Loyalty comes from service; and Service starts with a smile...

 

                            serv·ice

                                                /ˈsərvəs/

                                                    noun

                                        1.

                                            the action of helping or doing work for someone.

                                "millions are involved in voluntary service"

                                        2.

                                            assistance or advice given to customers during and after the sale of goods.

                                "they aim to provide better quality of service"

 

The most important factor in customer satisfaction is the customer service provided by employees. A company doesn’t provide customer service – its employees do and complimenting a company for its fine service should be conveyed directly to its employees. A company may set and maintain service standards – these are often what people are referring to when expressing their opinion that service there is great. The key is making employees feel like they own and are responsible for delivering service at the levels articulated in the standards. You must be clear when describing them. Arranging silverware properly on a restaurant table is a business practice; making eye contact, smiling, and being genuinely interested in a customer’s experience is customer service.  Hospitality companies often adhere to what is referred to as the 10-5-3 rule: make eye contact with a guest at a distance of 10 feet, smile and greet them at 5 feet, and inquire if assistance is needed or give a friendly salutation at 3 feet. If that’s all the customer service you want your employees to provide, explain it just that way and leave them to perform it. Then catch them doing it right or coach them if they don’t. And maybe even put some money where your mouth is when they continually do it right. Then enjoy your customer’s loyalty today.

 

Ken Blanchard (born 1939): American author, business consultant and motivational speaker who wrote The One Minute Manager.