Tactful Language Exercise

Part 1

1	You have to go to the box office to buy your tickets.	They will be happy to assist you at the box office with your ticket purchase.
2	I don’t know if we have any specials left.	I can check to see if we have specials left.
3	It is against our policy to allow pets in the guest rooms.
4	It is not my job to take payment. The hostess does.	If you’re ready to pay the hostess would be happy to help you.
5	I haven’t had time to check on that.	Sorry for the delay.  I can check for you right now.
6	Nobody ever complained about the temperature in here before.	I can find out if we can get the temperature fixed so that you’re more comfortable.
7	Thanks for coming, dear.	Thank you for coming.  We’ll see you again soon.
8	Damn, I forgot!
9	Wow, you really ate that in a hurry!
10	Stop. Only staff beyond this point.	Only employees have access to this area.  Thank you.
11	Do not remove towels from this room. Our linens are made with magnetic yarn that will set off security devices.	Please do not remove any towels from this room.  Thank you.
12	Don’t come on Saturday without a reservation because you won’t get a table.	If you would like to make a reservation for Saturday we would be happy to have you.
13	You have a problem with your reservation.
14	You do realize that this ride is really scary.	I heard this ride is pretty scary but it should be fun.

Part 2-1

An example of a topic that you would avoid is something controversial such as the war.  You also should be sensitive to your customer’s point of views.  Don’t bring up a conversation that could make them mad or make them want to prove their values.  This could make them very upset or offend so much so to never come back or take more severe action.

Another example of a topic that should be avoided is something that you don’t understand.  For example, don’t talk to a person about their Mercedes if you don’t know anything about cars. If they catch you lying or pretending to understand they might wonder if you also lack job knowledge.

As well you should avoid topics that involve other people.  This could mean a coworker that you’re frustrated with or another customer.  It shows that you are untrustworthy and unprofessional if you try to engage the customer in these kinds of conversations.

Part 2-2

The Bell Porter can look at the reservations lists to see who is booked and arriving at what time or ask the Door Attendant after they’ve arrived.

The Switchboard Operator may have a list of the rooms as well and who’s staying in them.  Of course you don’t want to call someone Mrs. Smith if the reservation is under Mr. Smith because

you’d be assuming that’s his wife or even daughter when it may not be.  Also you could ask them for their name.  For example you may answer the phone saying, “Hello, my name is ____.  Who am I speaking to today?” after the guest gives you their name you could say, “Good day Mrs. Smith, how may I assist you?”

The room attendant could obtain the customer’s name by either the records that they have at the front desk or by simply asking them.

The maintenance attendant can retrieve the guests name by either the records kept at the front desk or by asking them as well.  They can simply just ask something along the lines of, “I will replace your light bulb for you right away Mrs…” giving the guest a chance to respond.

The host or hostess at a restaurant could obtain the guests name by either the reservation listing, other employees who may have served them before or by asking.  Before they sit them they could say “I have the perfect spot for you Mr…” again giving the guest a chance to respond.

The server can retrieve the name either from the host or from the reservations list.  In some cases they may already know their names if they are regulars.

A room service server could obtain the guest’s name by asking the people who took their order what their names were or asking the guest’s themselves if they were the one who took their order.  They could also obtain the name by checking with the front desk.

A reservation agent would obtain their name when taking their reservation because it is mandatory to ask.  They could also have records on their system that may bring up their name when they enter other information if the guest has been there before.

Part 2-3

One situation when a guest’s name shouldn’t be used is if someone calls the switchboard operator and asks them to tell them the names of the people staying in a specific room.  Or, as with the circumstance I stated before, if you are unsure of marital status or of the guest’s situation it’s best to leave it be and just refer to them as Ma’am or Sir.

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