March 2006

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2006</I></div> <div> <I>The following article was first published in the Eastern Daily Press' 'The Business'  on 8 March 2006</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>A lesson from Canada</B></div> <bR> <div> I've just returned from a visit to Canada and the United States and was reminded again just how differently the customer is treated there compared to here in Britain.  Not everything was perfect by any means, but in general the treatment that one received was excellent and it led me to recall the story of the British businessman who, on coming home from his first ever trip to the States, complained to a colleague about `the superficial jolliness' of what he called the `”have a nice day” brigade'.  His friend, a frequent visitor to America, replied that he would rather be at the receiving end of this perhaps somewhat artificial friendliness than face apathy, surliness or worse - communicated, as it all too often is in Britain, with obvious sincerity!</div> <bR> <div> This is not the first time I've written about the importance of outstanding customer service in this column.  It is a cornerstone of commercial success and, especially in service industry businesses, the key to generating lots of lucrative referrals.  A dining experience we enjoyed in Ontario highlights, for me, the essential difference between there and this side of the Atlantic.</div> <bR> <div> On a bitterly cold February morning, we were treated to Sunday brunch by a good Canadian friend.  She took us to a local steakhouse that's been trading successfully for over 40 years and where customers were arriving in droves.  As soon as we stepped into the warm, comfortable reception area, we were greeted by a girl who came out to meet us, take our coats and wish us a pleasant meal.  Then one of two maître d's on duty welcomed us and took us to our table.  There were large, wonderfully comfortable chairs, starched linen table cloth and napkins and enormous goblets that were immediately filled with either freshly squeezed orange juice or apple juice by a smiling, friendly waitress. </div> <bR> <div> When we were ready, we wandered into two massive rooms to choose our food.  In one, every breakfast dish imaginable was on offer:  scrambled, fried or poached eggs, Eggs Benedict, bespoke omelettes prepared freshly, sausages, crispy bacon, pancakes, waffles, French toast, maple syrup, and all manner of fresh fruit.  As this was a brunch, the second huge room contained a carvery with a side of beef and a big pork roast, chicken dishes, vegetarian options, mussels, giant prawns, salmon, vegetables too numerous to recall and, lest we forget it, a range of desserts!  Having made our choices, we returned to our table to enjoy our meal, accompanied, of course, by another pint or so of orange juice.  </div> <bR> <div> The restaurant was packed - not an empty table in sight - and by parties than ranged from infants to grandparents.  A small army of waiters and waitresses attended to our every need, always polite, always cheerful.  And when we left, we were sent on our way with a friendly `have a nice day' and, you know, I think they meant it.  But, even if they didn't, it still felt good.</div> <bR> <div> Now you might expect such a sumptuous feast to be horrendously expensive, considering the overheads and the extensive range of quality food on offer, but it was only a tenner a head!  Maybe not everything during our visit was perfect, but in this case, I think our Canadian friends can teach us a thing or two. What this business understands is that truly outstanding customer service, coupled with an excellent product consistently generates more repeat business than they can handle.  And that means they have a nice day, too.</div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width=180 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>