Is Sucky Service Killing Corporate America?
February 2, 2009
We’re all wondering why Corporations are in such trouble today. Well in my opinion it started when they lost focus on their brand and what service means to the consumer. I’m going to pick on the restaurant industry for a moment because I’m mad and this is an example of how short sighted management thinking is on service.
Here in Charlotte we just finished Restaurant week. One week a year, restaurants offer a lower cost meal to patrons to get them to try a new restaurant, new foods, new flavors. With the economy as bad as it is Restaurant Week was probably a boost to our local economy. Well here’s where some restaurants missed the boat. The Capital Grill is a high end restaurant. So you expect to pay more there than at Chili’s but you also expect high end service when you dine there. On Friday, I took a client and guest to the Capital Grill (honestly I forgot it was restaurant week) for dinner.
To make a long story short I have to tell you both the food and service sucked! The waiter forgot my clients salad and gave a lame excuse about it being special order. The steak my client had was tough and tasteless and he didn’t eat it. The waiter didn’t come back to check on our food or inquire whether we liked it or not. When we were finished and the waiter came to remove our plates, my client told him about the steak. The waiter nodded and took the plate away- no apology. We ordered a bottle of wine and had to pay by the glass because we ordered off the wrong menu. Water glasses not filled and waiter forgot to ask us about coffee or cordials at the end of the meal. Oh did I mention my client ordered off the regular menu while I and my partner ordered off the special Restaurant Week menu. So I might have expected my food to be dull and uninteresting. I certainly didn’t expect my clients meals to be that. We spent well over $200.00 for what??? For me it was a total embarrassment since I am the host and it’s my city. So did the waiter make any acknowledgment, apology or accommodation for the poor service NO!
So my client, who works for the Food Network, thought it better to just write a letter to the corporate headquarters and complain. But God was smiling down on us or so I thought. We ran into the manager on our way out. My client told the story, which I’ve shortened here, in a nice, calm fashion. The manager smiled and said sorry.
That was it! So where did “fix a mistake” service go? Where did when you go to a high end restaurant you expect and get top level service? What the heck do restaurant managers think we go out to dinner for these days? And is this the publicity you want for your brand? i mentioned Chili’s earlier because I got better service, not service appropriate to the amount I’m spending, I mean much better service from them than the Capital Grill.
I’m told that the restaurant industry is hurting so badly the old expectations of excellent service aimed at making your dining experience wonderful is gone. I was told they can’t afford it any longer. Lower price point restaurants are eating away at the market share of the high end restaurants and they have to cut corners everywhere. For the life of me I can’t understand how this strategy is going to serve the Capital Grill when the economy turns around. If you’re going to act like Chili’s and serve food equal to Chili’s and your service levels is lower than Chili’s tell me how you’re going to compete with higher prices?
So those of you in the industry tell me how poor service helps your brand and fosters repeat business? Are you trading on your laurels and therefore believe when the market returns so will your customers? Repeat customers are easier to keep than acquiring new ones. I thought regulars were the life blood of any business. It is mine. It is far cheaper and more lucrative for me to keep customers than to acquire them. Customers refer others and are the best PR you can get. I guess a long term death is better than telling corp about the short term losses.
