What people actually remember.
WHAT CUSTOMERS JUDGE
Whether the food was good Whether they waited too long How they were treated Whether the place was clean What happened when something went wrong
WHY THE LAST ONE MATTERS MOST
Recovery affects loyalty more than flawless service does.
WHAT GOOD RECOVERY LOOKS LIKE
Acknowledging immediately Apologising without excuses Fixing it Something to acknowledge the inconvenience
WHAT TO GIVE STAFF
Authority to resolve problems up to a defined limit.
WHY
Escalation for every issue produces delay and compounds the frustration.
WHAT TO DEFINE
What they may do without asking.
WHAT TO TRAIN
Greeting promptly Acknowledging waiting customers Checking after food is served Handling complaints
WHY ACKNOWLEDGING WAITING MATTERS
Perceived waiting is reduced substantially by acknowledgement.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Time to greeting Time to service Complaints, by cause
WHAT TO DO ABOUT REPEATED COMPLAINTS
Treat them as operational problems, not service failures.
WHAT TO AVOID
Arguing with customers Blaming the kitchen in front of them Disputing in public
WHAT TO DO ABOUT ONLINE REVIEWS
Respond, promptly and without defensiveness.
WHY
Future customers read the response more than the review.
WHAT TO SAY
Acknowledgement, what you have done, and an invitation to contact you.
WHAT TO NEVER DO
Argue publicly, or dispute the customer's experience.
