I don’t know if it is just me, but for the past two weeks the topic of service delivery has cropped up in various social situations I have been in. I had a particularly bad experience last Thursday with sloppy service from start to finish.  Within the tourism industry, which I have been part for over fifteen years, there is a perception that our service ranks amongst the worst in the world. Do I believe it? More importantly, do you, the consumer, believe it?
Firstly, I believe your staff are the face of your business and no matter how good you are within the business, your employees can easily take your brand or business from hero to zero. If you are expecting your employee’s to perform, you need to ensure they are equipped with the appropriate skills to meet the expectations of both client and business.  How to achieve this? Invest in them by offering training and education, for in doing so you are ultimately investing in your own business!Â
There is good reason why top wineries and restaurants offer rewarding experiences for their clients. Apart from their staff being well trained and experienced, they genuinely enjoy their work too. A critical point when selecting staff members since their attitude and general demeanour will be transferred to clients and also back to you. These members of staff generally display loyalty and are prepared to go out of their way for the sake of the business.
The current economic climate has certainly seen the demise of certain businesses within the hospitality industry, including well-known hotels and restaurants. Businesses can no longer afford to turn a blind-eye to shoddy service, because people vote with their feet and once out the door who knows how many people get to hear about it!