Like most Friday nights, Paolo’s Ristorante was jam-packed, and at 7:45 p.m., a rather large problem was brewing. A 7:30 reservation scheduled by Mrs. McCleary for a very important dinner had gone awry. She had talked repeatedly with our manager, Michael, to make absolutely certain everything was arranged for her brother Kevin’s birthday. He was arriving from Ireland, and she hadn’t seen him in 10 years. We had planned a Veuve Clicquot Champagne toast and a special menu for the occasion. Michael had alerted the host, Lloyd, of the reservation and the special seating.
FACE THE STORM.
The problem began when an “in-charge” woman showed up at the host stand at 7:25 p.m. and stated that she had a party of eight. Lloyd asked excitedly, “Oh, are you Mrs. McCleary?” Seizing the opportunity, the woman looked at the huge line behind her and said, “Yes!” Lloyd quickly escorted the party to the McCleary table.
Then, back at the host stand, the real Mrs. McCleary showed up. She and her party were steaming mad. Lloyd frantically went in search of Michael. Carefully pulling Mrs. McCleary aside, Michael faced his accuser. Slightly bending his knees to get on her level, he gave her his undivided attention and was careful not to interrupt. Mrs. McCleary blasted him with a barrage of anger. “This is pathetic! My brother is to arrive in 10 minutes, and you don’t have our table?” Through an onslaught of profanity, Michael patiently listened.
LISTEN, EMPATHIZE, AND FIX.
After Mrs. McCleary had finished, Michael spoke. “Mrs. McCleary, I made a mistake. You have every right to be angry. This is not up to our standards, and no one should ever have to go through what you’ve gone through. I’m glad you told me about this so now I can escort you to the bar and treat you and your guests to our finest Champagne and appetizers. And I’ll check back with you every 10 minutes until we get you a table.” An hour later, they were finally seated. Though most of the party was happy, Mrs. McCleary was still fuming.
“I take full responsibility,” Michael said. “I’m going to pay for the entire celebration. But I’d like you to please give us a second chance,” he implored.
“No way, Jose!” Mrs. McCleary loudly retorted.
PLAN A CREATIVE COMEBACK.
Later that night, Michael instructed Lloyd to stop by a florist and pick up a dozen long-stem roses and personally deliver them to Mrs. McCleary’s office—not her home. This had to be an event.
“I know your party was upset, but I hope that you’ll come back and give us another try,” Lloyd said, as he graciously handed her roses. Looking sheepish, Mrs. McCleary relented. “I said some terrible things, and I’m sorry. With this beautiful gesture, I can assure you we’ll be back.” She did, in fact, return with family, friends, and co-workers.
HAVE A PLAN.
Through this twist of fate, Michael and Mrs. McCleary found they had much in common. The nightmare complaint opened the door to trust, friendship, and a long-term customer relationship. Michael’s deft handling also turned an atrocious situation into word-of-mouth advertising money can’t buy. He knew exactly what to do:
1) LISTEN. First, Michael gave his undivided attention and didn’t interrupt.
2) EMPATHIZE. Michael was on Mrs. McCleary’s side, and he showed it.
3) APOLOGIZE. Michael used the straightforward, affirmative, “I apologize.”
4) REACT. Michael escorted Mrs. McCleary to the bar for complimentary Champagne and appetizers. He checked in frequently. He comped the entire dinner. He bought flowers and invited her to return.
5) NOTIFY. Later, Michael took full responsibility at a pre-shift in front of the entire staff, saying it wasn’t the host’s fault. Then he reviewed the steps necessary to avoid the problem in the future.
6) THANK. Michael thanked Mrs. McCleary for her patience and her feedback.
REAP THE BENEFITS.
Over the next few months, any time Mrs. McCleary wanted to have dinner with friends, where did she have it? Paolo’s. Any time she had a business luncheon, where did she host it? Paolo’s. Never forget that guests often have a greater incentive to return after they have a complaint that’s taken care of magnificently than if they have no complaint at all.
Bob Brown, president of Bob Brown Service Solutions, www.bobbrownss.com, pioneered Marriott’s Service Excellence Program and has worked with clients such as Disney, Hilton, Morton’s of Chicago, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster. He has appeared on the Food Network, is author of The Little Brown Book of Restaurant Success and The Big Brown Book of Managers’ Success, and has recently released The Seven Keys of Beverage Sales Success DVD Learning System, www.bobbrownmedia.com Copyright Bob Brown 2009.
