Weekend Musings on ILLUMINATION — Customer (Service) is King.
We learn from conventional knowledge that “Customer is King”.
Yes, that is true.
Without customers, there will be no Sales Revenue.
Yet, there seems to be a little something missing from that conventional saying.
It is time for that little update.
“Customer is King” because consumption drives Sales Revenue. It is every entrepreneur’s dream to have their cashier tills ringing all day long, all night long. Customers who are attracted to their products and services keep the business going and growing. I believe many of us will understand that.
And precisely because this point that is so obvious, we miss out the blatantly obvious.
All businesses are looking for recurring revenue through repeat customers.
As the saying goes, it is always easier to sell more once trust and longstanding relationships are established.
So, while Customer is indeed King, Customer Service has to be the second part of this saying.
In fact, I would go all in to say that “Customer Service is King”.
Let me tell you a little story.
I was out with my family for lunch at a Japanese restaurant this afternoon. They are known for their affordable prices, great food and prompt food serving. They have delivered all these promises to their customers (My family and me) from the moment we entered the restaurant.
We were swiftly shuffled to our seats, menus placed at our respective tables before we got seated. The waiters were just a couple of steps behind us, ready to take our orders when our hands went up. The first dish came within 5 minutes of order.
We were pretty satisfaction … until I started noticing that something is amiss.
It felt cold.
While the food was served promptly, we were never asked who ordered that ramen. It was swiftly placed on the table and before I knew it, the waiter had sped off attending to other diners.
When our orders are taken, there were no eye-contact. There were no recommendations for food-of-the-day or guiding questions like “Okay, anything else you would like to add-on, Sir?”.
Nothing.
It was pretty much a one-sided conversation.
Then came the hilarious part.
My family and I were deep into our conversation as we eat. You know, the usual concurrent conversations all around. I noticed that my glass of iced green-tea on my left disappeared when I looked for it. When I turned to my right, I realised that my plate of sushi has been cleared. When I turned back to my right, a bowl of ramen appeared just so suddenly in front of me and that glass of iced green-tea, refilled.
While I was bemused from the start, I wasn’t towards the end.
Maybe I have slightly higher expectations as a customer. I still prefer the human touch.
“Shall I refill your iced green tea for you, Sir?”
“This is a bowl of Tonkatsu ramen, please enjoy!”
“Shall I clear these plates for you and bring fresh ones?”
“Please enjoy your food!”
I miss those simple interactions.
In fact, I think it makes us human. I would love to be in a restaurant with strong personal touch, knowing full well that I am taken care of not just in terms of food. I want to be taken care of as a customer. That my needs are attended.
These seemingly little innocuous interactions add up to a great Customer Service.
I believe in it.
In fact, do recommend me restaurants with great Customer Service and I am more likely to patronise them.
I will.
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About the Author:
As a Consultant by training, I believe in making the complex simple.
Because simplicity adds value.
Simplicity helps us gain clarity, and clarity helps us to grow.
And if we are not growing, then what’s the point of anything else?
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