Le Blog
Subscribe to Le Blog RSS Feed 
New York! New York!
Friday, 30 October, 2009
During a recent trip to New York, I was reminded how enjoyable good service is and how much you take it for granted until you no longer experience it. Standing at the sign “Please wait to be seated” in a restaurant and not having to wait for a cleared table, being welcomed with a greeting and a smile, sitting down to a clean table with glasses of water, menus appearing instantly, orders taken rapidly and delivered in a instant, not having to wait for cutlery, drinks being replenished before you’ve noticed your cup or glass is empty, not having to ask for the bill. To my mind, it is well worth tipping for such a smooth and enjoyable experience.
The main reason for such an enjoyable experience is the fact that as a customer in a store or a restaurant, you are the centre of attention. Things have been designed around you, for you, not for the convenience of the staff or the management, just for you. I have felt special for a week whilst in New York. The instant I walked in a main railway station in northern England, I felt I had arrived to a mean place, having to find 30 pence change to use the toilet, being greeted by minimal grunts and depressed faces. I don’t know that people in New York are any happier, particularly in the catering industry, on their feet hours on end, never still, always making your experience better, but they are more pleasant and make your day brighter.
I will think twice when I next leave a tip in this country: Did I really get good service? Was my experience of this store enhanced from the moment I walked in? Did these people really want me as a customer? Did they care? Would I want to have the same experience again?
This blog entry posted in :
Comments : 0
New York! New York!
Friday, 30 October, 2009
During a recent trip to New York, I was reminded how enjoyable good service is and how much you take it for granted until you no longer experience it. Standing at the sign “Please wait to be seated” in a restaurant and not having to wait for a cleared table, being welcomed with a greeting and a smile, sitting down to a clean table with glasses of water, menus appearing instantly, orders taken rapidly and delivered in a instant, not having to wait for cutlery, drinks being replenished before you’ve noticed your cup or glass is empty, not having to ask for the bill. To my mind, it is well worth tipping for such a smooth and enjoyable experience.
The main reason for such an enjoyable experience is the fact that as a customer in a store or a restaurant, you are the centre of attention. Things have been designed around you, for you, not for the convenience of the staff or the management, just for you. I have felt special for a week whilst in New York. The instant I walked in a main railway station in northern England, I felt I had arrived to a mean place, having to find 30 pence change to use the toilet, being greeted by minimal grunts and depressed faces. I don’t know that people in New York are any happier, particularly in the catering industry, on their feet hours on end, never still, always making your experience better, but they are more pleasant and make your day brighter.
I will think twice when I next leave a tip in this country: Did I really get good service? Was my experience of this store enhanced from the moment I walked in? Did these people really want me as a customer? Did they care? Would I want to have the same experience again?
This blog entry posted in :
Comments : 0
| ← Previous Entry | Next Entry → |
