Got Grit? Successful Businesses Do
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 4:07 am
We must get better at being spontaneous and in the moment, beyond the script. That comes down to leveraging emotional intelligence, not just understanding customer service basics.
Creating an exceptional experience is what differentiates your business from the many businesses that do almost exactly what you do. This differentiation will make you the “vendor of choice”.
Customers Respond to Competitive Differentiation
Still hungry, we drove to a local, family-owned restaurant. Upon arrival, there was nowhere to park. We had to park in the grass outside of the restaurant. Once again, my fight or flight reaction kicked in. I instantly worried that we’d be waiting forever to get seated and wished we would have just stuck it out at the chain restaurant.
I feared that we had traded one bad experience for another less-than-stellar one. And we were getting hangry. All of this flashed through my mind in mere seconds. I was already experiencing negativity bias.
Disrupting Negativity Bias
There were customers everywhere and no real organization qatar telegram data when we walked in, but that lasted only a few seconds before the cashier said someone would be right with us and then a hostess appeared. She didn’t even ask how many people would be dining in. She already had menus in hand, said, “Right this way,” and seated us in a big comfy booth.
With my brain still prepared for the worst, I noticed that almost every table was taken. They were slammed busy, but that didn’t get in the way of their top-notch service. Our server approached us within the textbook requirement of two minutes to get our beverage order and she was happy to serve us. We were able to get seated, order our food, eat, and leave in less than an hour. They “turned the table” in under an hour to generate more revenue. I assumed the worst would happen with this local restaurant, but I was wrong! They were a small business with an exceptional experience that clearly drove their business to success.
Now more than ever, employees need soft skills training to interact and engage with customers. Train your employees to tell customers what they can do for them, not what they can’t.
At the off-brand restaurant, a family-owned business, it was most likely easier for them to pivot and do what made the most sense for their business, customers, and employees. The small business doing big business is one with grit, resilience, and a determination to thrive.
The owners are in the trenches. They understand the needs of all stakeholders involved. As a company grows, it needs to remember to maintain its grit and agility.
Creating an exceptional experience is what differentiates your business from the many businesses that do almost exactly what you do. This differentiation will make you the “vendor of choice”.
Customers Respond to Competitive Differentiation
Still hungry, we drove to a local, family-owned restaurant. Upon arrival, there was nowhere to park. We had to park in the grass outside of the restaurant. Once again, my fight or flight reaction kicked in. I instantly worried that we’d be waiting forever to get seated and wished we would have just stuck it out at the chain restaurant.
I feared that we had traded one bad experience for another less-than-stellar one. And we were getting hangry. All of this flashed through my mind in mere seconds. I was already experiencing negativity bias.
Disrupting Negativity Bias
There were customers everywhere and no real organization qatar telegram data when we walked in, but that lasted only a few seconds before the cashier said someone would be right with us and then a hostess appeared. She didn’t even ask how many people would be dining in. She already had menus in hand, said, “Right this way,” and seated us in a big comfy booth.
With my brain still prepared for the worst, I noticed that almost every table was taken. They were slammed busy, but that didn’t get in the way of their top-notch service. Our server approached us within the textbook requirement of two minutes to get our beverage order and she was happy to serve us. We were able to get seated, order our food, eat, and leave in less than an hour. They “turned the table” in under an hour to generate more revenue. I assumed the worst would happen with this local restaurant, but I was wrong! They were a small business with an exceptional experience that clearly drove their business to success.
Now more than ever, employees need soft skills training to interact and engage with customers. Train your employees to tell customers what they can do for them, not what they can’t.
At the off-brand restaurant, a family-owned business, it was most likely easier for them to pivot and do what made the most sense for their business, customers, and employees. The small business doing big business is one with grit, resilience, and a determination to thrive.
The owners are in the trenches. They understand the needs of all stakeholders involved. As a company grows, it needs to remember to maintain its grit and agility.