Give em the pickle!

Getting new customers is important but maintaining your customers is a crucial part of any business. In the hospitality industry, your customer service must be second to none!

This story from Bob Farrell will give you one more way to see how important superior customer service is. Bob’s customer service mantra Give ‘em the Pickle! was born when he received a letter from a loyal customer vowing to never return to his ice cream parlour in the United States, simply because the waitress wouldn't give him an extra pickle without a charge.

Can you imagine losing a loyal customer over something as small as a pickle? It may seem silly, but it happens to businesses around the globe every day! Giving away ‘pickles’ is a way for any company to keep their customers happy, exceeding customer expectations and differentiating your company from the competitors. The cost of a few extra pickles is far less than the cost of lost customers and lost business.

So what are pickles, anyway? We’re not talking about dill pickles, sweet gherkins or bread and butter pickles. ‘Pickles’ are those extra, special things that make people happy and keep your customers coming back... and not necessarily 'free stuff'.

Bob's idea of a 'pickle' include:

• A little handwritten thank you note with every bill
• Walking the customer to the item they’re looking for instead of just pointing them in the general direction
• Calling the customer by name
• Answering the phone with a smile (trust me, this works!)

Every single extra effort counts. If it makes the customer feel good about themselves and their experience with your business– then it’s a pickle. The trick is to figure out what your customers want and make sure they get it.

Simply put, pickles = raving, happy customers = better business!

Here are Bob's 4 key principles for excellent customer service :

1.  Service: Make serving others your number-one priority. Great customer service happens when you exceed customers’ expectations by adding your own special touch  (Give em’ the pickle!)
2.  Attitude: Choose your attitude. How you think about the customer is how you will treat them. A shining attitude is contagious around customers and shows in the quality of your work.
3.  Consistency: Customers return because they liked what happened last time. Set high service standards and live them every day. Add your special touch and exceed your customers expectations.
4.  Teamwork: Commit to teamwork. Look for ways to make each other look good. In the end, every action by you and your staff will become visible in your business and to your clients, whether you work at a counter or behind the scenes. 

So, what’s your pickle? 

If your pickle doesn't immediately come to mind, you need to develop one. Get started right now.

Great customer service is incredibly important to any business or organization and with the proper training you can find and develop your pickles. Get in contact with Last Call Bar Solutions to get the ball rolling today.

-Sean O'Reilly
Last Call Bar Solutions

References & Sources

http://www.giveemthepickle.com/give_em_the_pickle_video.htm

http://www.giveemthepickle.com/pickle_principle.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Farrell_(motivational_speaker)