The Joys of Being A Customer In Ghana: I’d like to order Breakfast…

It’s 10:30am and a customer walks into a restaurant.

Deciding to while away time as she waits for her friends, she looks through the menu and orders breakfast.

Customer: Hello, I think I’m ready to order. I’d like to order the Spanish Omelette and a side of pancakes.

Server: Oh, sorry, breakfast is unavailable right now. The chef responsible for breakfast has not come in yet.

Customer: Will he be in soon?

Server: He usually comes in at 2pm….

As a customer experience consultant, it’s hard not to laugh and both be astonished by this entire exchange.

How does a restaurant have breakfast items on their menu when their chef responsible for breakfast usually begins work at 2pm?

To add insult to injury, when the customer decided to rant about her experience on Social media (which is how I heard of it), the individual/team behind the establishment’s social media account actually laughed at their experience, made excuses then offered a paltry apology and a complimentary meal.

As a business, here are three tips to consider:

• Anticipate your customer’s needs: If you have breakfast on the menu, you should expect customers will order that menu item and make the necessary arrangements to deliver. Operational challenges should be addressed immediately and not impact a customer’s experience.
• Hold daily meetings with your staff: In a situation like this, the server should have informed management that they have customers requesting breakfast and management would have had to find a solution — take breakfast off the menu, if they are short-staffed, for example.
• Pay attention to Social Media: Social Customer Service is an essential part of running a business. Paying attention to your mentions or discussions about your business on social media can help you gain or lose customers depending on how responsive you are as a business. Set alerts and keep yourself informed.

For more information or customer experience development, visit bawoniconsult.com