Monday, February 6, 2012

Higher standards required for service staff

Recently, I've noticed a trend where a lot of shops are hiring service staff. However, it seems that many still do not understand it's not the quantity but the quality that is most important. One example of this is when I was eating in a particular eating establishment.

The shop doesn't  look any different but I did notice that the staff serving us were not the same people I've seen previously, and obviously not local. The problem came when one of the staff met a what I would term as a "difficult" customer that couldn't make up his mind, changing the order several times. This should not be a problem if you're proficient with the language. The problem? The service staff wasn't proficient in that language, resulting in the wrong order keyed in. The customer was nice enough not to tell the service staff off and accepted the food offered, but I think he will never visit the shop again.

I think it's time the shop owners need to understand that the service staff is after all your frontline staff. The initial touchpoint of all your potential and repeat customers. Don't train them well, and you will leave a bad impression on the customer. First impression is always important. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

At the risk of sounding xenophobic, I tend to support restaurants that employ locals/Malaysians than those that employ FT.
Some places that come to mind are: Crystal Jade (Nex), Fukuichi (111 Somerset), Chikuwa-Te (Mohd Sultan Road).
I always enjoy dining at these places as they make me feel at home. The atmosphere is always lighter as the staff can carry out a nice conversation with S'porean jokes.
Those restaurants that hire FTs are not as cosy: I once felt like I was dining in a HK cafe in the Philippines!

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