Question about customer service

[sue11]

I wonder if people would mind giving their thoughts on my question around their expectations of customer service, particularly in restaurants/cafes.
If you went into a top class restaurant charging very high prices, I would expect that you would want to receive very good service from knowledgeable friendly serving staff, but what kind of service do you expect to receive from a 'lower class' establishment or from a fast food establishment such as KFC or other national chain and how bad would the service have to be to ensure that you never go back into the premises again?

I realise that all of us do not expect to get rude service from anywhere that takes our money, but on the other hand would you expect 5 start service for paying the kind of prices that a fast food restaurant charges or do you accept that you are not going to get such good service?
I have a good reason for asking, but do not want to share it just yet until I get some responses back!
Many thanks in anticipation of your replies
Sue

[Greedyfly]

I hate bad service no matter what the establishment. There is no excuse for rudeness!

A simple hello, thank-you, please, goodbye,smile is hardly 5 star service but you don't always get it. I would be happy to get the above from say a fast food place or shop. Anything more is a bonus and if they cannot even be bothered to smile or have manners then I would be annoyed by it.

[Greedyfly]

Just to add, I think most people would expect better service if they were paying higher prices.

[redman41]

The very least one can expect is Courteous Staff and decent Food even if it's only a Big Mac or Fish and Chips ! I would not frequent anywhere with rude or impolite Staff.

[joeluke]

You can receive good and bad service wherever you go

A 5 star establishment does not always equal 5 star treatment

[Greedyfly]

There are places in my town where I will not shop/eat due to bad service. Even at one supermarket I refuse to be served by a specific member of staff due to his ignorance and rudeness and yes I did complain about him =)

[Bobbisox]

I am currentle tring to get in touch with Newcastle International Airport Sue, can I do this direct? hell no!
first it's a 10p a minute call then to speak to the Jet 2 desk, it's £1-50 a minute!!!!
bloody disgusting !
end of rant..

[cazzz1975]

I dont think anyone expects to be treated rudely whatever service they use, I expect staff to be well mannered, courteous and helpful whether its kfc or the hilton hotel.

[redman41]

Not Easy Jet again Bobbi ! Hello Mrs Villiams.......lol

[shiznit]

Not a food CS but I recently had to call Apple, the lady who dealt with me was wonderful. Very helpful, her instructions were clear and precise and she went above and beyond her role to sort the problem. I made a point of filling in the online survey afterwards I was so happy with the service.

[sue11]

Thanks to all for your responses so far. The reason I am asking is that I own (franchise) a few food restaurants that are a national chain (Subway). As franchisees we have to pay for mystery shops to be performed every month in our stores, the customers often do not seem to complete these correctly and I am wondering what use they are in relation to the kind of business we provide. Obviously they are a good pointer to service in general, but I feel the main problem is that as soon as a customer comes into the store as a mystery shopper, their whole perception changes as they know that the real reason is not to shop, but to judge the service and this makes it very difficult for them to give a real and accurate answer.
Sometimes we get responses from shoppers where their perception of the service they should have received is completely removed from reality of a business that pays minimum wage to staff and provides a sandwich starting from £1.99.
Once again thank you for your thoughts, I would still be interested to hear any further ones.
Sue

[sue11]

Bobbisox, know the feeliing, don't get me started on Ryanair!! Still fighting to get back our money from the iceland volcano delayed flights!
Cheers
Sue

[Greedyfly]

Mystery shoppers are easy to spot. I worked in retail for nine years and you can tell them a mile off generally. On the other hand the company I worked for ditched the mystery shop and after a few months staff began to become quite lax in their service. I think the fear of being caught out helped keep the standards high.

Some people do expect far too much from someone who only earns minimum wage but as stated many times before I think most people are more than happy with just manners and common courtesy really.

[Greedyfly]

To echo Shiznit, if someone goes out of their way to help me I will praise them or at least let their superior know of their great service.

[joeluke]

Courtesy and good manners cost nothing

[Greedyfly]

Exactly. It is not a science.

[sue11]

Thanks greedyfly, useful comments around spotting the shoppers, some of my staff tell me that! All the answers have been helpful as I am going to speak to the national board soon around some of my concerns over how useful these shops really are and if we wasting our cash in having them done.
As I said we need to ensure that we always give good service, but I am not sure that mystery shops should be used as part of our customer service training.
Thanks
Sue

[McMouse]

Try googling Wong Kei. This restaurant in London provides the best customer service in the world. Ha ha.

[Greedyfly]

I would repeat that after the Mystery shops stopped service did start to become an issue. I think because staff knew most customers won't complain and that if it is busy (which always were) their supervisor wouldn't always notice either. It also depends on the quality of staff and their supervisor.

They have since started mystery shops again in a bid to improve service. The company I worked for prided themselves on going above and beyond.

[Mamyalynne]

A family member does mystery shopping and she is always objective and fair in her assessment,as has already been stated a polite manner and attention to things that make your experience in the place you are eating or buying from is paramount.
Of course I would expect someone to take my coat and hold my chair in a high end restaurant, and would not expect it in Burger King.

[Bobbisox]

No Red, a simple mistake on a boarding pass print off. still haven't managed to talk tio anyone but a voice recognition machine and when I was asked to say the name , it came back as a Japanese sounding word like..Jatte toowa...fluffin' Jet 2 I am screaming at the plastic!
"sorry we do not understand"
arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh