G.R.E.A.T Service

My best experience of customer service was 2 years ago when I attended a buffet dinner function at the Ritz-Carlton Singapore. Amongst the famished hundreds that night, I could not find the cocktail island. When I chanced on an assistant chef from the kitchen, removing several empty platters from the buffet tables, I asked for directions. With his hands full, he told me to wait right there and promptly disappeared from sight, as he waded into the mass of diners. As I stood there rooted to the ground, I began wondering, "He didn't even tell me where the drinks were to be found! How rude! What happened to the acclaimed Ritz Carlton service???"

To my surprise, he soon came back with a drink in his hand; and said sheepishly, "I forgot to ask you what drink you wanted, so I hope the Coke is alright." I was flabbergasted, to say the least. After taking the drink from his hand, the assistant chef soon went about his business, leaving me to revel in my own personal experience of 6-star service. I've not been delighted in a similar manner since then elsewhere, I must add.

Thinking about my Ritz-Carlton experience, I can offer insight into what G.R.E.A.T service is:
G: Genuine - This aspect of service excellence comes from within, arising from a mindset change. 'Fake' service can be easily detected. It must be based on the attitude that the customer's or client's needs come first and that the service provider is in a position to meet these needs.

R: Responsive - The service provider is swift in meeting customer needs because he recognises that if he was the customer, he'd expect the same degree of speed. It comes from understanding that out of the many other providers around, he has chosen you. Through a swift response, you show that

E: Exceeds expectations - This aspect of service excellence is actually the 'value proposition' in any transaction. By surpassing expectations, the customer is given powerful reasons to return to you rather than your competitors. Importantly, he becomes an advocate for you, through word-of-mouth advertising which is more powerful than costly marketing campaigns.

A - Anticipatory - In order to exceed expectations, a provider of excellent service needs to anticipate them. One way is to adopt what marketers have done: to profile customers by market segmentation. We use our Whole Brain Thinking tools to help our clients identify more closely their potential customers and their needs. At the same time, this knowledge alone is insufficient, the same tools can be applied to front-line staff to better understand how they individually approach service situations.

T - Total experience - Service Excellence is a holistic experience that goes beyond a polished (trained) greeting at the door, followed by trailing the customer like a phantom till he leaves. It is about being there when your advice is needed, providing the necessary options for the customer to make a decision, and even if he does not buy this time, excellent service gives him a reason to return in future.

Service providers need to recognise that customers do not just provide us with a living; they are the reason for our existence. Customers are also potentially our best advocates and their message usually has a lot of mileage. So think about your level of service and see how you can raise it to a G.R.E.A.T level.

Noel
Resident Philosopher

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