Alas! Some good service!

Service, as defined in a dictionary, is “an act of help or assistance”. How, when, and by whom it is given, is the focus of today. You see, many treasures can’t equal the special qualities of graciousness, warmth and genuine hospitality given by a Service Provider. These qualities begin with a code of behaviour, based on kindness and consideration, and continue with the guideline that enables patience and professionalism. On the other side of these special qualities, a challenging experience may occur if you meet a provider whose niche does not include the love of serving people. The events that would follow a situation of this kind can possibly plunge you into deep depression, topped off by anger while you’re waiting to explode.

This “act of help or assistance” is zoned into either good or bad service. The kind of rating depends on your experience with the following: Greeting, communication, attitude, body language, tactfulness, problem solving, professionalism and at times, task efficiency. Keep in mind that a service experience can be related to a big gamble where you anticipate favourable results, but disaster can occur if you’re out of luck that day. So what is considered good or bad service? Let’s look at attitudes since it is the number one obstacle that often blocks positive customer relations. A good service provider must use an upright posture, full eye contact, a welcoming tone, smiles, has a friendly approach, be attentive, efficient, caring and empathetic. Bad service comes with an attitude of ignoring customers or having personal conversations in the presence of them, a slouched posture, crossed arms, ear picking, yawning, nail biting or picking, tapping of fingers, continual looking at wristwatch or clock, mumbling or sighing.

A major part of attitude is body language. Body language is the silent language your body uses in addition to your speech. It consists of small gestures, eye movements, postures and facial expressions to name a few. It affects customers in the following ways; if a smile is not given, the customer may think that the Service Provider does not care or not want to serve him. Slouching or the dragging of feet suggests non-interest or a lack of efficiency in the job. Avoiding eye contact translates as insincerity, lack of attention, being impolite, dishonesty or shyness. These would absolutely make the customer feel very uneasy. The positive side of body language is a pleasant facial expression, which is a warm smile with teeth showing and generally a happy interesting face. Plenty of eye contact is great. In order to achieve this, practise every time you meet someone to note the colour of their eyes while you are greeting them. This will ensure sincere eye contact. However, be careful not to stare into their eyes for long periods as this can create uneasiness.

An upright posture, which is a straight body with shoulders back and head held high, gives a positive look that also implies efficiency and a feel of confidence. Customers will more likely react in a positive manner. Additionally upright posture should also be “open”. Always try to ensure that your arms are away from the front of the body, avoid folded or clasping hands and leave one of them out to the side of your body to welcome customers and give directions. For a majority, dealing with Service Providers is a must. It’s sad that for some of these experiences, mental preparation is recommended. Take for example; I walked into a shoe store where an acknowledgment or greeting was non-existent. After realising this, I invited myself further unto the premises and observed three other customers and six store clerks. These clerks were all pre-occupied. The cashier seemed to be enjoying lunch at the cash register, three others were having a heated debate, another was adding more shoes to the display section and the last was chatting on a cellular phone.

I took up one of the shoes on display, sat in the area designated for trying it on and willfully waited for assistance. This seating was located at the centre of the store. Thirty-two minutes passed before the clerk who was on the cell phone, approached me for an unrelated matter and asked “De bank close at two or five today?” What a Service horror! Let me briefly mention that as for the other customers, one of them had to pay for her merchandise while the cashier continued her picnic, and the other two, who seemed to be together, left in anger since the store’s provision for credit cards was temporarily out of service. This is just one of the numerous service disasters that takes place daily. The reality is that in some businesses, the kind of service we provide in what we perceive and market as “Trinidad and Tobago international” is more like “Trinidad and Tobago caveman republic”. And what do you think is the reason for that? When businesses in the private or public sectors are in need of assistance, these service positions are filled without focussing on the very important factor of hiring persons with the right attitude for the job. The theme for hiring for a service-oriented job should be “hire the attitude”. When this is not taken into consideration, a big mistake occurs and the potential for service nightmares are conceived.

Proper training is another important factor in the Service industry. Even if the persons with the best service attitudes are hired and they are trained for the requirements of the job they’re expected to perform, an assumption should not be made that they have the “people skills”  necessary because they made it through the interview. The reality is that school and colleges are not providing future workers with even the basic skills they need to function as quality Service Providers. Too many times this assumption is made just because job applicants are pleasant in job interviews that they will be effective with customers. Additionally, not because an applicant may have completed a college degree, whether in hospitality or not, earns him the right to a spot in the management of people serving people. On a positive note, I know for a fact that all is not doomed as yet. Let me tell you about this glimmer of hope. I visited a restaurant recently and left thinking, “Where else can I have a repeat of this experience?” Pinch me! On arrival, I was acknowledged within 15 seconds with full eye contact and a warm smile. A verbal greeting followed and my needs were identified. I did not have a reservation but asked to dine in the non-smoking area. Let me note that the restaurant was filled at the time. I had a shopping bag and was given assistance with it while being escorted to my table.

This hostess called me by name (since she got it from me on arrival) and wished me an enjoyable stay for the evening. It gets better. The waiter approached me within two minutes, addressed  me by name while introducing himself. I observed that he too gave full eye contact with a warm smile. He offered beverages and did not rush me at all with my order. The order arrived within 15 minutes and another waiter approached me shortly after by my name to check satisfaction of the meal. Once again, I was not rushed to finish up quickly, even though I observed a line of other customers piling at the entrance and the hostess chatting with them. How efficient she was. One minute checking for departing customers and another minute trying to seat those coming in. From a look around the dining area, I sensed satisfaction all around. I got my bill only after the staff ensured that I did not want anything else and my exit was one that deserved a teardrop of joy. As busy as it was, the manager ensured that he thanked me and wished a good evening, the waiter insisted to assist with my bag again and the hostess was on hand to pull my chair and escorted me out. Guess what, they all addressed me by name. As I said in the beginning, pinch me! Just so that you know, I had to figure out if it was just my imagination so I recommended the restaurant to a friend. Her experience was similar. It was such a joy to hear her say, “maybe I need to be pinched too!”

Debbie Bridgewater-Tinegate is
a Manager at the Hilton Trinidad
and Conference Centre