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Turning Service Into Sales By Tom Reilly, author of Customer Service Is More Than a Department: It’s an attitude! (Motivation Press)
A couple of weeks ago I was in Denver for a seminar. I ate at The Texas Roadhouse Restaurant. When I was escorted to my table (along with a basket of fresh hot rolls), the server welcomed me and asked if it was my first time there. I said “yes”. She thanked me for being there and told me they were known for their “fall-off-the-bone-ribs”. She promised to bring me a sample since it was my first visit. She took my dinner order (if they did not offer the cut of meat I wanted, they would cut it on the spot) and promptly brought me my soft drink. A few minutes later, the manager came over and introduced himself. He, too, welcomed me and thanked me for being there. He asked if I was from Denver or in town for business. I told him that I was in town for business, from St. Louis and I had never heard of Texas Roadhouse. My salad arrived. He offered to check if there were any locations near my home. My steak arrived, and I ate it—one of the best I’ve ever had. Toward the end of my meal, the manager returned (as promised) with his business card and three St. Louis-area locations for their restaurant. I was impressed. I called my wife that night, told her about the experience and suggested that we should have dinner the next weekend at a St. Louis Texas Roadhouse (which we did). Same great service and food. Great food and great service must be their culture. In my seminar the next day, I mentioned my experience at this restaurant and two people in the group told me equally impressive stories. I’ve thought about this a lot, since it’s what guys like me do. Two things stood out. First, they had enough staff to deliver great service (apparently they have not gotten the word yet to cut costs by cutting service levels). Second, they took a service experience and turned it into a sales opportunity. The manager made it easy for me to visit the St. Louis locations. That’s the benefit of great customer service—it gives you the credibility and opportunity to sell more. Did I mention that I was in town to do a Customer Service seminar? Back to the Sales Bytes Article List
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