Delivering Customer Service Essay Example

justify">As Starbucks grew its selection of products and saw more customers coming in, the role of a barista became more intricate. In addition, the company had to figure out how to meet customer preferences while upholding set quality standards.

In order to improve efficiency, the company focused on eliminating unnecessary tasks, streamlining its beverage production process, and modifying facility design to remove bottlenecks.

The introduction of automated espresso machines in its North American stores pleased both customers and baristas.

Starbucks faced a significant challenge due to unexpected changes in its customer profiles and satisfaction. This included the expansion of their customer base to include younger, less educated, and less wealthy individuals. Additionally, their traditional affluent customers now included Hispanics and other previously unidentified groups.

Starbucks was surprised to find that customer satisfaction rates were lower than expected, which was concerning because customer loyalty depended on high satisfaction scores. In a survey, the company learned that the aspect most commonly mentioned by customers was the speed of service.

Starbucks admitted to potential negligence in customer service and protocol maintenance. This was partially due to the difficulty of effectively interacting with customers amidst long queues. Additionally, the company hesitated to hire more staff during the economic downturn. Furthermore, most of their stores were located in urban areas with higher wages.

The text below discusses hotel operations.

Implementing Starbucks' customer service principles in a hotel environment is simple. Numerous hotel guests express dissatisfaction with inadequate customer service, resulting in not only their reluctance to revisit but also their hesitancy to recommend the hotel to others.

Customer service is crucial in the hotel

industry, being the central focus of the business. Similar to Starbucks' prioritization of people, hotel managers should prioritize guest satisfaction. Hotel staff should aim to exceed expectations and handle complaints promptly and professionally like Starbucks trains its employees to efficiently handle customer orders and engage with customers socially. Additionally, hotel staff should be knowledgeable about room rates and policies while genuinely showing concern for guest comfort.

Starbucks emphasizes the importance of engaging in meaningful conversations with customers to provide exceptional customer service. This involves going beyond traditional greetings and understanding what guests really desire. It is essential to train hotel staff to actively listen and effectively engage.

Albert Schindler, from About.Com's Canadian Small Business section, highlights the significance of building customer loyalty in business. He shares his experience at a renowned hotel in downtown Calgary, where the management introduced a policy mandating employees to know customers' complete names and, when possible, other personal or business details. This approach significantly improved guests' feelings of being acknowledged and esteemed throughout their stay at the hotel.

In addition, it is important to enhance the training of hotel staff so that they can better anticipate and meet the needs of guests. This can be accomplished by developing a comprehensive understanding of customers.

Understanding the preferences of your customers and customizing your amenities and services accordingly is crucial for meeting their needs effectively. For instance, if the majority of your guests are tired businessmen traveling for work, providing a complimentary full body massage would be highly appreciated by them. On the other hand, if you primarily serve tourists, it would be more suitable to offer a

tour service. Similar to Starbucks, always consider your customer profile and anticipate their needs to ensure a seamless experience for them. It is also important to acknowledge that customers' requirements and profiles change over time. Therefore, it is wise to periodically update yourself and align with their evolving needs.

To fulfill guest requests, hotels need to prioritize customization, just like Starbucks does with their customers' coffee. This means being adaptable and accommodating additional bed or extended complimentary stay requests. It is valuable for hotels to embrace Starbucks' philosophy of avoiding disagreements with customers in order to prevent lost business.

According to Mr. Schindler, in a time where service has become overused and it seems like everyone is offering it, the key to differentiating yourself from competitors is by providing creative, personalized, and more attentive service.

Both in the hotel industry and at Starbucks, service and quality are essential for survival. Hotels must work to maintain a balance between these aspects while also upholding standards of cleanliness, comfort, safety, and security. Just as Starbucks is able to build strong connections within communities that lead to loyal customers, hotel guests want more than just comfortable beds; their overall experience and emotions during their stay are important factors to take into account.

Regularly assessing and evaluating one's efforts is vital in order to improve any areas that may be lacking.

Starbucks' metrics for evaluating service performance can be easily adapted to a hotel environment.

The service provided by the frontliner includes greeting the guest, making eye contact, and saying thank you.

- Is the hotel clean in all areas?

Service

quality includes factors such as cleanliness of rooms, courteous service, and the behavior of all staff members interacting with guests.

- How long did the guest have to wait for the speed of service? Were there instances when the guests were ignored for a period of time?

Furthermore, it is important to consistently perform well in all four metrics in order to provide a pleasant experience for hotel guests throughout their extended stay.

Starbucks performed market research to obtain knowledge about the evolving demographics, customer profiles, and behavior of their patrons. Utilizing conversations with customers and collecting feedback, this information aided Starbucks in anticipating and resolving a potential problem that could have had a substantial effect on their business. By promptly executing corrective measures, Starbucks effectively preserved its respected image for delivering exceptional customer service.

An in-depth and comprehensive assessment of your work is highly significant as it aids in comprehending one's performance and making essential adjustments to the current systems. The obtained information plays a vital role in enabling the company to adapt to market changes, fulfill customers' evolving requirements, enhance competitive advantage, excel in their specific field or industry, or simply survive during difficult times.

Learning from the best, like Starbucks, which demonstrated how systems, measurements, checkings, and changes contribute to becoming and maintaining a customer-oriented company in the world.