You know what I love? I love interacting with employees who really know their stuff – like the other night at the bar of Cochon, a fab restaurant with a sophisticated menu of complex items. We could not decide what food to order and it was wonderful that the bartender could describe specifically what the different dishes were and how they were prepared.
Contrast this with another recent dining-out experience when we were served by a waiter who couldn’t tell us what beers were available. Or my credit union where I am learning a lot of employees don’t know the correct answer to customer questions.
How do those places with the great employees do it? I believe that kind of service comes from smart, conscientious, trained and motivated employees whose skilled supervisors pay attention in an engaging and alive organization culture.
So many variable and challenging pieces to get right. It is tough because each part must be managed both separately and in combination. Some of these moving parts need to be tightly controlled and others should be handled like you would hold a baby bird.
When you leave a place talking about the cool and helpful service, you’re usually not thinking about the great managers and supervisors. But they were there.
And, an operation that makes it look easy? Wow.
As always, I’d love to hear what you think.
