GB Weekly letter, article and survey draw big response
William Brace’s letter about service and standards in our 21 January edition has prompted continuing discussion and strong responses from both the business and wider community.
In his letter, Mr Brace described how he and his friends and family had encountered both high and low standards while he was on holiday here. He also asked some searching questions of business-owners.
The letter set off a lively debate via the Letters to the Editor column. Not everybody wanted to have their name published alongside their views, so we made it the subject of an online poll on our website.
The poll invited respondents to agree or disagree with the statement: I am generally satisfied with the standards of service and presentation in businesses in Golden Bay.
Respondents were also invited to contribute to an anonymous online discussion on the subject.
Last time we looked, we had attracted 67 votes on the poll. Just over 70 per cent of them said that were generally happy, while just under 30 per cent said they were not.
In the discussion, however, the negative comments clearly outweighed the positive ones. Perhaps the anonymity factor encouraged people to “unload”; perhaps we unknowingly tapped a deep spring of dissatisfaction among a small group of visitors and residents. Some of the criticisms were targeted at individual businesses and some of them were directly contradictory of each other, so it’s hard to say whether or not The GB Weekly has contributed to a factual and clear-sighted evaluation of standards in the Bay. Certainly that was our intention. We know that there are many factors that affect the reliability of online polls and discussions: there may be people with strong opinions on the matter who don’t have access to the internet, for example.
Pauline Carson is the programme leader for business training at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. She said that the survey and the discussion around service and standards were a very good idea.
“In light of the importance of tourism to the Bay and the whole district, it’s crucial that we lift standards of service across the board. The Rugby World Cup has made us focus our attention, but it’s not just important for that reason. Two years ago we launched a centre of excellence, headed by Robyn Dyer, to lift standards. It works with the NMIT and three industry training organisations. It’s about trying to engage employers to get them to commit to the kind of staff training that will lift standards.”
Pauline supplied The GB Weekly with a shortlist of five tips for providing good service.
- Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal communication skills – eye contact, listening, enthusiasm. Employ the 4-second rule – it takes 4 seconds to make a good impression and 4 minutes to leave a lasting impression. You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. Communication establishes a rapport with customer.
- Know your product – and let your customer experience the product if possible. Listen to your customer so that you can meet the need. From a customer’s point of view, if they can see it, walk on it, hold it, hear it, step in it, smell it, carry, step over it, touch it, use, even taste it, if they feel it or sense it, IT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE. Buying is an emotional experience and so is customer service, so engage your customers. Customers who don’t have a good experience are bad for your business.
- Stay conscious about your customer service techniques throughout the transaction. Remain focused on and attentive to the customer but be sensitive about how much is enough. Most service people believe they are offering good service and are surprised when they are criticised or get negative feedback. They are probably running on remote control and haven’t remained conscious of their behaviours throughout the customer encounter.
- Review your service techniques regularly. Or get another colleague to observe you over a period of a few days and make a time to get together and receive feedback about ways your service could improve. Others will notice things. Have a desire to be exceptional. As Henry Ford says, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.” It’s all about self belief.
- Practise. Repetition of the four points given above will lead to mastery.
Neil Wilson
Last week’s question:
I am generally satisfied with standards of service and presentation in Golden Bay businesses.
(67 responses)
70% agreed and 30% disagreed
Some excerpts from the comments on our website are provided below. We have not included any comments about specific businesses in the Bay.
“Some places are good but in too many other businesses the staff are unhelpful, grumpy or slack. No matter what the business is, I think a customer should be greeted and then dealt with in a professional manner. I know quite a few Golden Bay people who just don’t support a whole range of businesses because of the standards of service. The hospitality trade requires a level of friendliness, warmth and politeness that a few businesses don’t seem to be able to manage.”
“In many main street food outlets, the service was casual to the point of boredom with attending the needs of the customer. Wrong orders, ignored while waiting for service. I understand the staff may be itinerant and untrained but better management would fix this problem. Feedback sheets maybe?”
“If their customers are just a nuisance, why are these people in business at all?”
“I agree with everything that was said in William’s letter. I don’t think it was “big city ideas about himself”. I, as a local, expect good service too. I go to Motueka to do my shopping and I am not the only local that does this.”
“William spoke about filthy premises and sloppy service - he also spoke about clean premises and excellent service. So why an “angry” reaction from some of the business owners in the article? Why didn’t they react with pleasure because he was praising their business? Do they secretly know that their business has shortcomings but don’t want to admit it or do anything about it? Do they always react to comments with anger? Perhaps that’s why customers don’t tell them what they think - because they’re nervous about the reaction, and that the owner and staff will talk about them once they’ve left the shop or cafe.
“What can I add to all the comments? Yes, yes and yes. If I have to wait for a coffee for 20 minutes and then get told “oh, we’re working on it”, and that was not in the main season; not very good and, yes, I don’t go there any more.
“Seems to me that the business owners who scream loudest at (constructive) criticism are the ones who would most benefit from it and [should] take the opportunity to have a good look at their businesses.
“I am a local and I thought the letter from William was spot on. I and all the locals I know bemoan the state of eating out in GB. Owners, know this, you are in a state of grace because there is little choice for people wanting to eat out in the Bay. You will not hear bad things because the locals know you and won’t want to rock the boat or seem pushy. I have worked in hospitality all over the world and there are some of the worst standards here.”
“Well I think we have an amazing range of speciality shops, and staff generally give great service. If we don’t support them we will lose them. If we all go shopping to Motueka and Nelson we won’t have these excellent shops. And about all those tourists that want their lattes in double quick time, just relax. However old Kiwi Host training would be great help for any service staff.“
“Part of the attraction of GB is its laid-back quality of life, but this should be reflected in friendliness and not used as an excuse for lowered hygiene and service.”
“I am a long-time local and agree that many of the businesses in Golden Bay need a huge wake-up call when it comes to service, tidiness and customer satisfaction. Don’t get defensive when visitors point out that your business needs improvement, just get on with it. Don’t blame it on “big city attitudes”. Many of us expect great service wherever we live. Well done to the business owners who do step up and meet the grade, you know who you are! There are good reasons why I choose not to return to certain businesses.”
“Some of the adverse comments printed are all too true, but on the whole I think we have a range of good businesses, cafes etc. in Golden Bay. Keep up the good work everyone.”
“Repeat business is the best way to thrive; you need your customers to come back again and again. Try not to be defensive and say that it’s the busy time of year and it’s hard to provide good service and he’s a city slicker so what does he know anyway. It’s a problem YEAR ROUND. Please approach it professionally. Please don’t blame anyone. Please think about it from the customer’s point of view. Set high standards. We want to spend locally but we are doing it much less often than we used to and money isn’t the issue for us - the issue is that our expectations are not being met. It’s not my problem for having high expectations - it’s your problem for not meeting them.”
“Oh, the arrogance of a business owner who claims to know what the customer thinks! The customer is always right, the customer doesn’t need to be an expert on hospitality to recognise a dirty business, and since when did the business decide what constitutes good service? Customer perception is reality - the customer doesn’t care about your woes of it being busy, or having to train new staff - your problem, not theirs. We have some great places to eat and shop in GB but I’m sorry to say that Basil Fawlty would feel right at home in some of the others.”
“I commend William Brace for starting this discussion. The responses from many business owners came across as aggressive and defensive. Why attack someone for the reminder that a re-evaluation of your customer service practices could lead to profitable and enjoyable improvements for everyone?“
“There are some businesses in the Bay which are fantastic. If you are a business that has had negative feed back, please see it as a gift, a chance to change and perhaps welcome back some local custom. Feedback forms in shop would be a great start.”
A local business owner: “Thank you for supplying the medium for open and frank comments regarding customer service standards in Golden Bay. I don’t believe there would be any business owners or staff that deliberately look to offer poor customer service at any level. I would suggest if anyone has an issue with any shop or store, make contact with the person in charge and politely express your concerns and ask for a response. No owner will give up this opportunity to fix such a problem. Before you rush over the Hill and make a purchase, try giving the local business an opportunity to procure the product or service. You may be pleasantly suprised by the service level you receive. Most businesses contribute significantly to supporting local clubs and organisations. Very few outside firms contribute to the local community in this way. In short, yes we do care about our businesses in GB and I am sure many, if not all, will repond in a positive way to the concerns raised. Thank you to all the submitters for raising your concerns.”
“What a wonderful frank blog about a really important issue to GB. I agree with all who have lamented the poor service at many of the cafes. We come to Golden Bay frequently but don’t bother eating out now, as the quality of the food, service and atmosphere has dropped away. I hope this conversation triggers change to bring back the good eating experiences we remember. We want to spend our money in Golden Bay but not where we wish we hadn’t.”
“Yes, we do have some wonderful places to eat and shop in, but unfortunately the places that I enjoy drinking/eating in are also falling short in many ways.”
“A smile, a hello and friendly service go a long way.”
“I think this is a valuable discussion and an extremely important opportunity for business owners to review how the customer sees them, not how they think the customer sees them. All businesses that deal with the public MUST consider this always. It is disappointing that some businesspeople responded to the letter and the discussion with some animosity. We all work hard; but if we are not open to suggestion or the possibility of improvement we are stagnant, incapable of growth, and unlikely to succeed. Cafe and restaurant owners: pay attention to your best workers, and reward them with a pay rise or other incentives.”
“After a three-week visit to Golden Bay, we are astounded at just how behind the eight ball your little backwater is. Takaka certainly needs a freshen up in the attitude department. Many of the comments posted in this forum appear to be directed at the food and hospitality industries. I think it is reflective of the town in general. Your current formula (if any) is not working. There are no excuses in the service industry. Get it right and do it better, Takaka.“
“Thank you for the chance to anonymously offer my experience of shopping in Takaka. No one would dare put their name to a complaint in the Bay because they would be shunned, as is the common practice here.”
“I am overjoyed by the friendliness and cleanliness of ALL of the businesses in GB. I am shocked by these ranting comments. Slow down and smell the roses.”
