Do You Hear What I’m Saying

Last night I was working in Phoenix with a client. I was fortunate to be invited to their dinner, which happened to be at a very nice restaurant that is known for its world-class service.

Prior to dinner, the servers were passing appetizers. One looked particularly good, and I asked if it had mushrooms. The server said, “Yes.” I replied, “I’m not a mushroom guy, so I’ll pass.”

My client, who was next to me during this brief encounter looked at me and said, “Let’s see if they get it.” What he was referring to was if the server would go back and ask the chef to prepare one or two appetizers without the mushrooms. I told my client that we shouldn’t expect it. He had hope, but I was right.

If this was such a world-class restaurant, known for service, they should pick up on their guests’ comments. It is their job to listen and not just respond, but also impress. This was a missed opportunity for the restaurant.

Several weeks ago I was flying home from a speech. I had my free upgrade to first class and was enjoying lunch. For dessert they were serving warm chocolate chip cookies. There were a lot of extras, as there were only a few people in the first class cabin. I asked the flight attendant if there were extra cookies. He said yes and walked away. I never got the cookies, and actually watched him throw the extras away.

In both cases, the server and the flight attendant didn’t hear what I was saying – or more specifically, requesting. While the mushroom example was a bit subtle, the cookie example was pretty obvious.

The lesson: Listen to what customers are saying. Read between the lines. Look for opportunities to respond to the obvious and sometimes the subtle comments your customers make. These may even be opportunities to impress and create world-class service.

As the guy on the Verizon commercial says, “Can you hear me now?”

Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (www.TheCustomerFocus.com).