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Recently, I took my wife to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants – it has great food and atmosphere and is one of the places we usually go for a birthday, anniversary or just to celebrate a really good week. On this evening, the wait for a table was about 15 minutes, so we ordered a couple of beverages to unwind and were seated about ten minutes later. Our server arrived at the table, and she was abysmal – no personality, walked away while I was still talking to her.
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The salads arrived, and we dug in. Within about four minutes, our entrees came. Really? Are you kidding? I lifted my salad plate to my face as my meal was slid underneath it – this dinner was not going well. The saving grace was that the food was really good, as always. The check was delivered promptly, (actually, too promptly) and as I began to calculate the server’s gratuity, I looked across the room and saw her lift her shirt up and over her belly to clean her glasses. OMG. My wife took the check, crossed out the tip amount and applied her own math to it. The next day, I went to social media to deliver a few “tips” to the restaurant. I visited their website first to send a comment or two and surprisingly, the owner of the eatery contacted me within a couple of hours to apologize and invite me and my wife to come back for a do-over. The food IS that good, so I’ll take it! However, if that particular server is still working there (and I doubt it) she will not be ours, for sure!
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Hey, in the service business, it’s about delivering a great customer experience. We’re not all perfect and sometimes fall short. When you do, what is your comeback? How do you handle not only the customer’s irritation, but also the staffer who obviously needs a “chat” about your expectations? Address both with kindness; but get to the root of the problem. Sometimes, customers can embellish a scenario, and sometimes, staff may not completely explain the customer’s problem. It’s YOUR business, so solve it immediately.
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Going a little further, what is the initial guest experience at your salon? They can usually form a judgment about your business through just one interaction with one individual. Dissatisfaction can come from the neglect they feel if they’ve received a poor product or service, or if the treatment they got during a telephone interaction is poor. Ask a few loyal customers about their current level of satisfaction – I’d wager that you’ll get some eye-opening answers.
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Let’s move on to your salon’s reception counter. From the moment a customer or potential one crosses the threshold of your door, they should be greeted with a pleasant smile and welcome to make them feel at ease. You’ll know many of your guests by first name, so be sure to use it every time they visit. You have no idea what life has put in front of them today – family issues, money problems, job stress and more. Coming to your salon for a tanning session may be the last bastion of hope for salvaging their day. Make sure you and your team can make it happen!
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It’s really easy to get yourself and your staff up and running, ready to deliver a professional level of customer service through our Sun is Life® Training module that addresses that very subject. Best of all, it’s available when you need it, online 24/7. After completing this Sun is Life module, “First Impressions Last,” you will be able to:
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- Identify a telephone caller based on the Three Guest Types.
- Prepare a script to answer calls from each of the Three Guest Types.
- Discuss the 10-Point Guide to Telephone Courtesy.
- Recall Telephone Dos and Don’ts and Phrases that Drive Guests Away.
- Apply the Guest Experience Principle: Eliminate Negative Impressions.
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This is just one of many Sun is Life Training modules that you can take online. For more information, visit sunislife.com today!
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It’s really easy to get you and your staff up and running, ready to deliver a professional level of customer service through our Sun is Life® Training module that addresses that very subject.
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