As a Marketing student at John Molson School of Business, "customer service" has come to be somewhat of an every day word in my life. While I was looking over Peak Performance 2's website, a section entitled 'Service Performance' caught my eye. It is not only my Marketing education that drew me into further reading this section of the website, but interestingly enough the work I have done as a bartender and waitress in the restaurant industry has increased my awareness, consideration and interest of customer service in general. In this section of their website, Peak Performance 2 shares a video that discusses an extremely positive experience that somebody had with the customer service on an Air Canada flight. It is known that the airline industry is cut-throat and that there are many considerations for customer service in this industry.This made me think of my own experiences in a similiar customer-service-oriented industry that I work in. The restaurant industry is one of at times demanding, impatient and unforgiving customers. However, it is also an industry that relies on its customers. Over the years, working with a lot of different people and serving many clients, I have learned a lot about providing excellent customer service. Additionally, in a course entitled Customer Service Excellence (taught by Professor Brent Pearce at John Molson School of Business), I have learned several key lessons about customer service. These are lessons that I have drawn on from the restaurant industry but that I truly feel apply to all industries and organizations:
- Always maintain a positive attitude regarding the business you work for. Customers sense negative feelings. A positive attitude will be reflected onto those around you.
- First impressions are key! Always be polite, friendly and inviting, welcome your client.
- Try to stay motivated with your service tasks. Many coworkers may be negative, lazy and annoyed by demanding customers. Never let the negative people around you bring you down - lift them up! Being a positive leader can work wonders on employees around you! As mentionned in the Service Performance section of Peak Performance 2's website, being positive and optimistic can influence the environment and others around you.
- Whenever a problem does occur - RECTIFY the situation. This is an opportunity for you as a representative of your company to save face.
- Remember people and build relationships. Every life situation is a networking opportunity and an opportunity to build contacts, all the while building your clientele, no matter the industry.
Although these considerations are what I have learned through my experience in the restaurant industry, I truly believe that these apply to all kinds of organizational settings. One thing I learned from Professor Brent Pearce is that a company should not necessarily have a customer service department, the reason for this is that EVERYBODY should be responsible for customer service!
See the Service Performance section of Peak Performance 2's website for more information on the customer service excellence consultation services they provide!
Chelsea Bonneau
Chelsea, I have worked in restaurants for many years and completely agree with your commitment to positivity and customer service. In the restaurant environment, like many others, it is so easy for one bad event to lead to a funnel of even more negative experiences and negative dinners for customers. In terms of 'everyone being responsible for customer service,' I can definitely see how Peak Performance2 services would be able to help teams in their efforts towards exceptional guest service. They seem like they could help bring teams together by bringing out the best in each individual and teaching people how to work together to provide the best possible outcomes. All around, great suggestions!!
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