Quality Customer Service

Every crew in hotel has a particular job to do everyday to make sure that all guests feel safe and satisfied. Dining room waiters are responsible for serving guests in the dining room or restaurant, this includes greeting the guests, helping them with their chairs, taking orders, serving their meals and handling their special requests as well as their complaints. Dining room waiters should know how to perform their tasks in a manner that will give the guests satisfaction and confidence in the quality of service. In order to accomplish this, dining room waiter should possess certain qualities and exhibit certain behaviors that will help them be successful.

When we do business with customers, we want them to return and do more business in the future. When the customers complaint to us about a problem, and we cannot resolve the complaint to the customers satisfaction, the customers will take their business somewhere else. If this happens once, we lose some business, if it happens more, then we lose a lot of business. Quality customer service helps to maintain good relationship with older customers and attract new customers as well.

What is Quality Customer Service?

Two primary dimensions make up quality customer service:

1. The procedural dimension
2. The personal dimension

Each is critical to the delivery of quality service.

1. The procedural side of service consists of the established systems and procedures to deliver products and or service.
2. The personal side of service is how “We”, using our attitudes, behaviors and verbal skills to interact with customers.

A. The Procedural Dimension

The procedural dimension focuses on the established systems and procedures of delivering products and or service. The most important characteristics to be discussed here are that the service should be timely, efficient and uniform.

1. Timely

Guests want every service to always be on time. This will make them pleased, because they feel they are respected and treated as important people. Make sure we always serve them on time but do not rush.

2. Efficient

We take care of one or two tables, a total of six or twelve people; this means that we go to the kitchen several times to take their orders. In such a situation we must be able to arrange our time as efficiently as possible so that we have enough time to serve the guests well.

3. Uniform

There are many people in the dining room or restaurant; they want to be served equally. If a guest sees that he or she is served worse than another guest, he or she will feel bad. Make sure we always give uniform service. Smile the same way to all people. Serve the food with the same style and professionalism and speak to everybody. Make sure we do not make any distinctions. Treat them equally well.

B. The Personal Dimension

The characteristics of the personal side include the attitudes, behaviors and verbal skills of a waiter. These play very important roles in his or her interaction with the guests.

1. Attitudes

To be able to give a good service, a dining room waiter should always have good or positive attitudes such as:

-          Readiness to welcome and serve well

-          Respect and appreciation

-          Understanding of feelings and needs

-          Recognition

-          Tactfulness or doing the right thing

-          Interest

For example, when the guests come to the restaurant, greet them and give them a warm welcome, serve them well. When we are talking to them, speak politely to show our respect and appreciation. Make sure we always try to understand their feelings, pay attention to their body language and the tone of their voice.

2. Behaviors

We can not see attitudes but we can feel them and notice them from behaviors. Behaviors come from attitudes, Good attitudes result in good behaviors.

a. No foreign language

Never speak with our co-workers in a language that guests do not understand. They may think that we are talking about them. This may cause them not to trust us.

b. Nervousness

Don’t be nervous when we do something wrong or when we cannot produce sentences to answer a guests question, he or she may think that there is something wrong with us. Stay calm and do not give up, be professional at all times.

c. No argument

Never have an argument with anyone when the guests are present. They don’t want to hear our argument, they need a peaceful atmosphere.

d. Do not shout

Don’t shout to each other in any language, it is not nice to shout.

e. Do as we are told

When we are asked by guests or told by our superior to do something, do whatever we are told to do although it is not our job. Discussion can come later.

f. No sexual harassment

Never do anything which implies sexual harassment such as, touching guests or staring at their dress.

g. Always be helpful

Always be helpful to guests such as helping handicapped people and picking up small things guests drop such as a spoon or fork. Keep in mind that small things mean a lot.

h. Eye contact

When we are talking to the guests, do not stare into their eyes but maintain eye contact in none threatening, attentive manner. This tells an American that we are listening to them and not hiding something. To an American, when someone doesn’t look someone else in the eyes, it means that they are hiding something or are guilty of doing something wrong.

i. Physical appearance

Physical appearance is always important when we are serving the guests, personal hygiene is vital. Make sure we wash our hands often and cut our nails short, our hair should always be tidy and short (about 2 cm above the collar), shoes should always be clean and polished. Be personable at all times.

j. Laugh appropriately

In Indonesia many people often laugh when they are embarrassed, to Americans this is not acceptable. They don’t have confidence in people like this, make sure we laugh if the situation calls for it but never too loud or too much. Also be aware that most Americans are very suspicious of a man who giggles.

k. Smile appropriately

A smile is nice. We like to see someone smiling, but if we smile and the situation doesn’t calls for it, American will think we are “not all there”.

l. Say it if we mean it

Never say “yes Sir” unless we mean it or we are able to and will do it, otherwise, Americans will think we are mocking them or lying to them

m. Extra jobs

We may do more than the guests expect us to do, they will appreciate every extra job we do although it is a small one

n. Be nice                                                                                                       

Be nice to the guests at all times by being friendly, polite and helpful

3. Verbal Skills

Verbal skills are vital when expressing attitudes and behaviors. Verbal skills deal with the ability to communicate orally. There are two important things to discuss here. When talking to the guests we should know what kind of language we use (informal, neutral or formal). We should also use “communication helping words “

a. Kinds of language

There are three kinds of language: Informal, neutral and formal. How do we decide whether we use informal, neutral or formal language?, we decide according to the situation we are in.

Here are four questions to help us decide how formal or informal a situation is:

1. The setting “Where are we and when ?”
2. The topic “ What are we talking about “
3. Our social relationship “Who are we talking to ?”
4. Our psychological attitude “What do we feel about the topic or the other person ?”

b. Communication helping words

The words we use with the guests can help communication or they can start a fight. With the words we use we can make the guests become angry with us or make them happy.

1. Keep it impersonal
2. Use “ I “ instead of “ You “
3. Avoid giving orders
4. Take responsibility
5. Avoid causing defensiveness

TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

Step 1: Project a positive attitude

Step 2: Identify customer needs

Step 3: Provide for customer needs

Step 4: Insure customers return

Step 1: Project a positive attitude

First impressions count

-          Maintain a professional appearance

-          Always greet customers warmly

-          Use a pleasant and clear tone of voice

Watch out for burnout

-          If you feel stress and fatigue, refresh your good attitude so that you can continue to project a positive attitude

-          Know your warning signs of burnout and take care of yourself

Step 2: Identify customers’ needs

Four basic customers’ needs

-          The need to feel welcome

-          The need to feel important

-          The need to feel understood

-          The need to feel comfortable

Watch closely for customers’ signals

Step 3: Provide for customers needs

In what ways do you met your customers’ four basic needs

-          What you say

-          What you do

-          How quickly you respond

Step 4: Insure customers return

Skillfully handle any upsets or complaints

-          Listen carefully

-          Repeat the complaint back to the customers

-          Apologize to them

-          Acknowledge their probable feelings

-          Explain the action you will take

-          Thank them for bringing the matter to your attention

Take extra service steps

-          Go beyond what is expected

-          Have fun!