On Friday night my partner and I ate at a restaurant we’d not been to before. We had arranged to collect a friend after her ‘leaving work’ party in the pub and drive her home. Not really needing an excuse to eat out, we Googled restaurants close to the pub. La’De Kitchen serves Turkish food – a cuisine I love for the spice and one that I don’t get to eat every often, living in the depths of the English countryside, as I do.

After a quick glance at the menu in the window (a simple, yet effective, marketing tactic!) we entered the restaurant. There was only one other couple dining and my partner asked if I would rather have a drink in the pub before eating, as it was still early. “I’m hungry; let’s eat.” We were shown to a table.

We left two hours later, having eaten far too much delicious, spicy, freshly prepared food. We had been treated to the most wonderful, attentive service – the type that means when you need a waiter there’s one there, without pestering you. The staff all smiled, even as the restaurant became busier – by the time we left it was full, seating nearly 40 people. Some tables were on their second sitting. We were asked by the waiters if there was anything else we needed and if we were enjoying our meal. Some serving staff wait until you’ve finished your meal before asking if all is OK. At La’De, they really care.

I think it’s a family-run restaurant and the owner/manager makes a special effort with his staff. At one point in the evening, he quietly called together two of his team members to discuss something with them. They stood right in the middle of the restaurant and carried out their conversation with subtlety and discretion. At other establishments, I have witnessed staff openly arguing and managers disciplining employees in the full hearing of guests. At La’De, every effort is made to make guests feel welcomed, comfortable and almost at home.

How Do Your Clients Feel about your Customer Service?

All this fabulous service got me thinking about customer service and reputation. More specifically it got me wondering how much customer service and the effect you have on your clients affects your reputation. I’ve been developing five Emotional Reputation Strategies – strategies you can use to stand out from your competitors as a Coach, Consultant or Trainer. I believe that your reputation is created by the emotions your clients feel when you work with them. After that dinner, I started working through the five strategies to see what effect customer service has on your reputation. The result? I believe that all the five strategies are highly affected by your customer service. Every business will have one main strategy that works best for it. Let me take you through the five strategies, using a restaurant example. Think about which strategy resonates most with you:

1. Certainty – clients work with your business, because you give them certainty. If the menu says you’ll serve grilled octopus, serve grilled octopus. Don’t substitute calamari if you’ve run out of octopus, without first explaining to your diners that you need to change the menu and would they like to try the calamari instead.
2. Connection – clients buy from your company, because you give them a sense of connection. Your diners might come back to your restaurant as it’s the place they can meet other like-minded people, perhaps at your wine tasting evenings. When they arrive to taste Turkish wine and sample your food, allow them to mingle with other wine lovers, rather than also inviting people who only drink and expect French wine.
3. Contribution – clients work with your business, because you can help them contribute to a cause that is bigger than just them. They eat at your restaurant, because all your ingredients are locally, ethically and organically sourced. Eating their food encourages them to buy ingredients that support the planet, which encourages more small producers to farm and grow produce that supports the planet. Start serving processed foods instead of your amazing homemade desserts and diners will go elsewhere.
4. Growth – with this strategy, clients buy from your company, because you can help them to grow, either personally or professionally. In the restaurant example, I’m not talking about the growth that will occur if I eat too much delicious Turkish food! That will inevitably happen, but that’s not why people will keep returning to your restaurant. They will keep coming back, because you change the menu on a regular basis and create wonderful specials, allowing your diners to grow their knowledge of Turkish cuisine.
5. Significance – clients will buy from your business, because you make them feel more significant than other businesses do. “Good evening, Madam. Welcome. Have you dined here before?” That’s how a restaurant makes you feel special. How many places have you walked into, only to be ignored by the staff, or not given a warm welcome? If you pride your establishment on being friendly and welcoming, be friendly and welcoming – every day, to every single person who walks through your door. When you do, they’ll come back again and they’ll bring their friends!

Keeping Up Your Customer Service

Every business – whether you’re a coach or a restaurant – will have one main strategy that suits their business. When you know which is your strategy, you can use it to promote your business. If your strategy is Certainty, the people who value Certainty most will be attracted to your business. Which means that in order to keep those clients, your customer service efforts must focus on Certainty. If your strategy is Significance, keep providing Significance and you’ll attract the clients who need to experience Significance over any other emotion.

Whatever your strategy, stick to it and do what you say you’re going to do. It’s when you don’t, or when you stray away from what clients want and expect, that your business can get into trouble. Instead, figure out the best strategy for your business and then stick to it. When you do, you’ll be able to consistently provide the customer service that your clients expect. Disappoint them and your new menu will be a flop again. Keep them happy and they’ll tell all their friends how great you are. We’ll be heading back to the Turkish restaurant very soon!