This past Saturday, my wife Barb and I enjoyed going out to breakfast with our daughter, son-in-law and sweet nieta (Spanish for granddaughter…I like the word better!) While the food was very good, the service was not. Once seated, it seemed like forever to get coffee. You see coffee is the first thing needed (at least by me and everyone else at the table) to get the ball rolling on a good experience. It sets the tone, and unfortunately that slow tone continued throughout the meal, including delays in getting our meals and more coffee. While we walked out satisfied with the food, we were less than impressed with the service.
And it was NOT the fault of either our server or the cook.
You see, there was only one server to take care of at least a dozen tables that were either occupied or about to be. She was doubling up as hostess, and in her “spare time” cajoling the only cook that I saw to try and hurry. This lady was working hard, and understandably made a few mistakes in addition to being behind with regular duties. She was extremely apologetic.
Here’s a restaurant serving breakfast on a Saturday morning and woefully understaffed. It doesn’t take a restaurateur to understand that correctly staffing for a busy time is worth the investment of payroll. The consequences are poor service leading to social media reviews, unhappy customers, unhappy employees, and loss of brand reputation.
Take a look at your business. Do you observe any places where corners are being cut to the detriment of your customer base? Are there situations where employees are put in difficult situations to save a few bucks? Are you doing everything possible to serve your own coffee on time and with regularity to improve the condition of your clients?
Brand and reputation are paramount to success and business viability. This is followed closely by putting your employees in a position to win and succeed professionally and personally. The coffee is important because it sets the tone.
What cup you are serving daily and is everyone satisfied?
Quote of the Week:
“I’ve measured out my life with coffee spoons.”
~ T.S. Eliot, 20th century American poet
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