Several times a month, I have breakfast meetings at a local restaurant. This restaurant is the typical family restaurant, much like you find in any town in the United States. All have very similar laminated menus, underpaid waitresses in little aprons, and highly lacquered table tops.
Because I am there several times a month, they know me by face, if not by name. Today, I was there for a meeting. I was seated at 7:30 am, asked if I wanted coffee (I didn’t), given a glass of water, and ignored. My other party didn’t show, but I figured I would have breakfast anyway.
I finished my water, and waited for a refill. Or a waitress to take my order.
And waited some more.
After about 25 minutes of watching the waitresses hang out with another customer, chatting him up, my waitress said something very interesting to that customer.
“Yes, but just because my customers are being paid to have breakfast with their business friends, that doesn’t mean they tip any better. Most of them are just [derogatory expletive having to do with an unclean area of the human anatomy.]”
So, she may or may not have been referring to people like me. But after being ignored for 25 minutes, I chose to get up and leave. No charge for the water, and for some strange reason, I did not feel like she deserved a tip.
Now, I usually tip very well, seeing as I was a waiter for 5 years in my youth. Upwards of 25-30% is my standard. However, she blew it.
Plus, after today’s episode, I do believe I may find another location for my breakfast meetings. Shoddy service and poorly chosen words have potentially lost the business of myself and those that I have my meetings with.
Will my departure cause an unrecoverable spiral of lost revenue which ultimately puts the restaurant out of business? Not likely.
However, your customers are your #1 asset for your business. Start alienating them, and one day, you’ll find yourself in trouble. In today’s highly competitive market, if you don’t take care of your customers, your competitor will.
Today’s lesson to remember: The Customer is King.
