, Mike, the manager, came over to say hi and asked how everything was. Again, it was very genuine. He said that since everyone had a great time with us, they would like to serve us “the world’s best desert” on the house. How do you say “no” to that!? (FYI: It was up against some pretty stiff competition with a similar dessert I once had in Scottsdale, AZ but the crushed Heath bar put it over the top!)
After dessert, Paul returned with the tab and engaged us again with a great story about the two families of ducks that live on the bank of the river just below the patio on which we ate. The way he told the story, you’d swear they were part of his family.
The way we were treated the entire evening, you’d swear we were part of their family as well.
The “experience” was topped off with Mike giving a quick tour and brief history of the restaurant. From there, I am absolutely positive that Paul, Brandon and Mike continued on making friends and appreciating - genuinely appreciating - the opportunity to serve every single person at Charley’s Crab like family.
So why do you think I went to great lengths to paint this picture and share this experience with you? Well, the reason is two-fold.
First, no one at Charley’s Crab did anything procedurally different than any other decent restaurant. What they did do was take a routine trip for dinner and create an event, a memorable experience out of it; an experience that is still leaving my head shaking.
The second is to illustrate what can happen when you drop the jaws of your customers. How many people are reading about Charley’s Crab on the river in Grand Rapids, MI this week? Hundreds. Where do you think I will go back to eat the next time I am in Grand Rapids? Charley’s Crab on the river. Where do you think I will tell people to go if they are ever in Grand Rapids, MI? That’s right, Charley’s Crab on the river.
So here’s your $64,000 question: What are you doing to cause your customer’s heads to shake?
Now, Go Get ‘Em!!
By Scott Gillespie
As I write this week’s article, my head is still shaking in amazement by the service I received today at a restaurant. Even if you are reading this a few days later, I assure you my head is still shaking in disbelief at the level to which my colleagues and I were treated over dinner.
This week we are talking about Wowing your customers way beyond their expectations. Let me set the stage…
I’m at a conference in Grand Rapids, MI for facilitators to provide training for new businesses and start-ups to help them build a thorough, comprehensive business plan that will provide a road map for their success. It is a fairly content rich, fast paced day full of great ideas and many a-ha moments.
At the end of the day, we left with that healthy, exhausted feeling that get when you accomplished a great deal, so we decide to check out a seafood restaurant a few blocks away to grab a bite to eat and unwind.
Now let me recreate for you this incredible service experience…
We walk into Charley’s Crab on the river in Grand Rapids and are greeted with a warm smile and “welcome!” But it was more than that. It was different. It was very genuine. Enough so that it tilted my head slightly to the left as I took notice. It was only a sign of things to come!
Being a nice spring evening we asked if we could sit out on the patio and they accommodated this request. Since the sun was starting to set, the hostess said she would also prepare a table inside in case the chill became too much and we wanted to move inside.
Next, Paul, our server - make that, our new friend - introduced himself, engaged us with a quick conversation, got us our drinks and proceeded to not just list the specials, but used this opportunity as a canvas on which to paint a mental image of not just what the specials were, but what his favorites are and why. At this point I’m ready for one of each!
He brings our appetizer and another fun story about the area. And it wasn’t awkward. It wasn’t like we weren’t waiting for him to finish so we could get back to our conversation. We hung on his every word with interest as genuine as the person telling it.
Next up were the entrees. They came to us as if prepared on one of those fancy chef shows you see on A&E with great detail in presentation that was exceeded only by its taste! Towards the end of the meal we experienced another genuine moment when the chef - our friend Brandon - came out to check on how he did with our dinner. It wasn’t a quick, “So how was it?” It was a genuine interest in how we felt about the meal. Once he was satisfied that we were satisfied, HE thanked US for the meal - as in he was genuinely thankful for the opportunity to serve us.
And yes, it gets better. After we were finished with our meal, our next new friend, Mike, the manager, came over to say hi and asked how everything was. Again, it was very genuine. He said that since everyone had a great time with us, they would like to serve us “the world’s best desert” on the house. How do you say “no” to that!? (FYI: It was up against some pretty stiff competition with a similar dessert I once had in Scottsdale, AZ but the crushed Heath bar put it over the top!)
After dessert, Paul returned with the tab and engaged us again with a great story about the two families of ducks that live on the bank of the river just below the patio on which we ate. The way he told the story, you’d swear they were part of his family.
The way we were treated the entire evening, you’d swear we were part of their family as well.
The “experience” was topped off with Mike giving a quick tour and brief history of the restaurant. From there, I am absolutely positive that Paul, Brandon and Mike continued on making friends and appreciating - genuinely appreciating - the opportunity to serve every single person at Charley’s Crab like family.
So why do you think I went to great lengths to paint this picture and share this experience with you? Well, the reason is two-fold.
First, no one at Charley’s Crab did anything procedurally different than any other decent restaurant. What they did do was take a routine trip for dinner and create an event, a memorable experience out of it; an experience that is still leaving my head shaking.
The second is to illustrate what can happen when you drop the jaws of your customers. How many people are reading about Charley’s Crab on the river in Grand Rapids, MI this week? Hundreds. Where do you think I will go back to eat the next time I am in Grand Rapids? Charley’s Crab on the river. Where do you think I will tell people to go if they are ever in Grand Rapids, MI? That’s right, Charley’s Crab on the river.
So here’s your $64,000 question: What are you doing to cause your customer’s heads to shake?
Now, Go Get ‘Em!!
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Issue #58 ~ May 18, 2010 Printer friendly PDF file
