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)

Consistency

No matter what business you are in, consistency is paramount. Nothing is worse than an inconsistent delivery of service in an age where companies and organizations strive to be one step ahead of their competition. From the very second a new customer approaches your door, he or she is taking a chance on your business. They have expectations and you had better live up to them. That very first time they walk in and every single time after that will determine whether that customer will be loyal to your business. All it takes is one bad experience, one chance. If you cannot live up to your customers expectations and requirements consistently, there is a good chance your customers won't give you a second chance.

How can a business keep it consistent?

1. It Starts at the Top - Upper management of an organization needs to be on message in every possible way in every single aspect of the company. With constant leadership and education, management will portray a level of consistency that can flow back and forth throughout a company, rather than a trickle down approach. 
2. You're Never to Cool for School - Training is the only way to be sure that everyone in an organization is on the same page. Initial training for new staff is just as important as refreshers for your existing staff. Constant education and training of your staff will pay dividends in multiple ways since not only are your employees more engaged and can better sell your products or services but it also gives your employees a level of pride that a company is investing in them.
3. Stick to the Script - Start with a comprehensive guide for your employees that details every aspect of the company including all aspects of the services and/or products you provide. Once there is a set plan and approach to the entirety of the business, employees can all sing from the same hymn sheet. Your customers will see that no matter who they deal with, no matter what day it is, no matter what the situation is that they will receive the same level of service time and time again. Make a S.O.P. and keep to it.
4. Check the Scoreboard - Foolish people in business make assumptions instead of looking at the raw data. If you do not constantly measure the level of satisfaction of your customers, you never really know how your company is doing. By surveying your customers, you can get an accurate measurement of their level of satisfaction as well as their likelihood of darkening your door again. 

The Followup

The most important thing to keep in mind is : If your company delivers consistent services, your company will reap the rewards of consistent success.

Be part of the discussion.  Let me know what you think, what did I miss, how would you approach the idea of 'Consistency' differently.  Feel free to join the discussion, I really look forward to your input.

References & Sources

http://christinekane.com/

http://blog.livehelpnow.net/consistent-customer-experience-4-tips/

http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/resources/tips-for-delivering-consistent-services

About me, Sean O'Reilly

Born in NYC, I arrived in Dublin, Ireland in 1997 at 23 without the slightest bit of service experience, lied my way into a busy bar and rose up the ranks from floor staff, to cellar man, to bartender, to manager. I worked in various Dublin locations in addition to a few NYC spots over those years and learned so much from all those experiences of working with the public. It occurred to me that I very much enjoyed interacting with my customers, I enjoyed making drinks for people, it gave me great pleasure to make people happy and I had discovered more than I ever thought I would.  I am reminded of Lewis Carol's line, 

"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is worth doing is what we do for others."

No matter which joint I worked in, working for the public was only one aspect of it all, being part of a team was also crucial. For those early years in the bar game, I worked with some fascinating, inspirational, insane & hard-working boys and girls, people I learned so much from, and for some I am still fortunate to call them friends and colleagues. 

I moved back to America in 2004 with my wife and bought a bar and restaurant while working as owner, operator and head chef (as well as accountant, janitor, delivery man...you get the picture). After many successful years even through the bubble burst of '08, I had decided to return to Ireland with my family to give Dublin another lash. I was re-energized with the experience of being on the other side of the world again, as well as having the experience of being on the other side of the chain of command. I rejoined the team in Lillie's Bordello to look after the top floor, VIP Library Bar in addition to working with Porterhouse Brewing Co and the Dingle Distillery, working as a Brand Ambassador for Richmond Marketing, years of consulting for William Grant and Son Distillers Ltd and started a bar consultancy company called Last Call Bar Solutions. 

Deciding to leave the late nights of mixing drinks for the masses in 2014, I joined up with an amazing team of people with heaps of experience bringing companies and organizations up to a higher level of service quality through the use of internationally recognized training and measurement skills. Customer Service Excellence Ireland was where I built up my training and presentation skills to provide that bit more for my clients.

My focus is now on bringing all those years of experience in the drinks industry together with my ability to educate and train to help businesses all across the country on the journey towards something new. 

Last Call Bar Solutions is the sum of all my experiences in the drinks trade bringing together my work with (and love of) cocktails, craft beer & staff training.