Recently, I had lunch at a local Japanese restaurant and learned something important about business. As soon as I walked in I was greeted, not just by the hostess but by all the nearby staff. Everyone had a bright smile and upbeat attitude. I started my lunch on a good note. The customer service was impeccable. We chatted about the food when ordering and after the food was served, someone checked in to see if I liked it. They worked as a team and as soon as a plate need to be cleared or drink refilled someone came over. The waitstaff was attentive, courteous and upbeat. When I left, the staff all together said, "Thank you! See you soon!" The good meal seemed even better with such excellent customer service from beginning to end.
This restaurant has 9 locations in the area and the experience is the same no matter where you go. So I took a look at their website and found that they specifically train their employees this way. The origin and concept behind the restaurant gives the owner's history, cultural context for the food and the importance of a proper greeting. (The writing on the site is a little goofy since it seems to be translated from Japanese. Don't get distracted by the language and instead look at the basic concepts and how they apply them.)
What does an enjoyable meal at a Japanese restaurant have to do with IT consulting? Everything. The restaurant is providing products and services just like the many other restaurants in the same neighborhood but they distinguish themselves by enhancing the perceived value of their products and service with proper greetings, manners and positive attitude.
Here are the basics of how they approach good business:
- Be courteous, respectful and positive.
- Begin and end things by connecting with others with a genuine smile and greeting.
- Be attentive to your clients by being aware of their body language, needs and reactions.
- Constantly communicate.
- Work as a team.
- Enjoy what you do.
Working in IT it's easy to get wrapped up in the seriousness of technology, processes and big budgets and forget to smile and greet someone. In the daily grind, I often forget to be kind, attentive and open to others. Good business can be based on good human behavior. A good product/service seems even better when it's delivered with a genuine smile. This is how I want to engage with my clients. Maybe, I too will end up with 9 profitable locations.
Keep on billing with a smile. 