News for the Hospitality Executive |
Service Excellence: Four Lessons ALL Businesses can
November 2, 2012 Have you ever experienced
service so pure that you could
literally feel it? Service that is unpretentious, unrestrictive,
unscripted,
yet seamless and professional all at the same time. Even as a service
consultant, it would have been difficult for me to imagine that such a
caliber
of service could exist so flawlessly and naturally. I am referring to a
recent
memorable experience during a trip to the Ayana
Resort & Spa in Bali. I wish that I could pack up a few of the
staff
and take them around the world with me so they can show everyone what
excellence, humility and professionalism look like. Everything from the
shuttle
driver offering chilled face cloths, to a framed photo (of my family)
in the
villa, the attention-to-detail was inspiring. Here are four quick
lessons that
anyone, in any industry, can learn from them.
Expect
Perfection There is no
question in my mind that the staff at Ayana is
very proud of their property and the service that they provide. Since
the team
has so much pride in what they do, it makes sense that, for them, good
is never
good enough. Even if 99 out of 100 guests have a stellar service
experience, the
staff will listen, empathize, fix, and
follow-up to ensure that the disappointed guest is happy from that
moment
on. Striving to be perfect is not a disappointing activity (that some
cynical
observers may label as “pointless”). On the contrary, there is an
obvious
difference in how diligently one prepares, when the goal is to score
100%.
Think about students who are studying for a test. Those students who
have made
up their mind to get every question correct actually score 100% more
often than
students who study just to pass. In
fact, students who study for, and expect to receive a 100% are actually
quite
disappointed (even shocked), if they receive anything less. *Takeaway:
Develop the habit of preparing for and expecting a 100%
flawless service experience every day, for every customer, at every
touchpoint.
You and your team might be astonished at the results. Be Thankful To understand
the Ayana Resort & Spa’s service quality,
it is important to appreciate the “thankful” nature of the Balinese
culture.
Balinese people are used to giving thanks multiple times per day for
such
things as food, shelter, health, and life. Most people I know take
those things
for granted and have a sense of entitlement, as if such things are owed
to
them. I
believe that there is a strong linkage between being thankful and
delivering
great service. I am not inferring that being thankful is the
ultimate
panacea to cure the world’s customer service woes, but I do see a
strong
relationship between the two. Start your day
(everyday) by being genuinely thankful for life,
food, shelter, and clothing. Being thankful and appreciative removes
the
entitlement factor that can dilute the ability to genuinely be of
service to
others. Entitlement is a selfish characteristic because the focus is on
yourself.
It is difficult to be focused on yourself AND
give engaging service to others at the same time. So, regularly ask
yourself,
“What am I thankful for?” and “What would life be like if I did not
have those
things? *Takeaway:
Always be appreciative of the opportunity to be of service and to
positively
impact someone else’s day (or life). As you will recall from my
earlier articles, a
touchpoint is any interaction between the customer and the business.
The
Ayana team did an amazing job of connecting the touchpoints so there
was never
a moment where I felt lost or not taken care of. For example, allow me
to share
my spa experience at the resort.
*Takeaway:
Map out the customer experience from start to finish, per department.
Kaizen Kaizen is a Japanese term that means
“improvement”. In the
business sense, it is often referred to as having continuous,
incremental improvement over time. Essentially,
next month you should be better
than you were this month, and next year you should be better than you
were this
year. In 2010, Ayana Resort’s spa (Thermes Marins Spa) was voted as the
#1 spa
in the world by Conde Nast Traveller Magazine. Their staff is amazing.
In all
of my travels, their spa team is second to none; yet, they are constantly
looking for ways to improve. Many people
and organizations believe that once you’ve reached a certain level,
then there
is no longer a need to aggressively learn or seek improvement
opportunities.
Interestingly, I have found that the people and organizations that are
the most
eager to improve, are the ones who are currently the best. Olympic
gold medalists often train harder to
win additional gold medals in future Olympics. They believe that anyone
can be world-class
on any given day. Almost like a fluke. However, it takes dedication,
passion,
and a strong vision for excellence to create consistent world-class
performance. *Takeaway:
Excellence is not a destination, but an ongoing journey. Be bold enough to expect perfection, be
thankful, connect
the touchpoints, and strive for continuous improvement on a daily
basis. Don’t
try to keep up with the competition, but rather strive to become the
benchmark
in everything you do. Encourage your team to dream…and dream big. As
you assess
your team’s current service acumen, it is important to appreciate where
you
are, but imagine where you could be. ________________________ Special Update!
Take advantage of our current online store promotion, and get 35% off
any item
(excluding shipping). If you have not already received any of our books, now is a
great time
to purchase them for yourself or as a gift for your team members. Just use the following code during
checkout: 5QG7KXVJ (Offer expires on November 8, 2012.) Recent Testimonials: “I have attended more of these conferences
over the years
than I would care to even think about and I am an ‘old dog’. New tricks
and
change often make me cringe but your presentation had just the opposite
effect. It was as motivating and
stimulating as anything I have ever been privileged to participate in
and I
wanted to thank you. I took more notes during your presentation than I
did
during some of my college courses!” –Thomas
Randall Smith, General Manager
(St. James Place at Beaver Creek) “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, Visitor Center Manager (Ravenswood Winery) About 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 |