My uncle and I went on a consulting trip in Thailand several years ago and I had two particularly memorable moments that epitomized to me the spirit of outstanding service. Both occurred at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, which I recall at the time was rated the #1 luxury hotel not just in Thailand but in the world.
The first happened as soon as we disembarked from the plane. We passed through customs and were met by a hotel representative, who relieved us of our baggage and showed us to the hotel’s Mercedes, which whisked us to the hotel. Our bags were nowhere to be found, until we were shown to our rooms, at which time our bags magically reappeared, set up in convenient and logical locations in our respective rooms. Had each company representative not carried him or herself with absolute professionalism and respect, I would have been worried about the security of my bags, but excellent service instills confidence and brings comfort.
The second occurred in the hotel restaurant. The Thai people have a beautiful custom of kneeling on both knees when serving another person. While this tradition would likely be seen as going too far in a Western setting, it fit perfectly there and made a statement about the level of service to which they adhered. (Can you imagine a waiter, even at a luxury establishment in the USA kneeling before his table?)
While there are many companies in the United States who espouse a service culture, who put the care and comfort of their guests or clients first and foremost, only a fraction of them manage to pull it off with any degree of consistency. Invariably someone in the organization fails to get the memo and acts contrary to the stated mission.
I stayed at a Ritz-Carlton recently, one of those companies that consistently manages to honor its stated service pledge. Every interaction I had with hotel staff – from start to finish – stood out to me as being a cut above. They went out of their way to make me feel special, to identify my needs and to quietly yet competently provide solutions. If any one of them was having a bad day, had been mistreated by a supervisor or a previous client, or felt like being somewhere else, I wouldn’t have known it. They made it clear – through their eye contact, tone of voice and attention to detail – that my experience was primary.
In my view, the bar can be set high irrespective of price point. It doesn’t seem right to me that excellent service should come with a price tag. Sure there are certain comforts that come with a higher-priced setting or experience, but when it comes to the interactions between staff and customer, I see no reason why the company cannot set and expect a high bar relative to the service culture in the organization.
In my own company we don’t have large budgets like some of our more established competitors, but we have made it a point not to let that stand in the way of the level of service we provide to our clients. Failing to go the extra mile for clients is a cardinal sin in my book. Poor customer service is evidence of a failure to treat another with dignity and respect and there is no reason why those two should be lacking, no matter how big or small your budget may be.
I’d love to hear of any outstanding customer service experiences you’ve had lately. Please share!
Gregory Hake 
I agree that no matter how large or small the budget, service is something that should be the finest one can genuinely offer. It opens up doors to an uplifting experience on both sides of the service. I am always a little sad when a low level of service is offered. It seems a missed opportunity, not just because I didn’t get the respect and service a paying customer deserves. Good service on the other hand is like spreading a little sunshine and good faith in humanity, and call me a dreamer but I still believe in the inherent goodness of humanity!
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As I have been a customer of a business and financial coach what stands out to me is the absolute genuineness of their interaction with me. I know that they have my best interests at heart. Yes it is this kind of service that gives you a sense of value. And also prompts me to provide what I can genuinely provide in my chiropractic service as well as in my personal interactions with others. It is good to acknowledge what really can make our lives tick.
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I appreciate your emphasis on the development of a cultureof service. Where this concern is made central in any company, the evidence is obvious, and those are the companies one wants to interact with. This is evident in the purchasing experience, but also, and perhaps more importantly, when something goes wrong. The handling of returns or complaints in a service-oriented business says more, in a way, about that company than the performance in fair weather! All it takes is one unpleasant or nitpicking experience with a return or a problem to sour the whoel experience with that company. When such matters are handled cheerfully and efficiently, on the other hand, the sense of security and ease is increased significantly.
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Good service is something that can stay in your mind for years, and I’m not sure if that’s because it is such a great benefit to the receiver or because it’s such a rare experience. It’s probably a little of both. I don’t understand how people can feel entitled to receive such a wonderful thing, and either be rude to the person giving or not give it themselves when they have the opportunity. It’s a great chance to be a catalyst for the things that are right in the world, and it is squandered relentlessly. I will not be the one to squander it, and I’m sure I can even do a better job than I have in the past.
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Well here’s one that was delightfully surprising to me — during a business trip recently, I had dinner with a client and the restaurant we went to was a kind of ‘tapas’ style restaurant, though more italian in its cuisine; lots of smaller dishes to choose from, to be enjoyed by all at the table and so the idea is to sample many dishes. Taking this concept to the next level, the waiter was very concerned that all that we ordered played off of each other, in order to have the most rewarding culinary experience. In a moment of daring self-confidence, he simply took the menu from my hands as I was looking through it, getting familiar with the selections. I wasn’t put off necessarily, as he had begun to gain my trust already, but still I thought to myself – let’s see where this goes. He proceeded to provide descriptions of a few combinations that had a broad range of flavors, explaining them carefully and the first selection he brought to the table I would not have picked myself….and it was outstanding. Same with the next and the next and so on. His personality was jovial, and he certainly looked like he was enjoying himself and the opportunity to dazzle his customers. We were a fun table as well, and so the dinner experience was outstanding. So different than just a ‘meal’ – many restaurants offer good food, but a lackluster experience.
This is a great example of taking a regular opportunity and making it exceptional. And it wasn’t like you paid for it either, as the whole bill was under $50.
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As a business owner I’d love to see my company used as an example of great service. It is the ultimate complement to the success of your training program but more importantly your hiring process. It affects everyone in the company when we’re associated with exceptional customer service, it creates an atmosphere of excellence. Good post, thanks.
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I’ve had two very recently that we’re exceptional and interestingly both occured in phone calls. One was a vaccum cleaner manufacturer, Dyson. I was calling to find out where I could get it serviced locally. The representative inquired as to what was the problem with the machine, answered where I could take it but she then went the extra mile and said it was an easy fix and offered to walk me through the solution over the phone. She could have answered my question and moved along … next… but her patience and intelligence were well developed as was her obvious concern for her product and company to be seen as exceptional. I’ve suggested their product three times in two days!!
The second was a computer tech support. A common occurrence today but his product knowledge was superior coupled with genuine patience; not the restrained condescending attitude that many try to pass as patience. An hour long call with not a sign of frustration. Both calls were enlivening rather than draining!!
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I recently found a paper from Oracle about the importance of providing extraordinary customer service and was so impressed with the points that they had made. Companies are always so concerned with the competition or with what someone else is doing, but I feel that the one way to distinguish yourself or your company is through your service to others. It will always be unique as it is based on the individuality and expression of those who work together. I love it when companies go the extra mile and leave you with that “Wow” feeling!
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