I dined solo at Ristorante Spaltodieci in Monza one evening. It was a mild evening – I was in jeans and a T-shirt and chose a table in the al fresco area. While my food was being prepared, I worked on my F1 blog on my laptop.
When my main course arrived, I closed the laptop, enjoyed the meal and returned to my blog straight after. I had been there 40 minutes when the temperature started to drop, and sitting outside I felt it. I was considering leaving when the waiter, Salvatore, asked if I’d like to move inside where it was warmer.
I was impressed that he’d sensed I might be feeling the cold and I gladly took him up on his offer. Inside I ordered a dessert – an order the establishment would have missed out on had I not moved inside.
About 30 minutes later, my laptop was about to run out of battery and when asked if I’d like anything else, I declined Salvatore’s offer telling him my laptop had no power. He noted I was using a Mac and asked me to wait. A minute or so later, he emerged with a Mac power supply and asked if I’d like to use that.
I replied yes and then ordered another drink. I ordered another drink after that and finished my blog at the restaurant, uploading it using their WiFi.
Salvatore’s intuition and willingness to help, resulted in them securing revenue from me that otherwise would have walked out the door. I love customer service experiences like this – I think we all do – but sadly it is so rarely experienced.
If you’re in the customer service game, always be switched on and looking for ways to make your customers happier and more comfortable.
