By Bryan Williams
February 2010
Years ago, when I reported for my first day of work as a
restaurant busboy, the maitre’d said something to me that I have never
forgotten. He said, “I want you to work in this restaurant like you own
it”. I
remember thinking…”what on earth does he mean by that?” Not long
thereafter,
the implication hit me, and I never looked at a job the same again.
Working
like you own it means that you take pride in your work, and will never
allow
yourself to give anything less than excellence every time. In
The
Greatest Bellman I Ever Met, I wrote about a bellman who took
immense pride
in his job. His service not only made you feel like royalty, but his
genuine
passion for his job was very obvious. As we begin 2010, let us examine
the
specific qualities that allow such service superstars to shine.
- Service superstars take pride in
their personal appearance. If you look impeccable, you feel impeccable,
and if you feel impeccable, you serve impeccably. It’s as simple as
that. Although many businesses have a dress code, it is always evident
which employees takes pride in how they look (regardless if the uniform
is a t-shirt & jeans or a suit).
- When service superstars begin
their shift, the fundamental question they ask themselves is…”how and
who will I wow today?” One housekeeping room attendant took it upon
herself to frame the personal pictures of a guest who was staying in
the hotel for close to one month. A doorman decided to research and
find a book that he overheard a guest had been looking for (for several
years). A front desk agent ordered a birthday cake for a business
traveler who was traveling alone.
- They identify customer
preferences, act on them, and share them with teammates. Service
superstars know that it is not enough for only them to know
preferences, they want everyone on their team to know. Whether it’s a
preferred name or a food/beverage choice, acting on preferences helps
to personalize the service experience.
- Superstars have personal service
standards that articulate their individual approach to service.
Whether it is standing up from behind a desk to shake hands, offering
to escort a customer, or sending a personal follow-up note card, the
personal service standards are a key piece to the service excellence
puzzle.
- When they receive a complaint, they take ownership of the
complaint, ensure it gets fixed and follows-through until its
resolved (to the customer’s satisfaction). They don’t hope that the
customers complain to someone else, and they definitely don’t blame
other departments. Service superstars take ownership.
Above all, “taking ownership” means you have
vested interest
in the business. You make suggestions, you identify common service
errors, you
take initiative, and you think of innovative ways to attract &
retain
customers. In short, you are NOT just a warm body taking up space and
collecting a paycheck. You are more than that. You are a service
superstar.
Action Steps
As we all know, it’s one thing to plan, but
it’s another to
actually do. So here are 4 easy action-steps that can help you get this
year
started right!
- Make a list of 3 things to do
over the next week to “Wow” your customers. Then make another list of 3
things to “Wow” your team mates. Start
“Wowing”!
- Identify a customer preference,
act on it, and share it with your team. Be sure to challenge your team
to act on the preference as well.
- Recognize a team mate for a job
well done. For recognition to matter, the
key is to find out how that specific person likes to be recognized.
- Write 3 personal service standards
and share with your immediate supervisor and your team. Use the personal commitment card
for this activity!
Complimentary resources from B.Williams Enterprise, LLC
Monthly Newsletter: Get a complimentary subscription
to our monthly “Bonus Tips” newsletter.
Bryan writes articles on how to
create a
culture of world-class service and those articles are featured each
month in
“Bonus Tips”.
Click
here to subscribe!
Weekly “Service Tips” Textmarks: This innovative (and
complimentary)
service will allow you to receive one weekly service tip in the form of
a text
message from Bryan K. Williams of B.Williams Enterprise. The text
messages will be sent every Sunday, and
Bryan
will issue a very specific and practical challenge for you to complete
during
the week. This is a great way to stay on track and focus on
building a
team of service professionals who are eager to provide world-class
service.
Click
here to
learn more and to subscribe!
Presentation Clip: A new presentation clip has been
uploaded to our
website. The clip is an excerpt from a keynote presentation
Bryan did in
October
2009.
Click
here to
watch Bryan explain the Double Platinum Rule!
“I thoroughly
enjoyed Bryan’s
presentation on “Seven Principals to
Fully Engage Your Customer”. Bryan
engages his audience and provides excellent tools for you to implement
into
your team’s training. This is service training at an
extraordinary level,
the level we all want our service to be at!”
Becky Leuluai
Spa Director, Spa
Luana at Turtle
Bay Resort
“Bryan Williams was the perfect partner
to assist us in
raising the service levels at our resort. He is energetic, direct and
offers
solutions that are easy to implement. He helped us incorporate or
vision,
mission and core values into our pursuit of
world-class service. In our
journey to provide excellence in everything we do, we
found it
in Bryan Williams”.
Rob Howell
General Manager, Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort
