News for the Hospitality Executive |
Service Excellence: Lessons from a 5 Star/5 Diamond Restaurant
July 9, 2012 Years ago, I heard a French wine maker say, “Good is not good enough; in fact, it has to be perfect all the time”. He was referring to the detail and care that goes into growing grapes at his winery. That one quote captures the essence of what a 5-star/5-diamond restaurant strives for. I recently dined at Lautrec, which is a 5-star/5-diamond restaurant at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, PA. While I have dined in exceptional restaurants in the past, this was among the best in the world, by far. So, in the spirit of Give.Share.Teach, I would like to highlight some key points that anyone (in any industry) can learn from Lautrec. Reverence One of the first things customers should notice is that they are the absolute focus of your team’s attention. At Lautrec, I felt like I was the guest of honor at a high-profile gala. The beautiful thing is that I am sure that every guest felt that way also. Being a 5 star/5 diamond restaurant means that you have a laser-like focus on whomever you happen to be serving at the moment; whether it is for 15 seconds or 15 minutes. *Discuss
this question with your
team: What can you and your team
do to make your customer’s feel like they are the guest of honor at a
banquet?
Personal Touches At Lautrec, the attention-to-detail is key. For example, my name was printed on the menu. Beyond looking “cool”, the customized menu signified that they were prepared for me and cared enough to add a special touch. Again, every guest received this. You see, it’s not enough to be exemplary every now and then. 5-star/5-diamond means that you are exemplary ALL the time. To a certain degree, you have to maintain a binary view of the products and services you offer. They should be either exceptional, or completely poor. When you are trying to deliver a world-class service experience, it can be dangerous to have gray areas. Those gray areas can easily multiply and infect other services and products that you are offering. *Discuss
this question with your
team: How can you and your team customize the experience more
for your
customers?
Knowledge At Lautrec, my server literally knew everything about everything on the menu. When I asked him about champagne, he told me about the taste, the region the grapes were grown, the temperature and a little story about the winemaker. When I asked about a salad item, he went into similar and exciting detail. The server spoke about garden greens like they were the greatest creation of mankind. He was not only very knowledgeable, but he was happy to be very knowledgeable. True service professionals stand out from the crowd because of their commitment to excellence. *Discuss
this question with your
team: What information should everyone on your team know about
their
profession, company, and industry?
Gracious Goodbye At Lautrec, the farewell experience was just as memorable as the welcoming experience. I received a tour of the kitchen and the culinary staff was waiting to greet and thank me for coming in. At the end of the tour, the chef signed the menu, then rolled it up like a scroll as a memento. *Discuss
this question with your
team: How can you and your team enhance the farewell experience?
Not everyone is willing to work in an environment where excellence is expected every day. That statement is true for both leaders and line staff. As an employee, you have to bring a certain amount of innate passion, pride and professionalism to the job. As a leader, you must have an eye for detail, expect excellence every day, and maintain a healthy intolerance for mediocrity. But above all, a leader in a 5-star/5-diamond caliber team MUST model the service they expect to see. Perhaps the biggest lesson I took from Lautrec is that there is something special and inspiring about caring deeply for your craft. That caring is manifested through reverence, personal touches and being knowledgeable, among other things. Good is not good enough; in fact, it has to be perfect all the time. Thanks so much for your
presentation on '"Delivering
World Class Service" at our recent Officers' Meeting.
You delivered a terrific presentation with
great energy, great humor and great points.
It was important for our group to be reminded of some of
the important
fundamental principles of client service but also to learn new concepts
like
your "Double-Platinum
Rule" and your distinction between function
and purpose. Thanks again. We look forward to working with you again in
the near future.
I wanted to thank you for the
excellent presentation my
Tasting Room Staff attended in Sonoma this past Spring! We are true
“double
platinum” believers and still feel energized by your positive
messaging. We are
entering high season this month and I see the extra bit of effort each
server
extends when they step out on the floor. Engaged, Own it, and Double
Platinum
is all we have to say to each other to step it up. Very powerful!
--Kristin
Wastell, Ravenswood WineryAbout Bryan K. Williams Dr. Bryan K. Williams is the Chief Service Officer of B.Williams Enterprise, and the author of Engaging Service: 22 Ways to Become a Service Superstar and Work Like You Own It! 20 Ways to Go From Meeting to Exceeding Your Customers’ Expectations. Bryan’s passion is world-class customer service, and has facilitated workshops and delivered keynotes all over the world for various companies. He speaks on a variety of topics related to service excellence, employee engagement, and organizational improvement. As a consultant, Bryan works closely with companies to design, develop, and implement sustainable service strategies. His company’s online store includes a growing collection of customer service products that are well-suited for your training library.
Both of Bryan’s books can be purchased at http://shop.bwenterprise.net/ |
B. Williams Enterprise, LLC Website: www.bwenterprise.net Email: [email protected] Facebook: BWEnterprise Twitter: @bwenterprise Phone: 240-401-6958 |