Good vs. Great Customer Service
John Russell, President of Harley Davidson said: “The more you engage with customers, the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing.” That engagement is the key to great customer service and, as we all know, happy customers provide better marketing than anything a business can pay for.
A perfect example of this occurred while on our Blue Ivory Creative team trip to Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. We had the pleasure of meeting Miguel, the manager of a fine dining Mexican restaurant inside the Marival Resorts and Suites where we stayed. Though we weren’t even inside his restaurant, he brought us drinks and took away our empty cups, all while telling us entertaining stories about his experience with customers and asking us questions about our own lives.
We made reservations at his restaurant later in the week, but when we showed up at the right time, we found out that our reservations were actually for a different restaurant and the concierge had made a mistake. But Miguel seated us anyway. That was just the beginning of his excellent customer service.
One of our co-founders, and our Chief Creative Officer, Kathryn, is lactose intolerant, which makes it very difficult to eat at restaurants since she can’t have any dairy. Usually there is a lot of confusion and not very many food options. But as soon as she mentioned that to Miguel, he began listing the things on the menu she could eat and which items could be modified.
When her enchilada appetizer came out with cream, Miguel caught it even before it reached the table and sent it back to the kitchen to be remade. He then proceeded to personally check every dish as it came out, even though he definitely had other customers to deal with. Kathryn decided not to order a dessert, because it wasn’t possible to make any of the menu options without dairy. But, after a conversation with Miguel, the waiter brought out a dish of sweetened strawberries, which weren’t on the menu, so she could have dessert anyway.
It would have been “good” customer service for them to simply bring out food without milk, as she ordered it. But catching mistakes from the kitchen, checking each dish as it came out and creating an entirely new off-the-menu dessert option for Kathryn is what made Miguel’s customer service outstanding and provided a fantastic experience for his customers.
This is the level of customer service we strive for at Blue Ivory Creative, a level that is essential for a legendary, long-lasting business. And if you’re ever in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, well, make sure to go to Las Palomas and ask for our friend, Miguel!
