Internal Customer Service Case Study

Internal Customer Case Study

Danielle Gagnon

The server and the cook both have biased points of view.  The cook is preparing meals for customers that he doesn’t interact with which would make it difficult for him to empathize with them.  The server however has the opportunity to connect with the customer and empathize but didn’t have the opportunity to know the situation in the kitchen.  Basically in this situation the cook and the server were both at a disadvantage.

This situation affects the relationship between the coworkers, or Internal Customers, because they aren’t working together to create excellent service for the external customer.  This strain on their relationship will affect how the other kitchen staff will work together and the quality of the food being served.  The server’s attitude after the incident will permeate into the service she’s giving the customer at hand which in turn makes the company suffer.

From the cooks perspective he couldn’t empathize with the server and everything that was going wrong in the kitchen was more important than what the customer needed.  He also generalized and stereotyped servers as a whole and couldn’t put himself in their shoes.  If he had followed the laws of service he would have put his own personal vendettas and issues behind him so that he could work properly and for the customer.

Then from the server’s perspective, the dining room was extremely busy and she didn’t understand the demands of the kitchen.  This would lead to the servers attitude changing and the customer would be able to pick up on this change in mood and could perceive it to be their fault or about them.

The first law states that they must have team work, courtesy, empathy and the ability to be accessible.  Both the cook and the server didn’t follow through with any of these.  The cook wasn’t courteous towards the server when she needed the steak redone and the server didn’t have empathy for the cook’s demands.  They were both inaccessible to each other and they behaved as individuals instead of as a team.

Had they used these methods they would have been able to put aside their differences and focus on the situation at hand.  Their tasks would not only be less stressful but they would be able to work more efficiently afterward without it affecting any more internal or external customers.

Seven Deadly Sins Case Study

Laws of Service Case Study

Danielle Gagnon

To be a part of a customer service oriented business you must be aware of the customer’s needs and wants and be appreciative of them.  As well you must be in tune with what your customers will come to expect from the type of service you provide.

In the case study, the restaurant failed to meet the guest’s expectations by not being accessible, consistent or empathetic.  They were not accessible because they implied that they were not available for when Mrs. Cooper’s party wanted them to be.  They lacked consistency when they tried to get Mrs. Cooper to switch their reservation which would normally have not been an issue.  As well they were not empathetic by not trying to be accommodating to Mrs. Cooper’s needs and not seeing the situation from her view.

The restaurant presented an unprofessional look in all aspects.  The employee and manager were unprofessional because you should never put your own personal wants in front of what your customer wants and needs.  As well, they were unprofessional because they didn’t assess their customer’s needs as everyone in the customer service industry should.

They also committed one of the worst seven deadly sins by implying that the customer and their needs were unimportant.  Regardless of whether or not they were a celebrity they should be able to expect what they want when they want it.  In essence, every customer is valuable regardless of status.

One of the behavioral clues that the hostess missed was when Mrs. Cooper paused after she alerted her of the situation.  This pause meant that Mrs. Cooper was probably upset that her plans weren’t going as scheduled and that she was disappointed in the restaurants priorities.

As well, the hostess missed another behavioral clue when Mrs. Cooper called and said “we’ll just go somewhere tonight so you can entertain your celebrity”.  Although it may be difficult to recover since this is after Mrs. Cooper and her party had made their decision the hostess could still have picked up on how Mrs. Cooper presented her feelings on the situation.  Her comment was somewhat sarcastic and implied that she felt unimportant because they had replaced them with a celebrity.

Obviously this situation could have been avoided if the employees were trained properly, including the manager himself.  Proper customer service starts with proper training and being able to perceive people properly.

Self-Evaluation & Self-Evaluation Reflection

QUALITY SERVICE SELF-EVALUATION

Answer the following questions as honestly as possible and post this document in your blog.

1. I am able to put the customer’s needs first. Y
2. I look for ways to anticipate my customer’s needs. Y
3. I accommodate my customer’s request even when it is not easy to do so. Y
4. I make my customers feel welcome, understood, comfortable and important. Y
5. My verbal and non-verbal communication reflects a positive attitude. Y
6. I genuinely enjoy working with and for other people. Y
7. I view every customer, even the difficult ones, as an opportunity to provide quality service. N
8. I have a high energy level and enjoy a fast pace of work. Y
9. I am flexible and adaptable to new demands and experiences. Y
10. I handle problems and complaints positively and graciously. Y
11. I am willing to learn new or different ways of providing excellent customer service. Y
12. I believe there are still some things I can learn that will make me a better service provider. Y