Excellent Client Service and Restaurant Tips

Several years ago my wife and I were having dinner with dear friends, Frank and Beverly Folts, on Martha’s Vineyard.  Frank and Beverly own a mens retail shop called Sundog in Edgartown.  During dinner our conversation turned to the importance of customer service and how difficult it is to find employees who truly understand and appreciate first class service.  As a proprietor in a resort town, that issue is amplified since most people applying for summer jobs are college students who are on the island for nothing more than the beaches and parties at night (I speak from past experience!).  Oh yeah, they also need to bring home some cash for school at the end of the year.

By chance, our server that night at the restaurant in the Charlotte Inn was outstanding.  A young man of college age that had the right blend of attentiveness and respect for our conversation.  At the end of the evening, Frank asked the server if he wanted to come work for him and invited him to come to the store the next day to talk. The fellow agreed.

Once I was done chuckling in disbelief I asked my friend, who is twice my age and exponentially more experienced in business, if the guy knows anything about retail and he said, “who cares?” He continued,”I can teach the guy how to sell clothes, that’s easy.  I can’t teach him how to care about people and how to be attentive and help people.  Those are qualities you can not teach.”

Over the course of the past 4 years we have worked quite a bit with small, family owned retailers.  I love working with these clients because of the passion they have for their business.  They typically believe their people and service is what sets them apart from the competition.  However, they fear the “big box” retailers and their ability to squash the neighborhood business owner.  Our clients can not afford to be beat in customer service - not to the big dog on the block.

We are no different. As a small public relations agency we can not afford to lose in the client service arena, especially in this economy. To the contrary, it’s our goal to lead the market in client care. We have to help with our talent, our ideas, our vision and our services.  After all, you never know when someone, somewhere is going to tap you on the shoulder in a restaurant and invite you to their business to see if you can help them.

Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.

Tags: Charlotte Inne, Client Service, Edgartown MA, martha's vineyard, Public relations agency, retailers, Sundog

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