Customer Service is the key, but not for everyone in the valley!

Customer service is the key factor for getting satisfied customers. This plays a very major role in each and every company's success. A company with unsurpassed customer service is the most preferred company. Restaurants are one of the major industries where the customer service is expected more. A restaurant with good Customer service will be ranked higher than any other competitive restaurants.

I really thought that all professionals in our industry think the same way until last week I visited a local chain restaurant-bar in Chandler, AZ. It was a particularly bad experience that left me speechless.

We are sitting down in a restaurant for happy hour, with all our friends and one of them carries a plastic water bottle, filled with specially filtered water, something recommended from a doctor for her allergies. The server took it upon herself to tell that lady that she couldn’t have that water bottle with her or else she had to leave the restaurant. The server said that!!!! When the lady asked the reason why, the server called the assistant manager. The assistant manager insisted that this is a Maricopa County Environmental Services Department  very strict regulation.  He said that there is extreme danger of contamination.  Then the GM approached the table and insisted the same thing.  They actually made that lady get up and leave the establishment in tears.

Naturally, I had to intervene. I kindly introduced myself to the Assistant Manager and asked him his reasoning for such behavior. He immediately told me that these are their house rules and that he should call his GM.  It was a little sad that he didn’t have anything to tell me and he just looked so wide of the mark in front of someone that knows better than a “poor” girl that is not in the F&B Industry.  Surprisingly, the GM approached me and we started chatting.  He was a young guy that proved to be very inconsiderate and very much so in his own world. He tried to convince me that the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department does not allow water bottles to be brought into an establishment. He also tried to tell me that AZ Department Of Liquor Licenses & Control can revoke their liquor license because of that. This is the GM of a major local chain telling me this. How obtuse did something like that sound in my ears? I can’t even describe. I just left that establishment and I made a promise to myself to never go there again. I refuse to patronize places that have no idea what customer service is.

And just so everybody knows; it is rude to bring your own drink inside a restaurant and you shouldn’t do it. But if there is a medical reason that requires you to do so, do not hesitate to defend yourself, if someone tries to convince you otherwise. If anyone tells you that you can’t bring your own water because the “liquor board” doesn’t allow it, remind them of BYOB. And if anyone in a restaurant or bar disrespects you in such a way, contact their office or owner. People like these make all of us look bad in our “guests” eyes.