Is it just me for is basic customer service in restaurants going downhill?
I have had some experiences both here in St. Paul and in other communities recently that have left a bad taste in my mouth.
I am not going to indict any specific individuals or any specific businesses in this column. I am just going share some observations on what I have seen and some tips to improve overall service
The first unfortunate habit I am noticing quite frequently these days happens right as soon as you pull up to the drive-thru window. It seems that some of the workers taking your money/handing you your food and/or beverage believe it is O.K. to begin their dialogue with the customer by stating the price of the customer’s order.
No ‘Hello.’ No, ‘How’s it going today’? No smile on your face?
The first words out of his or her mouth is, “That will be $9.75.” That is so rude!
Some people are even taking this a step further by opting not to say a single word to the customer. That is crazy!
These developments contradicts every restaurant chain’s website promises a great customer experience every time you visit each of these eating establishments.
Giving a customer a warm greeting is such an easy way to show the customer you appreciate their business. It is quite a shame that some people fail to grasp this concept.
All I can say are if you choose to not engage in good customer service etiquette you had better get every aspect of my order perfectly. I have more patience for workers that make mistakes with an order if they were friendly and courteous than those who are unfriendly and cold.
The second unfortunate habit I have observed that some workers are not apologetic at all to customers that have to endure slow service. A sincere apology and a thank you should be given to any person that has to put up with a time-consuming ordering process. It is unbelievable that some people have absolutely no consideration for how they are inconveniencing others by not proving timely service.
Yes, of course customers should be patient in cases where a restaurant’s staff is overwhelmed with customers. What should not be tolerated is slow service when there are very few customers around. People should put their conversations with co-workers on-hold until after everyone has been adequately served.
The third unfortunate habit is that some customer care workers are not very good listeners. Instead of being fully attentive to what the customer has to say, I find some of you to be way too preoccupied with what your co-worker is doing at the other till, or back in the kitchen. It is preferable to say your order once rather than having to repeat it three or four times. It is highly annoying when I know that the person serving me food and drink is not paying attention to me and then I later discover they completely botched my order.
A few years ago you could expect consistent good quality service. A bad customer service was more the anomaly. Nowadays it is a truly good customer service experience that is a breath of fresh air. That really is too bad.
