My husband and I went to a cafe and decided to share lunch between us.
I was ready to grab some extra cutlery so we could share off the one plate. To our delight, the friendly waitress came with 2 plates and the meal evenly divided, and beautifully presented.
What great customer service! And no extra charges or hidden costs. I've recommended the cafe to others.
So I was quite surprised when today I read about a lady who shared a large breakfast meal with her daughter. She asked for a separate plate for her daughter. No problem.
But then we she got the bill, she noticed that she'd been charged $6 for the extra plate. She wasn't told up front, so that she could make a choice about the decision.
She now says she definitely won't be going back there again. Hidden costs are not good for business. Building a customer relationship is about communication and trust. It's also about building a life long relationship.
Hitting someone with hidden costs destroys trust and sours the customer experience.
This lady may have been a potential advocate for the cafe. Instead they have an unhappy customer.
Word of mouth is powerful, regardless of whether customers share positive or negative experiences.
© Customer Service Image courtesy of Yvonne Russell at Grow Your Writing Business.com
I know exactly what you're talking about Yvonne! Restaurant portions are way too large. Many restaurants will allow you to share a meal, but others seem to view sharing as though you are trying to cheat them out of revenue. The only time that I think sharing is inappropriate is when it's a buffet. Otherwise, it's much healthier to split an overly large meal.
Posted by: Laura | January 19, 2008 8:49 AM | Permalink to Comment