Archive for January, 2012

There are so many different ways to ensure you are providing a high level of Customer Service.

• Smiling
• Being Interested
• Being Knowledgable
• Getting to know your Customers
• Making people feel special
• Smiling (oh.. wait…  I think I said that already!)

But one that a lot of people forget, is BEING PROUD.

Have you ever asked someone “What do you do for work”? and had the following reply? “Oh, I’m JUST a ________”.

Excuse me??

JUST A ????

Why would anyone want to call themselves “JUST A” anything?

Personally, I am MANY things.

I am a Mother.  I am a Wife.  I am a Daughter.  I am a Friend.  I am a Flight Attendant AND a Waitress.  I am certainly NOT “JUST” any of those things.

Choosing those words shows a lack of pride, and having a lack of pride in what you do short-changes not just the people you are dealing with – it short-changes YOU.

Being proud of who you are and what you are doing has a huge impact.

We have a guy at my Bar Job.  To some people, he is JUST a dishwasher.  To me and my co-workers – he’s our hero.  He has such a sense of pride in doing his job well that he makes the rest of our jobs that much easier.  We never have to ask him to empty our dishbins.  We never have to ask him when certain dishes will be clean.  When we do ask him to help with other things, he always smiles and says yes.  He knows the value in what he is doing, and is proud to do it.

We can all learn from my dishwasher buddy.

I challenge you all to find the value in what you are doing.  This doesn’t even have to be in your work-lives.  Find the value in what you do in every aspect of your life.  Be PROUD of what you are doing.  If you are in the service industry – this will translate into people seeing you in a different way.  Your pride will shine through and people will react positively to that.

I bet you will find that you enjoy your job that much more, as well.

 

 

Anyone who has followed me for any length of time knows that I am a self-declared “Fairmont Girl”.  If it’s a Fairmont Hotels and Resorts property, I love it!  I sing the praises of their service levels, their staff and their properties.  Any negative experiences I have had have been dealt with in such an amazingly professional and thorough way that they leave me feeling positive and even more in love.  So I was as surprised as you all will be when I encountered an experience that certainly rivalled, if not out-shone, a Fairmont Experience last night.  This experience happened at the Sparks Lounge at the Delta Ottawa Hotel and Suites.

Betty.

This is a lady who is a career server for sure.  And why wouldn’t she be?  She was AMAZING.  She knew the menu, she knew her drinks and more importantly, she knew how to read her customers.  She helped us decide on our meal, knowing we weren’t looking for anything heavy.  She didn’t try to force us into an expensive dinner.  She recommended we share Tapas.  She recommended her favourite Tapas.  She joked.  She smiled.  She laughed.  She didn’t hover when we were talking, nor did she allow our beverages to get too low before offering more.

She made us feel welcome.

She made us feel appreciated and important.

She was a perfect example of excellence in Customer Service.

Why?

Her excellence is simple.  She took pride in her job, and her place of employment.  She genuinely likes people, and takes the time to develop a relationship with her customers.  She made her job fun.  She made sure her customers had fun.  She was genuine and real.

I don’t often frequent the Lounge at this hotel.  I have a good friend who lives up the street, and when I don’t visit with her, I tend to go outside of the hotel.  However, now that I know Betty, and know how amazing I will be treated – I will be back.  I will encourage my crews to join me.  I will encourage my Ottawa friends to join me there instead of elsewhere around the area.

Betty has turned me into a part-time Delta-Girl.

I hope Fairmont doesn’t mind.