Today was one of THOSE days! Ask me how I can tell. I called Victor’s Kafe, the local Greek place, to order my favorite salad–a large falafel salad. They have the best falafel around. The problem is that when I called my order in, the words that came out of my mouth sounded more like “gyros salad.” I didn’t realize what I had done until I paid for my order and then inspected it, only to realize that I had gyros.
I said something to the effect of “Wait, is this gyros? Did I say gyros when I meant falafel?” Dumbfounded at my actions, I awkwardly said, “Eh, that’s fine. I’ll eat the gyros.” I was prepared to walk out and would have enjoyed my lunch.
That’s when George swooped in and said, “Hey Jeremy! You never eat meat. If you want falafel, I’ll make you falafel. Guys, throw six falafel in the fryer for Jeremy. We’re making him a new salad.”
There are several things George executed perfectly in this exchange to knock my socks off as a customer. Let’s review:
1. Read And Listen To Your Customer- I was willing to settle and even be happy with the gyros, but George realized that wasn’t what I wanted. That’s called paying attention to the words and body language of the customer.
2. Know Your Customer- As a regular, George knew my name and he knew my regular order. Those two things keep loyal customers loyal.
3. Don’t Hesitate In Restoring Service- Without hesitation, George decided to make me a new salad. Employees that are empowered to think like an owner never hesitate to do right by the customer.
4. Never Blame The Customer- I was clearly to blame here. I ordered the wrong thing. I even validated with my colleagues upon returning to the office that I was definitely in the wrong. Did the Victor’s staff ever once mention that? Not a chance.
5. Never Let Your Customer Leave Unhappy- Have you ever heard the phrase “don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” Don’t let a customer leave your establishment until they are 100% satisfied.
Never underestimate the power of AWESOME customer service to move a customer from dread to delight. Like George and the crew at Victor’s Kafe, you can accomplish that in these five easy steps. The fact that I was in the wrong and still got what I wanted just made this loyal customer loyaler!
