Daniel Samir is a DMV native.
Speaker AFor all of you who do not know that is D.C.
Speaker Amaryland and Virginia.
Speaker AToday we have a special episode because Daniel is the director of operations of a local restaurant group and he's spent eight years managing restaurants and spent the majority of his working years in customer service.
Speaker AToday we're going to talk about what is the state of customer service.
Speaker AAnd by bringing in Daniel, who's someone who is, is not only has his finger on the pulse of customer service, but is also actively managing businesses and rest and, and, and people to make sure that they deliver a good customer service.
Speaker ASo let's dive right in.
Speaker AWelcome back to the Hairdresser Strong show.
Speaker AMy name is Robert Hughes and I am your host.
Speaker AAnd today I'm with Daniel Samir.
Speaker AHow you doing today, Daniel?
Speaker BDoing great.
Speaker BThank you for having me.
Speaker AAbsolutely.
Speaker AThank you for coming.
Speaker ASo we gave everybody a little introduction and this is going to be a customer service centric.
Speaker AAnd while we don't work same industry, we are in the same area.
Speaker AAnd so I think it would be a cool little conversation to see like what similarities and, or any differences you find and maybe, maybe even some insight for those who maybe need different, different analogies to understand the current state of customer service.
Speaker ASo I guess my first question is going, let's dive right in and just say one, what is it like working with the public from your perspective?
Speaker ALike, what are some of the challenges?
Speaker AWhat are the, some of the things you like working for the, for the public?
Speaker BI think the, I mean, one of the biggest things, especially in my restaurant industry, the industry that I'm in is our goal is to always make the guests feel like they got the best experience they can have.
Speaker BAnd that's always my goal.
Speaker BYou know, if someone comes into a restaurant or I'm one of my restaurants and they need to have this, that and above for an event they're doing or a personal birthday or Mother's Day or whatever it may be, my goal is to make them have that experience that they want.
Speaker BAnd that's the ultimate goal.
Speaker BIf someone has a bad experience one time or even that same day, if something happened at the door or cave food took too long to make sure that when they leave that door, they feel a different way, they want to come back.
Speaker ATotally.
Speaker AThat is definitely.
Speaker AI feel like it's so funny.
Speaker AIt's like I, I know they're different industries, but sounds the same so far.
Speaker ASo what, what, what type of, what type of things?
Speaker ALike, and, and speaking.
Speaker AMaybe some generalities, but I'm Kind of curious to know like, currently how what the experiences are are like for people who interact with the public and any insights for any sort of like trends like, have you noticed anything, anything change since COVID So like, think pre.
Speaker ACovid, during COVID Post Covid.
Speaker AAnd then let's say like recent future.
Speaker ALet's separate recent like the last say six to 12 months from the COVID era.
Speaker ALet's say we're in a new normal.
Speaker ALet's just hypothetically say that.
Speaker BSo pre covered.
Speaker BI knew you always learned this stupid adage like the customer is always right.
Speaker BAnd I say it's stupid because that quote is mistaken.
Speaker BI now I don't know the whole quote, so I can't very.
Speaker BI can't tell you exactly what is.
Speaker BBut that is not the full picture of what whoever was saying is what they were saying.
Speaker BI don't believe the customer is always right.
Speaker BHowever, I have to act like the customer is always right.
Speaker BAnd that is something that I find has gotten harder post Covid.
Speaker BI think that there was a little bit of momentum pre Covid in like customers understanding a little bit more where we're coming from as like.
Speaker BLike it's been, you know, it's the mid.
Speaker BAt that point.
Speaker BIt's like 2019, you know, things are great, you know, and then all of a sudden we get hit with something and people don't know how to act afterwards and there's an entitlement.
Speaker BAnd I remember feeling like during COVID when some places were open and I would see news about this place on the boardwalk down in Maryland, you know, not giving health insurance to their staff, but expecting them to work and calling restaurants essential.
Speaker BWhen it's a privilege to go to a restaurant, it's not a right.
Speaker BWe are private businesses.
Speaker BWe can.
Speaker BWe can say yes or no to anyone coming through our door, much like I'm assuming you can at a hairdresser or any customers, like, you know, Gap can probably say, hey, sorry, you can't.
Speaker BI don't know why I use Gap, but you probably can't come in here because xyz.
Speaker BI want to make everyone's experience nice, but people are a little bit more.
Speaker BI mean, I.
Speaker BI wrote a thing on my Facebook when I walked by a restaurant that I used to work near 14th and T during COVID when I was staying at home, I'd lost my job.
Speaker BI was unemployed for a year.
Speaker BTried to figure out I was about to move and get a job in the school system in Baltimore county.
Speaker BAnd I walked around down U Street area.
Speaker BAnd I was appalled by the amount of people that were just gathering and eating at a bar.
Speaker BEven it was outside.
Speaker BIt was crowded.
Speaker BIt was.
Speaker BThey were like sardines.
Speaker BAnd I was like, this isn't a right for you guys to come out.
Speaker BLike, I get.
Speaker BWe're all trapped inside.
Speaker BI did a lot of zoom calls with my friends.
Speaker BWe went out to the park and, like, hung out outside, but space, like we were told to do.
Speaker BAnd now I feel like it was.
Speaker BIt's just people are back to, I'm, I'm here, you're serving me.
Speaker BAnd it's like, yes, I am here to serve you, because that's what I want you to.
Speaker BEnjoy our food, but have some patience, have some understanding.
Speaker BNot only is the clientele different because, you know, we're in a city that has five, six colleges within 10 minutes of us.
Speaker BThose kids think about what, how old they were at 20, 20, going into college, coming out of high school.
Speaker BThey didn't get socialized like you and I did.
Speaker BThings have changed.
Speaker BYeah, just immediate.
Speaker BLike, and my clientele's younger and my staff is young.
Speaker AAnd so what is that?
Speaker AThat's interesting.
Speaker ASo I have a couple of questions, but since we're talking about this, what differences have you noticed in working, managing people since then?
Speaker ALike, you're saying people are younger.
Speaker AI mean, my first thought is, yeah, they don't have as much, like, interpersonal communication skills, soft skills.
Speaker AIs that.
Speaker AIs that something that you've noticed, too, or.
Speaker BI've.
Speaker BLike, things that.
Speaker BI mean, one big example is these things right here.
Speaker BYou know, before, when I, you know, when I was coming up, 16 years old, working in a movie theater, I mean, we didn't have cell phones to the point that we do now, so you couldn't do anything with it.
Speaker BBut, you know, to get someone off their phone is impossible.
Speaker BYou know.
Speaker BYou know, it's on you, and there's, you know, I am, you know, TikTok and.
Speaker BAnd.
Speaker BAnd all these new apps that like Instagram, just, like, they're on them all the time.
Speaker BAnd it's such instant gratification that, like, I.
Speaker BYou used to be like, you don't have your phone on the floor at all whatsoever.
Speaker BAnd there was no ans, ifs, or buts about it.
Speaker BAnd I feel like I can't do that anymore.
Speaker AWhy?
Speaker AWhy can't you just give someone a warning and then fire them?
Speaker BWell, I mean, I.
Speaker BI like to be a little more lean in things.
Speaker BI mean, like, to me, because we have this instant communication, like, I have a lot of people that have families.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker BAnd I find I.
Speaker BIt's extremely important to me that if they need to contact somebody for an emergency, that they have that access.
Speaker BAnd I allow my staff, for the most part, if they're off the floor, check your phone, that's fine.
Speaker BJust don't do in front of guests.
Speaker BTotally, totally.
Speaker BI never had that.
Speaker BI mean, my phone before I was in management, if I was busing, bar backing, serving, bartending, my phone was in my pocket the whole time, and I checked it maybe three times a day.
Speaker BLike it wasn't.
Speaker BThat culture wasn't there.
Speaker BLike, we had.
Speaker BCouldn't miss everything.
Speaker BNow, unfortunately, like, I feel like because of the position I'm in now in terms of what my role is, I have to have my phone on me.
Speaker BThere's apps, I check sales and labor and, you know, and if so the owners call, ownership group calls, and I have to pick up.
Speaker BLike, I have to be on my phone.
Speaker BSo I feel bad telling someone, hey, you don't get to take a call.
Speaker BBut I have to do as I.
Speaker ASay, not as I do.
Speaker BWhich is usually how I roll.
Speaker BLike, I like to lead by example, and I like, I live by a couple rules in that, like, I won't ever ask a staff member to do something I wouldn't do myself.
Speaker BBut if I'm asking you to do it, it's because I can't in that moment.
Speaker BAnd I'm nothing without those that work with me.
Speaker BIt's not that they work for me.
Speaker BWe're working together.
Speaker BIt's.
Speaker BI heard, I saw some TikTok thing and I hate keep saying that, but it's what it is these days.
Speaker BSome guy was relating the restaurant industry to, like a play.
Speaker BAnd like, we all work in unison together.
Speaker BAnd if someone's not doing their role, it.
Speaker BSomething goes wrong.
Speaker BAnd to include the customer as that part, like the guests at a play, the people that come to see your matinee or your night play or Broadway, they're part of that production now.
Speaker BSo it's a give and take.
Speaker BI.
Speaker BYou have to.
Speaker BIn.
Speaker BAt a movie theater, you need to turn your phone off and shut up.
Speaker BYou know, as a customer coming into a restaurant, I think you have to hear what we need to say and introduce our cuisine and how we want your meal to go based on what we have in our idea.
Speaker BBut we are always willing to change it.
Speaker BI've never heard people say no more in my life than I have lately.
Speaker ALike customers or employees.
Speaker BI'll ask somebody to do something, and they'll talk back.
Speaker BAnd I'm just like, I used to be.
Speaker BYes, chef.
Speaker BLike, across the board.
Speaker BIf somebody above you in our industry said, hey, go take the trash out.
Speaker BYes, chef.
Speaker BNo matter how much that person picked on you or whatever it was, Now, I don't agree with the yelling and the screaming part.
Speaker BThe.
Speaker BThe theatrical stuff that's on tv, that.
Speaker BThat doesn't work.
Speaker BI've never believed in, like, breaking down to build up.
Speaker BI just think that hurts people.
Speaker BAnd you need to learn into what.
Speaker BI've learned a lot, and this is probably one of the most important things I learned was how different people receive things differently and different people react to certain things differently.
Speaker BI can go up to one bartender and say, hey, man, I saw you put this amount into that cocktail.
Speaker BI'd really like us to take it down a little bit.
Speaker BLike, let's do half a half ounce instead of a whole ounce.
Speaker BAnd that server.
Speaker BThat part should be like, okay, no problem.
Speaker BNot.
Speaker BNot all good.
Speaker BAnd then someone else will be, like, thrown off for the rest of their shift and can't operate because I asked them to do one small thing, and that's always been a thing.
Speaker BBut just accepting that, like, I'm asking you to do something, and, like, this is how it should be done.
Speaker BI hate repeating myself.
Speaker BThat's like, one of my biggest pet peeves, and I feel like I do it a lot.
Speaker AWell, okay, so let's get back to the customer service.
Speaker ASo.
Speaker ASo the customer when for.
Speaker AAnd anybody watching or listening, I'd be happy to hear a different perspective.
Speaker ABut my.
Speaker AMy experience in talking to people was, like, customers actually got pretty cool.
Speaker ANot during quarantine for essential workers.
Speaker AThat is a whole nother level that restaurant people had to do that.
Speaker AWe were not deemed essential, so we were at home until quarantine lifted.
Speaker ANow, when quarantine lifted, everyone was so cool.
Speaker ALike, they were like, if you were running behind, you could be like, hey, I'm running behind.
Speaker AThey're like, no problem.
Speaker AI'm just, like, happy to be out of the house.
Speaker AAnd.
Speaker AAnd they were really cool with, like, oh, hey, sorry I didn't get back to you for, like, four hours.
Speaker ABut, you know, our person's got Covid.
Speaker AThey're like, no problem.
Speaker AWe're just so happy to, like, book this appointment.
Speaker AAnd.
Speaker AAnd now it's like, hey, sorry I didn't call you back.
Speaker AIt's been 20 minutes.
Speaker AThey're like, 20 minutes.
Speaker AI already booked another appointment and got my hair cut.
Speaker AYou know, it's like, it's not, it's, it's not, it's not the you serve me attitude like you're talking about for us.
Speaker ABut it is very much like, you need to be on time, you need to be on point, and this needs to be good.
Speaker AAnd I'm not really trying to come back for like whatever or like I'm not.
Speaker AYou know, I had somebody jump down my throat on Saturday because I was running behind and the front desk didn't tell me.
Speaker AThey forgot.
Speaker AI don't know what they were doing, but maybe they were busy.
Speaker ABottom line is I had to deal with the customer like basically every five minutes asking me.
Speaker ASo that's not normal.
Speaker ALike you were late.
Speaker ALike usually you're on time and it's like, I am on time and if I'm late, it's not that late because I tell, I call my customers ahead of time and let them know.
Speaker AAnd she goes, you know, normally you let me know and it's just like, I just don't want this to happen again.
Speaker ASo it turns out that she also had like a, something happened that morning that put her in a mood and so she was taking it out on me.
Speaker ABut nonetheless, the point is like, there's still like that more pressure for being kind of like 100 on, on point, which I have not experienced since 2019.
Speaker BYou know, I mean, it's crazy about that.
Speaker BAnd like, no, I'm not like someone that goes to get my hair done fancy often.
Speaker BLike I, I would, you know, maybe, maybe I can get a haircut from you one day.
Speaker BI won't get mad if you're a couple minutes late.
Speaker BI think it's crazy that somebody who's been coming to you before can't accept that a one off time is just a one off time.
Speaker BAnd I think that goes into what the expectations are like, you know, I went to the same barber shop as a kid for years and I had the same Vietnamese lady cutting my hair for 10 years.
Speaker BAnd it was a fine haircut for a teenage kid she had nicknamed for me.
Speaker BI had my ears pierced and she would call me diamond boy.
Speaker BLike it was just a good relationship.
Speaker BWe.
Speaker BBut I would never be upset if she screwed something up or if she cut something too short or, you know, I like things make people make mistakes.
Speaker BI always thought sitting in a, in the barber chair was like the most, one of the most relaxing things for me because it was the only time in my life where I ever had someone doing something for me that like, I just sit there.
Speaker BI can't even see them right?
Speaker BI mean, like, they're behind me.
Speaker BYeah, there's mirrors all over, but, like, that's the only time in my life I don't go get my nails done.
Speaker BI don't go to spas, I don't have massages.
Speaker BLike, those just aren't part of my daily routines.
Speaker BAnd the hair, that.
Speaker BGetting the haircut was one of the most peaceful things for me.
Speaker BI don't even have my phone on in me when I get a haircut.
Speaker BLike, I put it in my pocket and I like to just sit with my hands under my apron just like, yeah, man, like, keep doing what you're doing.
Speaker AYeah, we got, we got a lot of more people are pulling out their laptop and like, you know, working and like, they're.
Speaker AI mean, I, I know everyone's clientele is different, but our clientele specifically are people on the, Are on the go.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker ASo they want to get as much of the luxury and pampering as they can, but understanding that this is an on the go appointment.
Speaker ASo, like, we're trying to walk that line of like, spa relaxation, pampering and being on time and getting you out in like a certain amount of time because they got a plane to catch or they got a client to speak to or they got kids to feed.
Speaker ASo anyway, what is, what is your experience?
Speaker ALike, can you compare that to, like this kind of shift?
Speaker AIs it similar or different?
Speaker BLike, I mean, I, I think it's the same.
Speaker BI think it's okay.
Speaker BLike, we came in right now, can we get our food in 15 minutes?
Speaker BBecause we have a play in 15.
Speaker BLike you.
Speaker BI mean, the people being late to appointments on their end.
Speaker BNow, I've worked in restaurants, and the one I worked out right before this one, they were trying to push the books.
Speaker BJust boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
Speaker BLet's get everybody in.
Speaker BAnd I'd have a big line at the front door where we would be behind because our kitchen couldn't handle that capacity.
Speaker BAnd booking X amount of guests in a night wasn't obtainable.
Speaker BBecause if you want them to have a service of sit down, here's your meal.
Speaker BThat's like the pampering part that you were just talking about on your end.
Speaker BInstead it's, I want to come in and eat.
Speaker BI have a reservation at this club in an hour.
Speaker BI'm like, well, you booked an 8 o' clock reservation and then you have a club at 8:15, like 9 o' clock.
Speaker BLike, I don't know that I can get you in and out in an hour and have.
Speaker BYou have the experience that we want you to have.
Speaker BAnd maybe you're just coming here to get some food and go, but also, you were late 20 minutes and your other person was late.
Speaker AYo.
Speaker ASo this is that you're bringing up.
Speaker AYou're touching on something really interesting.
Speaker ASo a person setting unrealistic expectations from the break and not.
Speaker AAnd.
Speaker AAnd coming in and wanting the full experience in a tight timeline.
Speaker AAnd it's almost like, is there an expectation conversation?
Speaker AIs there a.
Speaker AHold on not the expectation?
Speaker AWhere was I going with that?
Speaker ASo.
Speaker AOh, the express version of what you're selling.
Speaker ALike, you're selling an experience.
Speaker AI'm selling an experience.
Speaker ASo, like, people coming in, they want this express, express experience, but they.
Speaker ABut they're gonna complain if it doesn't kind of hit a certain bar.
Speaker AIs that it?
Speaker AIs that something sound like, that's not fair?
Speaker BI mean, that's.
Speaker BTo me, it's.
Speaker BThat's.
Speaker BNot that.
Speaker BThat expectation of the services that we're providing.
Speaker BOnce again, these are services we are providing, right?
Speaker BUnfortunately, right now, like, some services in this country aren't being provided, but, like, we are.
Speaker BWe are.
Speaker BThese are luxury things.
Speaker BLike, you used to get a haircut from your grandma in the house, right?
Speaker BBecause you couldn't go out and have someone who's been trained to do whatever you want to your hair.
Speaker BAnd now you want me to rush that process?
Speaker BLike, you know.
Speaker BYou know, you watch the movies in, like, the 70s, and people are sitting in, like, hair blowers for hours because that's the way it took to make their hair that way.
Speaker BI'm not.
Speaker BLike, we don't create our food in our experience so that you can eat and go.
Speaker BIf you want to come get.
Speaker BYou know, we're working.
Speaker BI'm in an Indian restaurant spot right now.
Speaker BIf you want to come get a fast Indian food, go to Spice six.
Speaker BLike, they're the Chipotle Indian place, and, like, they're fine, and I got nothing wrong with their food.
Speaker BBut I don't want.
Speaker BBecause you're going to come in here like, oh, well, this didn't taste like it did last.
Speaker BI was like, well, you asked us to have it done in 10 minutes.
Speaker BYou know, do you want your fade to be right, or do you want me to, like, miss a spot?
Speaker BBecause you want to be out in 10 minutes.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker ASo I got a question then.
Speaker ADo you.
Speaker AWhat is your stance?
Speaker ADo you.
Speaker AYou refuse the.
Speaker AThe customer and just say, I can't do that, or do you say, let me try and Try to do my best and take the risk of it not turning out the way you want it.
Speaker BSo the minimum that I will ever really tell someone I can sit them in our restaurants is like an hour.
Speaker BLike if, if, if like you know, I have a two top come in, they're walking like for the example, this week was restaurant week in D.C.
Speaker Band we participated.
Speaker BSo it like influxes your reservations and it's a lot of people that are trying new things, which is a great thing about Restaurant week.
Speaker BBut you get a lot of people that are, I wouldn't say inexperienced, but like don't go out as much and like, oh, I want to try this new restaurant.
Speaker BThey have this, like, oh, I want to change this.
Speaker BAnd it's like, well, I can't, you know, for like you come in and walk in on a Saturday night at 7 o' clock when you look down and they see a table and they're like, once that's open, it's like, well, I have a reservation there in 20 minutes.
Speaker BI can't sit you there.
Speaker BYes, these five tables are empty right now, but it's 6:40 at 7.
Speaker BI will have all of them filled.
Speaker BAnd I can't sit you.
Speaker BI don't want to rush you now I have a bar you can sit at.
Speaker BThere's six seats open at the bar, full service.
Speaker BAnd then.
Speaker BWell, that's not the same.
Speaker BI'm like, well, it's not going to be the same if I sit you and you want to get out and you have to get up in 40 minutes and then you yell at me at the end when you feel like you were rushed and like it wasn't.
Speaker BLike I want you to have an experience where the apps come out, then your main course, then your dessert.
Speaker BThat's you know, if we're, course if we're a coursing restaurant, that's what I want you to have.
Speaker BYou're not going to get that if we, you say I need to be out in 25 minutes or I need.
Speaker AI love, I love.
Speaker AYeah, I love this.
Speaker AThis is so this, this is everybody out there listening and watching.
Speaker AThis is literally the same vibe for our industry.
Speaker ALike, like there's got to be boundaries.
Speaker AYou got to have like you got to protect your, the qual or you have to protect your reputation.
Speaker AAnd that means that sometimes you might have to like let the person know that you can't give them what you can't stand by the service or, or the product unless you have these, you know, variables like the time, the tools or the whatever.
Speaker AAnd then so, like, if you don't have them.
Speaker AI like how you give options.
Speaker AI think that that's incredible because, like, it's better to not say no.
Speaker AIt's better to give someone an option.
Speaker ASo it's like, it's like, hey, I still want this.
Speaker ALike, okay, well, we have the bar.
Speaker AIt's like, well, I don't want the bar.
Speaker AIt's like, okay, well, how about tomorrow at 7, you know, like, I'm not.
Speaker AYou're not sitting down, you know, like.
Speaker ABut I don't have to be like, no, you're not sitting down, you know, because you're trying to also provide a good customer experience during this process as well.
Speaker BI had one of the most frustrating experiences that I've ever had as a man.
Speaker BAnd I've had quite a bit, like as a front of house manager of a restaurant.
Speaker BI don't think people realize how much that person takes on the kitchen.
Speaker BYou know, I.
Speaker BI think it's important to have front of house, back of house fluidity.
Speaker BThat is I.
Speaker BEverywhere I've been, I try to make sure that I have the best relationship I can with my kitchen.
Speaker BThey deserve it.
Speaker BThey're some of the hardest working people in this industry, in this world, and they are stuck behind a hot grill or, or an oven for seven hours a day.
Speaker BBut also, I have to deal with the people and someone comes in and yells at me.
Speaker BIt's frustrating.
Speaker BI get all the crap.
Speaker BAnd, you know, I'm not saying the kitchen deserves it sometimes, although they might.
Speaker BIt comes on me.
Speaker BAnd I had a guy come in the other day, he wanted to sit again, the restaurant is wide open.
Speaker BAnd he's like, well, why can't.
Speaker BI was like, sir, it's again, 6:40.
Speaker BLike, I have these people filling up.
Speaker BWhy?
Speaker BI want to see.
Speaker BOkay, well, okay, we can do.
Speaker BI have two options at this table here, this table here, or here.
Speaker BWell, I don't want to face a wall.
Speaker BI'm like, okay, well, there are walls on every side of this restaurant.
Speaker BI don't know what you want me to do.
Speaker BThey're two guys.
Speaker BWe offer them a booth.
Speaker BAnd he goes, that booth's next to where everyone's walking by.
Speaker BI'm like, okay, how about this four top?
Speaker BThat one's near the door.
Speaker BWell, I can give you this two top.
Speaker BIt's not facing a wall, but it's in the middle of everything.
Speaker BOh, I don't want that.
Speaker BThey sit down, brought their own Magnum bottle of wine, and then proceeded to get up before we can serve them anything.
Speaker BAnd walk out and tell me at the front, are you the owner?
Speaker BAnd I was like, I am not.
Speaker BI can tell because if you were the owner, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker BAnd I was like, look, I.
Speaker BI gave you five options to sit.
Speaker BYou refused all of them.
Speaker BI don't know what you want me to say.
Speaker BHe tries to give me all this advice and whatever.
Speaker BThey walk out, they come back hour later, hour and a half later, dudes come to the front.
Speaker BI can see them at our door.
Speaker BI'm like, oh, man, what am I gonna have?
Speaker BWhat is this about?
Speaker ANow?
Speaker BHe comes up and proceeds to put his phone in my face and show me video from a restaurant they went to down the street where they got in.
Speaker BAnd I said I had seats for you.
Speaker BWhy are you showing me this video that you're filming through a lattice, it looks like of people just walking by?
Speaker BAnd then I stopped as I was, like, saying.
Speaker BI was like, wait a minute.
Speaker BDid you just come back here to show me this video?
Speaker BLike, excuse me.
Speaker BAnd I don't usually, like, get animated.
Speaker BI was like, sir, I don't know.
Speaker BThis is the most crazy thing I've ever experienced.
Speaker BYou literally left the restaurant, went somewhere else, and came back to show me a video of you.
Speaker BAnd then he proceeded to tell me I needed to work on how I was doing things.
Speaker BAnd I.
Speaker BHe gave me some advice because he does this, this, this, and this.
Speaker BAnd I looked him, sir, I.
Speaker BI helped open the number two restaurant in the country in 2019, 2018.
Speaker BI.
Speaker BI don't.
Speaker BI have tons to learn, but from you, I have nothing.
Speaker ATell us That's.
Speaker AYeah, that guy.
Speaker AOkay, so tell us, what is the restaurant that you opened?
Speaker BIt was made on.
Speaker AMade on.
Speaker AYeah, I went there.
Speaker AIt was pretty badass.
Speaker BI started Compass Rose first.
Speaker BThat was the first of them.
Speaker BAnd then I was part of the.
Speaker BI was the director of operations.
Speaker BWe opened Maid on with an awesome crew, awesome ownership.
Speaker BI'm still very close to a lot of the staff that we had.
Speaker BI have some of them working with me.
Speaker BColonel at the last job I was at, some of them were there too.
Speaker BAnd the irony is, all back house, like I said, I think the unison between back to house and front of house is needed.
Speaker BAfter that, I worked some smaller bar gigs just to make endings meet.
Speaker BAfter being in management for a while, I wanted to take a break and just, like, get a paycheck instead of getting 500 phone calls every day.
Speaker BWhen I went home, I turned my phone off of silent Mode for the first time in years in Covid and then I was at chaplains in, in Petworth, I live in Petworth in Shaw for three years.
Speaker ASo everybody who's listening, watching that's not from this area.
Speaker AAll of these places are, are like really cool places.
Speaker AThey, they get great, great service and I think, I think like we're coming up on our time so I wanna, I wanna make sure we have a proper chance to wrap up.
Speaker AAnd so like I want you to like considering the state of customer service, like if anybody listening or watching wants to provide their customer with a top level experience so that they to come back and, and they also because they have pride in their own, in their own work and they, they, they care.
Speaker AAnd so what what as we sign off as somebody who has had the chance to work at and run some of the, you know, cons top restaurants in the area, you know, well, most well known and stuff, what would that be?
Speaker BI think having expectations, letting the customer know the expectations.
Speaker BI think that's one of the biggest reasons, you know, having a, you know, for us having a host and for you having some of the front desk.
Speaker BLike if that person at the front desk, when you talked about the person being upset because you were a little late, had there been an expectation set from this get go of someone letting her know, hey, unfortunately I was running a little late today.
Speaker BIt might be 10 to 15 minutes.
Speaker BJust so you're aware, you've now tempered their, their expectation with something that let them know.
Speaker BAnd I've always told my staff over communication is, is always the way to go.
Speaker BI don't care if you're talking to that person waiting at the door for 15 minutes like five times.
Speaker BDo it every two minutes.
Speaker BGo.
Speaker BAnd hey, I almost had this table.
Speaker BThey paid the credit cards down, we've swiped the card, we're clearing the table off now.
Speaker BLike over communicate and like make people understand like this is still a functioning piece like a play.
Speaker BLike I said earlier, like if something goes wrong, we have to adapt.
Speaker BAnd not everything can be done the way you always want it to.
Speaker BBut my goal is to like temper people's expectations of like this might change.
Speaker BI still want you to have a great time.
Speaker BI still want you to come back and get your hair cut next time.
Speaker BBut I just want you to know this happened, you know, this is what happened.
Speaker BHere's how I'm going to help you, you know, and from our point of view that might be like okay to sit a little while to get sat, give a glass of Champagne to start.
Speaker BHere you go.
Speaker BThank you for your patience.
Speaker BOr at the end, here's.
Speaker BHere's a little dessert from us.
Speaker BSorry you had to wait a second.
Speaker BBut explaining that throughout the entire process and overdoing it and the best experiences that I've had, and I think this caps it well, is when someone has a bad start and I can make it so by the end of their time, they've left and they're giving me a hug or, you know, giving me their card.
Speaker BI had a guy who, like, drank from a wine glass a couple weeks ago, and it chipped in his mouth.
Speaker BThat stuff happens.
Speaker BI was mortified.
Speaker BI was like, oh, my God, he's gonna go crazy.
Speaker BHe ended up seeing me sitting with me after they were done paying.
Speaker BIt was him and his wife, you know, celebrating their engagement.
Speaker BAnd he gave me his card and said, I want to be your friend.
Speaker BLet's, like, hang out sometime.
Speaker BLike, nice.
Speaker AThat's awesome.
Speaker BYou take something that's really bad, and you make it something that's not.
Speaker BLike, he was really cool about it.
Speaker BHe wasn't.
Speaker BSome people are.
Speaker BAnd I get that.
Speaker BBut it's not my fault.
Speaker BI can't do really.
Speaker BI mean, I can't do much about a glass chipping if you have it in your mouth.
Speaker BLike, that could probably happen to anything.
Speaker BIt sucks, though.
Speaker BIt did happen.
Speaker BBut let me.
Speaker BI.
Speaker BYou know, I caught that guy's bottle of wine, and then I gave him a dessert.
Speaker BAnd by the end of it, I have his card in my wallet back then in my house.
Speaker BYou know, people's act, expectations, and making them understand.
Speaker BLike, I want this to be as best you can have it, but sometimes there are other factors that mess up.
Speaker BThat's part of the world.
Speaker BThat's part of being human.
Speaker BLike, that's what we were taught growing up.
Speaker BLike, it doesn't always go your way, Daniel.
Speaker BYou have to learn from that.
Speaker BAnd I think that taught us all lessons.
Speaker BAnd I.
Speaker BI think we, as a society with this instant gratification, need to get back to, like, understanding we're all still human.
Speaker BWe make mistakes.
Speaker BJust because we do have computers in our hand doesn't mean it's always going to be perfect.
Speaker BYou know, it is what it is.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AAnd I think that's good.
Speaker AThat's.
Speaker AI think that you're right.
Speaker AThat is a good way to wrap it up, people.
Speaker ABecause it's like, even if you have bad experiences, it doesn't change your desire to, like, do a good job, produce a good service or product, make other People happy.
Speaker AAnd, you know, just the thought of, like, thinking, like, I was so worried and now I got this guy's car and he wants to be my friend and that.
Speaker AI think that's so cool.
Speaker ALike, I think that if we could all just take that approach to caring, even if, Even if we have bad experiences, that is not stopping you from wanting to provide a good service to the next person and go above and beyond.
Speaker AAnd, and you did.
Speaker AAnd I'm sure you didn't make a tick tock or Instagram video shaming all these customers, being like, can you believe this customer?
Speaker AThis.
Speaker AThis customer did that.
Speaker AI don't know.
Speaker ADo you do that?
Speaker AI don't do that.
Speaker BNo.
Speaker AI, I.
Speaker BThe fact that I said tick tock, like, four times in this really pissed me off because I don't use tick tock.
Speaker BI have social media because I have to for work, and that's about it.
Speaker BI think I had Instagram since I was in College in 2029.
Speaker BWhatever.
Speaker BI have a hundred posts like, that doesn't matter to me.
Speaker BI wish I could sometimes, but there are so many people out there now that are doing it that I do appreciate, like, the humor in.
Speaker BLike, I.
Speaker BI'll see these people posting things.
Speaker BI'm like, that hit.
Speaker BThat hit real hard.
Speaker BLike, yeah, you're right.
Speaker BThere are open tables here.
Speaker BI can't sit them.
Speaker BThere's reservations.
Speaker BThat's why people make reservations.
Speaker BI see other people doing it and I'm like, kudos to you.
Speaker BI like your.
Speaker BI'll hit the heart, and that's about all I'll do.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BI thought about reaching out to people sometimes because I like talking.
Speaker BThis has been a lot of fun, so I just.
Speaker BThank you.
Speaker BI think it's really cool.
Speaker BDifferent places, but we're still living with people, and ultimately that's what we're here for.
Speaker BAnd sometimes things go badly.
Speaker BI'm sorry.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BI still try to do, like you said, the best for the next person, and if that person comes back into.
Speaker BI'll still try to do the best we can.
Speaker ATotally.
Speaker AAwesome.
Speaker AWell, I look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Speaker AThank you for taking the time to talk to us about customer service, and I'll talk to you again soon.
Speaker BAwesome.
Speaker BThank you, Rob.
Speaker AAll right.