Service Industry, the Business of Showing Up

What makes customer-facing businesses beautiful and challenging at the same time, is the basic principle of showing up and being present, each day, every day!

In hospitality, beauty, restaurants, retail, and many other service industries, you have to prepare and be there, physically and emotionally. You face the guest directly, feeling your raw emotions but showing a professional posture, wearing that smile even when you don't feel like it, because you know it's not about you, it's about their experience.

This article is inspired by a surprisingly great experience I had recently when shopping in a "pharmacy and more" retail store: from the security lady at the entrance to every store assistant, I felt seen, helped, respected, and prioritized. They were very observant, proactive, ready to assist, sharing personal tips about products, accompanying you to a specific aisle, smiling, coordinating with each other, and maintaining the store intuitively organized. This great experience was not a coincidence, the training and reinforcement efforts behind this result were obvious.

Here are the touchpoints along the customer journey, where your focused presence can make the difference between a mediocre interaction and a great service experience.

Mapping the customer journey in the service industry:

The Reservation

• present yourself in the best way possible (say your name, ask and use the customer's name, keep the smile on); 

• ask the right combination of closed and open-ended questions to collect precious information;

The Welcome

• monitor the entrance and be the first to say hello;

• personalize the welcome based on the information you collected.

The Ambiance and The Amenities

• the most important aspect of the ambiance remains the human presence, make sure it stands out positively;

• prioritize quality over quantity when selecting your décor and amenities; 

The “HowMayIHelpYou?”

• spotlight this necessary transition from "Welcome" to "Let's do business!";

• let the customer tell you what they need and how to address them;

The Conversation and The Upsell

• make that small talk whenever possible, it will brighten the engagement; 

• be consistent but original with your upsell efforts.

The Timeliness

• match the urgency level of the customer rather than working fast by default; 

• "Wait a minute, please!" does count as a specific promise of timeframe, don't underestimate it.

The Complaint and The Recovery

• "The customer is the king (only) as long as they behave royally"; 

• a good service recovery can be more memorable than an incident-free experience. 

The “Going the Extra Mile”

• start with small, personalized, cost-free gestures like using the customer's name, and remembering their preference; 

• don't settle for the pretend personalization (offering the same cake for each customer's birthday), put that extra effort into finding out at least one special detail (from the joining friends, during the reservation: a color, a favorite drink, a preferred flavor);

The Payment, the Hot Feedback, the Farewell

• they all have to be swift and simple, without overcomplicating the process; 

• "Was everything ok?" is not an inspired feedback question (it is vague and implying).

I invite you to explore more details and many examples in the upcoming eBook: "Normalize Great Service. The 5-Week Plan - A detailed, practical guide, inspired by 5* hospitality best practices, for entrepreneurs and small-business owners to better serve their employees and customers."