I am your guest, not an inconvenience to be tolerated

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So, I was in Miami last weekend and went to dinner at a pretty swanky steakhouse in Aventura. We arrived at dinner at 9pm and we were essentially done by 9.50pm. And the place was busy/hopping.

I remember saying to the Mrs: “This would never happen in Bermuda.”

At an Aventura Steakhouse, whose prices were identical to Harry’s and Waterlot, the service was fast but not hurried, efficient, effective and professional.

The orders were taken around 9.10pm and by 9.20pm we had both wine and starters, unheard of here on the rock. By 9.50pm we were done our entrées, lovely steaks by the way.

At 10.15pm, dessert having been enjoyed, the bill was paid and being from Bermuda I did not complain at prices with which I am all too familiar. But the difference was the service, which was not only first class but also fast.

Then, on the way back to BDA, at Miami International Airport, we were served at TGIF by an amazing waiter who I had to tip more, simply for being more attentive, efficient and professional than most waiters I’ve encountered.

I love Bermuda but these efficient dining experiences had me scratching my head and asking: “Why can’t we do this back home in BDA?”

On the upside, I would say that the food quality was only slightly better, because the vegetables were so fresh it tasted like they were organic. For the record, organic greens in a salad have a stronger taste; its refreshing to taste really fresh vegetables; we don’t get that in BDA.

Kharma is really something. Last week I happened upon an article on the subject of customer service, from a restaurant perspective, which I saved for this week. Little did I know that I would have experiences that fit the article, which is loaded with advice for any person or any organisation that serves customers. It is written as a letter from a guest and I share it with you below.

I Am Your Guest

You often accuse me of carrying a chip on my shoulder, but I suspect this is because you do not entirely understand me. Isn’t it normal to expect satisfaction for one’s money spent? Ignore my wants and I will no longer appear in your restaurant. Satisfy those wants and I will become increasingly loyal. Add a little extra personal attention and a friendly touch and I will become a walking advertisement for you.

When I criticise your food and service to anyone who will listen, which I may do whenever I am displeased, take heed. I am not dreaming up displeasure. It lies in something I perceive you have failed to do to make my eating experience as enjoyable as I have anticipated. Eliminate that perception or you will lose my friends and me as well. I insist on the right to dine leisurely or eat in haste according to my mood.

I refuse to be rushed as I abhor waiting. This is an important privilege that my money buys. If I am not spending big money this particular time, just remember, if you treat me right I will return with a larger appetite, more money and probably with my friends.

I am much more sophisticated these days than I was just a few years ago. I’ve grown accustomed to better things and my needs are more complex. I’m perfectly willing to spend, but I insist on quality to match prices. I am above all, a human being. I am especially sensitive when I am spending money. I can’t stand to be snubbed, ignored or looked down upon.

Whatever my personal habits may be, you can be sure that I’m a real nut on cleanliness in restaurants. Where food is concerned I demand the strictest sanitation measures. I want my meals handled and served by the neatest of people and in sparkling clean dishes. If I see dirty fingernails, cracked dishes or soiled table clothes you won’t see me again.

You must prove to me again and again that I have made a wise choice in selecting your restaurant above others. You must convince me repeatedly that being a restaurant guest is a desirable thing in the first place. I can, after all, eat at home. So, you must provide something extra in food and service. Something so superior it will beckon me from my own table to yours.

Do we understand each other?

The moral of this story is that workers and businesses that are in the service industry need to make sure that they are working, planning, thinking and acting as if they are in the service industry.

Too many workers behave as if they are doing customers a favour just by being present. Things are changing people, customers are speaking by shopping elsewhere.

I’m sure that someone will try to defend the Bermuda model, become defensive and make excuses for why we generally provide a slower and lower standard of customer service than in other regions.

Whatever the reasons are, we have to deal with them and engineer a paradigm shift to an ethos of providing a higher standard of customer service all the time.

If we are not prepared to do that, we will be left behind. Just look at the state of our tourism industry, as an example of what happens when other destinations can do what you do better, faster and cheaper. We are left behind wondering what happened.

Peace………DJLT.

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