Customer Service…

“Customer service can either ramp up or ruin your business which I believe sane restaurateurs will nod their heads.”

A recent luncheon buffet at Basilico has bowled me over with its impeccable service. Other than the usual fastidious customer service such as changing of cutlery and tableware when necessary, topping up our glasses or making sure we are snugly ensconced at our designated seats…what impresses me the most is when I approached the Restaurant Manager for directions to the restroom, he offered hospitably to walk me all the way to the privy even though I am no celebrity diner! Later I learnt that he is called Nicholas and also a Frenchman. Kudos!

In this incident, I am won over more by the customer service than the fare. But I would still highly recommend this fine dining establishment to those who want to try bona fide Italian cuisine but yet pay one price only to relish.  (http://www.regenthotels.com/EN/Singapore/Cuisine/Basilico)

 

Just when there’s a good example, there is also a bad example which left me feeling embarrassed and sored about my dining experience to date:

 

It has always been my regular habit to arrive slightly earlier than the reservation’s time to explore the milieu. On a fine Saturday evening, my special dining companion and I arrived 5.50pm (reservation was 6pm) at a Peranakan restaurant@ Katong, Singapore. To our dismay, we were been turned away curtly by the restaurant manager who commented that ‘it’s not 6pm, we are not open’! Not even an apology was offered or words of affirmation with a smile.

“Please Mr Manager, only 10mins to go, can’t you just let us in and take a seat or speak nicely since we come all the way to patronize. Also, it is not as though we will start ordering and eating punctually!” That’s it! I won’t be coming back again, only to be embarrassed; especially when I bring my guest/s along for food tasting. What a poor model in customer service!

 

Nonetheless, I shall sign off with another excellent example of customer service which I encountered lately. On a Friday evening after work, I rushed over to 40 Duxton Hill to meet a chum for dinner. Having been disorientated about the bearing, I ended up at 40 Duxton Road instead which happens to be adjacent to the actual location. My poor chum got to abandon her scored table and come out to fetch me. But Mr Daniele Fiore, the GM of Latteria Mozzarella Bar kept the table intact and not only that, he waited outside the entrance out of concern. “Good to see you!” he warmly greeted us.

 

The wait staff who served us were well-informed of the courses we had. They liltingly explained the ingredients involved as well as the cooking methods executed for each dish. It is uncommon nowadays to find wait staff so enthusiastic and passionate in serving.

 

Next, during our last course, we decided to request to move to the patio due to the overwhelming air-con even though business was brisk at that time. The waiter feed backed to the GM promptly and not very long, our request was granted the moment a table was released once its guests had departed. We continued shooting the breeze with more drinks thereafter. That night, I went home grinning from ear to ear feeling very fulfilled. “I will return, for sure!”  (http://www.latteriamb.com/)