Customer Service Olympics: 5 Tips

“Perfectly executed!” “Nailed it!” “Flawless!”

These are the words we hear the television commentators use to describe the athletes competing in various Olympic sports. Aren’t these the same words that we would love our customers to use to describe the customer service and experience that we deliver? I think so!

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In business, the Olympics don’t come every two years. They come every day. The Business Olympics are just as competitive, if not even more so.

Companies win when they execute, and fail when they don’t. Each member of the team has their role in playing to the success of their restaurant. And, the “sport” we’re going to focus on today is customer service. So here are five ways that will help you earn the gold medal in customer service:

1. Coaching

Customer service starts with good leadership, setting the tone and example for others to follow. A good coach is necessary to help his or her team with clarity of purpose.

2. Preparation

An athlete prepares. So do the best people in business. Companies train their employees in technical and soft skills that help them nail a gold medal performance. They practice those skills in roll plays.

3. Visualization

An athlete, through training, practice and experience can actually visualize the outcome – or at least what they want the outcome to be. Restaurants can visualize their customers’ needs. Based on the customer’s recent buying patterns – what they buy and how often they buy – you can deliver a more customized experience. You can anticipate your customer’s needs. How good do your customers feel when you recognize them and remember what they bought the last time?

4. Competitive

The best companies know how to compete, using customer service as one of their advantages to not just get, but keep the customer. It’s part of the value proposition that separates them from others in their industry.

5. Focus

An athlete has intense focus and concentration. The best restaurants know what their good at and know how to deliver it to their customer. They don’t lose that focus and derail with distractions. The best people in those companies focus on their customers and give them the undivided attention they deserve, making them feel important and respected.

When Olympic athletes turn in a Gold Medal performance, they get the recognition for their hard work and countless years of practice, the love and respect by their peers and fans and the satisfaction of knowing they are at the top of their sport.

When we deliver Gold Medal level customer service we reap the benefits of repeat business, raving customer endorsements and customer loyalty. And, like the athletes, we are fulfilled and reap the rewards in knowing that we are playing at the top of our game.

Source: RunningRestaurants.com