Title: Customer Experience Tip #1- Making it right with your customer….

We all know that sometimes things happen out of our control and as consumers we see this happen almost everyday of our lives. As Business Owners, when this happens to our customers, it’s OUR job to make it right with them. Consumers understand that things happen… employees get busy or are not trained properly, orders are produced or prepared incorrectly, service is slow,- we are human after all! What sets your business apart is how you handle these situations. When you acknowledge this and take care of your customer, it elevates your business to a “step above the rest” and it brings people back because they know regardless of the situation you are looking out for them. I found this in action during a recent visit to the Buffalo Chip Restaurant in Cave Creek, AZ. They were busy and service was slow… but it’s how the manager handled this situation that made me want to return to their establishment….

The restaurant and bar has indoor/outdoor seating as well as large areas for big events. They have a really fun atmosphere with bonfires, bull riding, dancing and entertainment.

We visited on a Saturday evening so they were busy and the only available seating was outside and it was a little chilly evening however they had heat lamps. Our server took our drink order and returned with them 15 minutes later. She proceeded to take my order and then started talking to another server and walked away, forgetting to take my boyfriend’s order. We motioned for her to come back and she said she didn’t realize we both wanted to order… Typically if 2 people are at a table, BOTH want to eat! We proceeded to wait for over 45 minutes for our food to arrive. The server did come by a couple times to say food would be up shortly, explaining there was a big party ahead of us. We didn’t see any large parties and it was now approaching 8:00 pm. When the food did arrive entrees were lukewarm and overcooked. The rolls were dry and hard. I mentioned the problem to another server but we were so hungry by this time, didn’t want to wait any longer to send it back. Finally the manager stopped by and she offered us food from the outside grill area. This food was much better. The manager took care of the check which I told her wasn’t necessary, but just wanted her to be aware of and resolve the service/food issues we encountered.

The manager was amazing and definitely turned our bad experience into a good experience. This is a great example of “making it right with your customer.”

Do you notice that many restaurants you dine in lately have poor service? Did they “make it right with you?”

I would love to hear from you. Please comment below. In my business many of those decision makers say 90% of their focus is customer experience, however I beg to differ. As a Customer Experience Consultant I am interested in working with business owners and managers who strive to provide the best customer service experience by providing a Fresh Perspective on how their customers feel.

If you are a restaurant owner and would like to get an assessment contact Debbie Hart at The Hart Experience 602.71.3271 orDebbie@thehartexperience.com

www.thehartexperience.com