Yes, We Have No Bananas
I
stayed in an Orlando hotel suite for ten days. Breakfast
was available in the concierge lounge each morning:
oatmeal, bread with butter and jelly and an assortment
of sliced melon.
Each morning I looked for a banana to top off my oatmeal.
Sliced melon, yes. But banana, no.
On the third day I spoke to the staff in the lounge.
‘You want a banana?’ she asked. ‘No
problem. I’ll have one for you tomorrow.’
The next morning, and every morning thereafter, she
brought me a banana, usually keeping it hidden until
I appeared. Occasionally another guest would see my
special banana and look for another. But there were
no more bananas. Only sliced melon.
Days later, I asked the Food & Beverage Manager,
‘Why don’t you provide bananas at breakfast?
Other guests seem jealous of my bananas – and
I notice the sliced melon is often sent back to the
kitchen untouched.’
He replied, ‘If we provide bananas, everyone would
take one, or even two! That is more fruit than we want
to give out in the morning. With the sliced melon, we
know how much fruit we are allocating to the breakfast.
Even if it is not eaten, we have control over our food
costs.’
Our room rate on the Concierge Floor was more than $300
per night. Bananas cost about sixteen cents each.
Key Learning Point
If your staff have
to bend the rules to keep your customers happy, it may
be your rules that need revising.
Action Steps
Find
a rule that gets bent regularly by your staff. Change
the rule.
Next Article in Customer Service Toolset >>
How to Make Your Service Even Better
First Article in Customer Service Value Dimensions >>
In Customers We Trust
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