The Full Customer Service Experience

Again and again I realize people just don't get customer service. It's not about giving a little bit of great customer service, it has to be awesome and create an experience from the beginning and continue, not stop halfway.

Restaurants seem to find it difficult to offer the complete customer service experience. You are greeted, seated and offered a menu. Eventually your server takes your order for a drink, goes away and you are left waiting to order your meal. Your meal arrives, eventually, and after the first "how is your meal" the server disappears, often never to be seen again. Or the server becomes a bit of a nuisance, sidling by the side of your table obviously wanting to see you finished and leave so she can seat the next customer!

After my meal I like to relax if I have time, and then ask for the bill and be on my way, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

  • It's impossible to catch the servers eye to even ask for the bill, so we sit there for longer than necessary. It's at that point I put my coat on and look like I am headed to the exit - works most of the time.
  • The other thing that happens is we feel rushed, from the minute we are served. We are not given time to order a drink and check out the menu, it's obvious we have to order "now". Then the server whips the plates away and offers us the bill and leaves no time to take in the ambiance, or even digest our food.

I am not talking about fast food restaurants either, most of the time these restaurants are chosen by me for their high quality food and service, or so I thought at the time.

You will get a second chance if you get it wrong the first time, especially if most of the experience was good, but if you let me down a second time I won't be back.