Service with a Smile
So I recently read an article in Inc Magazine which made me smile no end and it was about outstanding customer service, so I thought I would share it here and secondly add one of my own.
So lets kick off with the first story from Starbucks - “listen and ye shall hear”
On a night out to pick up pizza, Payne noticed a customer who frequently visits the Starbucks store in Leesburg, Virginia, where she’d started working earlier this year. Customer Ibby Piracha, who is Deaf, looked frustrated as he tried to place an order. She didn’t notice a similar problem at Starbucks because Piracha generally places beverage orders by typing them into his phone and showing the barista. Still, Payne wondered if she could do something else to make his experience at Starbucks more welcoming.
The 24-year-old Pennsylvania native, a recent graduate of Marshall University, went online to learn more sign language words. Payne already knew some basic ASL that she’d learned when she worked as a nanny. After an hour studying You Tube videos and other internet resources, she’d added a number of useful phrases to her vocabulary, beginning with, “Nice to meet you.” She intends to continue to develop her ASL skills.
When Piracha arrived at the store February 19, Payne greeted him with a note she’d quickly wrote that read: “I’ve been learning ASL just so you can have the same experience as everyone else.” Piracha offered a smile of appreciation for Payne, who proceeded to make the beverage he ordered.
“I was so busy I didn’t even see him leave,” Payne said.
Piracha later posted a picture of the note on his Facebook page, beginning the comment with, “Oh, I gotta love this place.”
The next day, Payne heard about the post – which has been shared more than 5,000 times. Sunday her district manager complimented her, and mentioned she had many interview requests from reporters.
It’s taken Payne a few days to adjust to the fanfare and she still doesn’t quite understand what all the fuss is about.
“My job is to make sure people have the experience they expect and that’s what I gave him,” she said.
Credit to the original story https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/starbucks-barista-learns-sign-language-for-a-customer/
Lets wrap this up with one of my own - “put yourself in the other person shoes”
So I kicked of my working career in the hotel industry and back in the mid 90s I was in London working the Regent Four Seasons on the Front Desk as a Assistant Manger , my job was to make mostly to handle complaints so one day at about 7am I get such a complaint from an a regular guest.
He was visiting director of a large global firm and was missing his formal shoes , he had as most guests did left them out for a shine over night and they had no been retuned, he was due to leave for a management meeting and he wasn’t going to do that in his running shoes and suite. So I did the regular checks but they were not to be found though we had several pairs unclaimed at the bell desk , so I asked the guest to join me downstairs to help identify which was his .
He came came down fully suited and well not booted and we just could not find his shoes when I asked him what the looked like he simply pointed to mine and same size and type as what I was wearing , then as he stood there in his socks it struck me I would give him mine I had just started my shift so they were fresh and clean ready to go .
He was a bit taken aback but smiled as I took them off and handed them over , but he appreciated it as time was running away with us and he had to make the meeting. I carried in a pair of hotel slippers for the day and my guest got to attend his meeting correctly dressed.
When he got back later that day he found me, thanked me for my support and also told me that before the meeting started he sat back put his feet and my shoes up on the conference room table and told them all a story of great service with a smile.
