MattBuck Name: Matthew Buckingham
Company Name: The Restaurant Bar & Grill, Leeds. The Individual Restaurant Company
Position: General Manager

Best customer service story:

For me and my staff, its the little things that make all the difference and can have a dramtic affect on the guests experience. Having great service, serving great food within a great atmosphere is what we all strive to deliver but its the litlle personal gestures/touches that can make a great night in to a night never to forget. A group of deaf guests were eating in the restaurant one night, the group consisted of adults and children. We found out they were from a local deaf group society when one of the waiters was talking to one of the children. When she was going around the table taking their orders she asked the children how to sign certain words, not only to integrate the children and make them feel more relaxed but to find out how to sign to them later. When we brought their food up a few of us had learnt a few works, like 'thankyou'. Most importantly, when we had put their food down in front of them we signed 'enjoy your meal' and left as normal. I've never seen such a small gesture get such a round of applause from the guests. The group enjoyed really enjoyed their night with us, and on their way out they stopped and thanked us for being so accommodation and really making them feel accepted. She said it was the one of the most kindest gestures anyone has made for them. Such a small gesture that cost nothing added the biggest amount of value to their experience. Not only do they use us regularly now, but the amount of friends they have told about what we did still has such a positive impact on the restaurant.

1 month ago >     Report

1 posts

lamby well 2 stories here, I was running a rather rough pub back in 2002 and had the challenge to change the reputation of this site, all we wanted to do was become famous for our service, we launched table service at every opportunity to prevent people having to come to the bar and we set up a locals committee to get valuable guest feedback around what activity they wanted and how we could improve our offer, we met every fortnight and had a few drinks and some food supplied by me of course and spent an hour or two having a discussion, through this there came so many great ideas that we implemented and we were always on the look out for more, I think one of the best things we did was after over hearing a conversation between a man and his wife in their late 40's I would say where the wife (Sue as we found out later) wanted to go home and the husband (Gary) wanted a couple more drinks, it was chucking it down with rain so I got the umbrella out and walked Sue home and Gary continued to drink with their friends, these became regulars and they brought with them several more regulars from a competitor, we started to escort people to and from taxis/cars with brollies in the bad weather when we could, the simple things that keep you one step ahead of the rest really do work, but you have to be listening to what people are saying to find out how to make the difference, and by the way the sales went from £6k a week to over £25k a week within 9months.
On the recieving end of great service I was once at a restaurant with my grandma who only ever drank babycham of all things, the waitress had never heard of it and they certainly did not stock it so she went for an orange juice, within 10 minutes we had a babycham on the table free of charge and we were given the other three that came in the pack to go home with after the meal, I have no idea where they got it but that is exceeding expectations, We never got to go out with my grandma much but when ever we did we went back to the same place as they had gained a true advocate in my Grandma and my family.
Loved the Disney Service Session, gave me so much to think about and have already started to implement allot of it in the day to day part of my job but I just want to see some more so keep sharing these great articles

2 months ago >     Report

1 posts

natsa Disney deadline has now been moved to 30th November so keep posting your excellent experiences! :)

2 months ago >     Report

32 posts

Director of the flock “We are always looking for ways in which we can make our team and our customers day. A few weeks ago a very distraught lady came up to the reception of our theme park and she was getting some serious grief from her husband for forgetting the babies nappies. Following a little accident, she was asking how far away the nearest shop where she could buy some. I overheard the conversation and always trying to set an example for the team, I said that I would go and get some for her. The nearest supermarket was only a few miles away, but once I got to the nappy counter, I was presented with a vast array. Having not got children of my own, I did not realise that they came in so many different sizes !! Trying not to being accused of being cheap, I skipped the stores own brands and went to the pampers selection buying a pack of each size. When I arrived back at the park, there was much amusement from the whole team, watching me coming through reception staggering under the burden of eight packs of five nappies. The customer was hugely grateful, picked the size required (which we gave to her as a gift from the park) and I got the reward of really making her day ! “ Rick Turner, Director of the Flock (and Fish Trainer!) The BIG Sheep Theme Park, Bideford, North Devon.

2 months ago >     Report

2 posts

andy Simple touch at the Bear Inn, Esher.
All rooms at the Bear have a customer fridge, it is not filled with the usual over priced snacks, but the following is left for every guest free of charge.
2 bottles of water, 2 pieces of fruit and best of all fresh milk in a jug, covered in cling film and with a little day dot.
After a long drive a mug of tea made with fresh milk is just what you need.

2 months ago >     Report

2 posts