Want to Improve Client Service? Go out to eat.

Here's a tip for any entrepreneur looking to enter the ad-tech space: client service can make or break a business, and cannot be ignored or understated. Sure, a product needs to solve a problem and actually do what it promises to do. Yes, good sellers must be able to bring it to market and actually persuade people to buy it. But, what happens when all of that groundwork is laid and you actually have consumers buying your product or service? The client services team takes over, and their level of competence can either scale the business to incredible heights or bury it. 

Most companies in the advertising and technology space do not execute client service well, even if they believe they do. Their teams have good intentions, supported by what they think are smart processes, but clients still seem to overwhelmingly feel like service could be a lot better. Don't believe me? Just go into an ad agency and ask a media buyer how many of their vendors provide them with good service. More likely than not, they will tell you that less than half of their partners do an acceptable job servicing them. All ad-tech companies are not created equal, and titans like Facebook, Google, and Amazon are considered "must buy", regardless of the quality of their client service. Outside of the industry giants, the vast majority of other ad-tech companies have to scratch and claw for new business. When that situation arises, they have one shot to make a good impression. If the customer experience is poor, there is a very small chance of retaining that client, and no opportunity to ask for a referral. Before you panic and start considering drastic changes to your current process, it may be helpful for you and your management team to do a quick reset so that you can really get back to basics. For inspiration, you should all go out to dinner together.

Take a minute to think about the worst dining experience you’ve ever had. Was it really bad food? Did the ambiance turn you off? Or was the wait staff slow, unhelpful or rude? There are several factors that can absolutely ruin a dinner out, but all of them share one commonality; they all make the customer feel negatively about the restaurant, which hurts business in the long term. The degree of negativity they experience will always correlate with the expectations they brought into the restaurant, and their own personal checklist of what makes a “good dining experience”. As basic as that concept may be, the truth is that you will never satisfy every customer that dines at your establishment because they all have different tastes and expectations. What is savory, delicious chicken to one person could dry, cardboard poultry to another. For some, a loud, energetic ambiance could be their idea of a great dinner spot, but for others it may be a migraine-inducing place to avoid for the foreseeable future. Customers’ expectations and tastes will be as diverse as people are, so it’s reasonable to expect that you will never retain one hundred percent of your customers. However, there is one factor totally within the restaurant’s control that can be optimized to ensure maximum business retention and growth; attentive, client-focused service.

In no way am I a restaurateur, nor an expert in the food service industry, but I am afforded opportunities to frequently dine out in a variety of countries and cities around the world. This includes a wide range of restaurants, from the local bar in Atlanta that serves tacos to the five-star Michelin rated hot spot in Los Angeles. As much as I love delicious food, what interests me most about dining out is observing how the restaurant team operates. It starts with your entrance, as you immediately react to the manner in which you’re greeted and seated. Then it’s up to the wait staff to accommodate you, guide you through the menu, and ensure you’re satisfied with everything from the silverware to your dessert choice. In between all this, you’re evaluating the ambiance and the service itself. Finally, you’re given your bill and based on everything you’ve just experienced, you decide if the meal was worth the dollar amount. If it all was up to par, you may return, leave a positive review on social media, or you might tell your friends that they must try this place. If not, the opposite will happen, creating a ripple effect for the restaurant, which will ultimately harm their business. All research shows that people are more inclined to review and discuss negative experiences more frequently than positive ones, because people inherently like to complain.

The best restaurants I’ve visited seem to get it right every time. They are consistent in their service, food, and ambiance, and with that comes management of their customers’ expectations. One deviation from this experience will make even the most loyal patron question their return, so it’s important that management delivers a great experience consistently. If you watch closely, nearly all of the best restaurants share a common theme among their staff: everyone is always in motion, ensuring every step of the dining experience is satisfactory. It’s as if they’re all part of one large machine that instantly self-adjusts when required. Communication is happening, both verbally and non-verbally, and hundreds of evaluations are happening in real time. While your server is busy with other tables, the bus person, manager or food runner is popping by to check in on you. Other servers will swoop in if they notice that you need something or appear unsatisfied. They are all working together to ensure that every patron is getting exceptional service above all of their other tasks. Clearly this is a team with a plan, but it is fluid and agile so that all possible problems are easily solved by all members of the team. There is no friction, nor rigidity, and not one member of the team refuses to take on a task that is not within their general job description. They all pitch in to make it work.

This is a well-trained team with cohesion, vision, and a great plan. Management has imagined the consumer journey from the customer’s point of view, and have checks and balances in place to make sure every possible need is anticipated and met. Undoubtedly, analysis has been done to create efficiencies in the process and the staffing, but the quality of the consumer experience is never sacrificed for speed or profit. These restaurants know that one misstep can create a dissatisfied customer, which will harm the business long term, especially due to the impact of social media today.

If your organization is having problems with client service, pick either the best or worst restaurant in your neighborhood and make a reservation there with your management team. As you move through your dining experience, take mental notes on how you feel and what the restaurant did to create that feeling. Try to understand how each step in the dining process correlates with the responsibilities of specific teams within your organization. This exercise will force your team to change the way it thinks about the consumer journey, while inspiring you to create processes that ensure customers have a great experience with your company.