Bad Customer Service Generates Positive Praise

Waitress providing great customer service
photo credit: Corner House via photopin (license)

You need to experience bad customer service before you can appreciate good customer service.

“You’re the best waitress we’ve had all week,” I say as I hand the waitress the bill. “Thank you,” she replied. “Have you had bad service here?” “No, it was the restaurant across the street,” I replied.

The previous evening the family and I went out for dinner and from the time we entered the restaurant to the time we left it was like we were Hawley Griffin from the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. We were invisible.

The hostess seated us, but gave us no menus. The waitress brought food, but no napkins. Our invisibility kept us from making direct eye contact with them, and when we waved our hand, all we got was a blank stare, like macular degeneration was preventing them from fully seeing our image.

There are many scenarios that could create a bad service experience, but, from my perspective, it was not a crowded restaurant or a server in training. It appeared to me that the people hired to represent the restaurant just didn’t care.

The service we had the following night may only have been adequate, but after our previous experience of such poor quality customer service, this waitress looked great.

As a consumer, I expect great customer service to be the norm and I typically take it for granted. However, when you do have a bad customer experience, you really appreciate good service.

From this experience I now take the time to compliment people on good service. There’s too much bad service in the world and we should compliment those who really do their job right. I find giving praise puts a smile on a person’s face.

If you have a good customer service experience today….let them know. Don’t treat good customer service like it’s invisible.