Service Recovery

 

For a long period of time, we had no options to go out to a restaurant or an entertainment venue.  The shut-down kept us at home drinking shandees and watching Netflix.  Quite a few of us baked and experimented with new recipes.  I remember the first couple of months of the shut-down were kind of nice.  I learned that my husband and I will be able to be together in any circumstance and we actually really like spending time together.  But, it did get old pretty quickly.  I really wanted to get out and get back out there.  I will never take Winnipeg for granted again.  We have a great city with lots to do and adventures to have without spending a great deal of money.  Unfortunately, we lost a few local restaurants, but we also gained a whole array of new ones.  There is always something to do or so.  I know a retired couple that does "Winnipeg Wednesdays".  They pick a different neighbourhood in the City and just explore for the day.  They do all that they can do, shop in out of the way places, and eat in a neighbourhood eatery.  They love it.  

But, what happens when you have a bad service experience?  What happens when you perceive . you have been treated disrespectfully?  What happens when someone working at a venue yells at you information that your own eyes have been to be incorrect?  Well, when it happens to me, my first emotion is sadness.  I am pretty much a Winnipeg cheerleader and it saddens me when I don't achieve what I view is minimum service standards.  And, if you are ever going to find someone easy to get along with, it is me.  I wait in lines patiently.  I don't high expectations when it comes to food and have never sent something back in Winnipeg.  Sometimes, I will politely pass on some feedback to the chef for future reference.  I understand that at this point, anywhere I go for entertainment will require proof of vaccination so I always have that ready with my identification. I always empathize with staff and I always say thank you.  Since the pandemic, I am now increasing my tips.  Basically, I think I am a pretty good customer.  When I pass on feedback, I am also doing it to show I am a pretty good customer.  Businesses and entertainment venues always want to improve and get better.  If I have an observation that I think will help, I pass it on not for their own health, but for the benefit of the business.  I want everyone to succeed, truly.  

It literally almost pains me when I feel I am treated badly.  When I am with my grandchild and I feel we both are treated badly, well, the grandma bear tends to come out.  I have a couple of options.  I can trash them all over social media.  That is my least favourite option.  I can try to address it there and then.  That is my favourite option.  Ends bad feelings right away and resolves the situation quickly.  If I chose this option, my expectation is that I will be heard and treated with respect and courtesy.  I may not be right, but I do have a perspective.  If I am prevented from sharing my perspective because someone repeatedly yells in my face, "WE HAVE 600 TICKETS EVERY HALF HOUR", I get a little testy, mostly because I am not four years old.  So, then we have a service breakdown,  

The next step would be service recovery. That will occur after everything is done when the customer is calm and can try and explain their perspective,  That is really all people want, is to be heard,  An apology is also nice.  An apology is not a legal acknowledgement of someone's mistakes, it is just an acknowledgement that things didn't work out well for the customer.  Rarely does the customer want anything more than an apology.  Reporting a service issue is time-consuming and the person reporting it is doing so at their time and peril.  They are not trying to scam someone for a free ticket or something like that.  They merely don't want someone to experience the same experience.  

And, if you have a large venue, where they sell 600 TICKETS EVERY HALF HOUR, there are bound to be a few people who don't feel their service was up to par.  In this case, I scoured the website for a way to provide feedback.  There was none.  No where for me to go to obtain service recovery.  

I ended up messaging a contact who volunteers at this venue and I asked him for a contact.  He promptly provided me with the volunteer coordinator.  For some reason, I don't feel this is the right person that I want to speak with.  

So, I will let this simmer for a bit.  I am sincerely want to feel good about this venue.  I just want to be heard.  I don't expect any bells to be unrung.  If someone contacts me and actually wants to hear my perspective, then great.  If no one does, my life will go on, I will be just less likely to visit this venue in the future.  

There is usually a short window for service recovery for all businesses and venues.  That is just the reality.  It is certainly the reality for me.  Life is too short for negative energy, I will move on quickly.  It is just easier for me to forgive, but, I have a long memory and I am unlikely to forget.  Just remember if you are in the service business, you must find a way for your customers to communicate with you.  

Enjoy the Zoo lights.  The lights are awesome.