We recently went on a tour in another country. One of our hotels was exceptional and has been used several times by the tour operators. The accommodations were excellent, as was the food, but every time we ate there (or at many other area restaurants whose food was also excellent), we noticed that many small details were continually missed.
We asked for a sweet potato and got a white potato. Someone else asked for his steak to be served without any sauce or basting… yet the steak was delivered sitting in its basting juices – and there was sauce on top. Another person asked for red wine and received white wine. A medium rare steak was delivered well done. At breakfast, we requested eggs “over easy” and were served eggs over “VERY hard.” And on and on… at every meal, there were several small “mis-steps” that added up to an experience that was good but marred by memories of many collective mistakes that were hard to forget.
When people started commenting on this, some group members said, “It’s always like this, every time we come. You just learn to deal with it.”
WOW… I don’t think I’d want people saying that about any business I owned – or about my personal performance. I realize that no one is perfect and mistakes will occasionally happen when dealing with humans. But I wouldn’t want to have a great experience dampened (or overshadowed) by repetitive mistakes that are easily avoided.
The biggest problem we could see is that no one ever wrote anything down when the orders were being taken, despite the size of the group. How can anyone be expected to remember all the nuances of a large order unless you write them down? After all, we’re only human. And apparently, no matter how many mistakes the same server made, nothing was ever done to correct or avoid them in the future.
Now, you might argue that the people from that country may not be as “picky” as international travelers, so there is no need to write orders down, as they usually come “standard.” But these restaurants are in international cities that serve diners from all over the world. If you want to be a world-class establishment that serves customers from all over the world, their experiences must be free of the number of errors experienced here… or you risk losing that clientele for future meals and events. After all, there were hundreds of restaurants to choose from in a small geographic area.
Think about how this applies in your business or your position at work. What is the experience that you want everyone to remember about you? Or your organization?
Think about it: when occasional patrons visit your establishment, they often don’t know who you are. They only know where they are. So, the organization (the where) takes a hit on its reputation, rather than the person (the who) delivering the experience that causes the hit. And when we’re talking about frequent visitors or colleagues who interact often with the same person, both the person and the organization take the hit.
So, how can you ensure that everything you do is of the highest standards and you avoid making the same mistake twice?
- Pay attention when you make a mistake. Analyze how/why it happened. Was it a fluke or was it something that is at risk of being repeated if I don’t correct something? Learn from every complaint or issue that arises, no matter how minor.
- Make adjustments as necessary. Sometimes one tiny adjustment (like writing things down) can prevent that mistake from happening again in the future. Writing it down not only puts it in black and white so you can refer to it later, but it cements the experience in your mind, making it less likely that you will simply forget that it happened… until it happens again.
- Share what you’ve discovered with others. If you’re making a particular mistake, there is a good possibility that others are making the same mistake. I know it’s sometimes difficult to admit our mistakes, but please try, even if you just position it in the following manner: “I discovered a new way to do [this…] because I was having a challenge with it. I wondered if you were having the same challenge and if this could help you, too.” Too often, we find great new ways to do things, but don’t share with anyone. This is due to a myriad of reasons that must be eliminated, including:
- not thinking of sharing or writing it down;
- not wanting to share the “glory” of the discovery (The old “knowledge is power!” syndrome);
- thinking you’re the only one experiencing this problem;
- not knowing who to tell – or if your input would be welcome; and
- fear of embarrassment at having to admit the problem in the first place.
- Seek help. If something happens over and over and you can’t get a handle on why, ask others if they recognize what’s going on, or if they’ve discovered a way to overcome it. Sometimes you’re just too close to the problem and an outsider is easily able to pick up on a tiny nuance you’ve missed.
If we all pay attention to the large and small things we can personally control by really listening to the feedback and requests others bring to our attention, look for opportunities to improve, and then share our insights with others in similar positions, we can greatly improve the experience of every customer or visitor to our business and continually raise the reputation of the entire organization, as well as our personal reputation, in the process.
The only way to stay in (and keep growing) a business is to ensure that everyone who interacts with us says, “WOW!” – not “WOW, but…”
I’d love to hear your comments! Please feel free to post or comment below.
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