What's your table number?

I hate that! You walk into a pub, go and ask for something to eat, and as a reflex the person behind the bar says "What's your table number?" No pause, nothing - just that request.

When you say you dont know, or that one over there, or even "I dont know, can you pour my drinks while I go and find out?" The reply is "I need a table number"

I understand that for a pub to serve cheap food quickly this process really helps, but couldnt the programmers allow the staff member the freedom to take the order, pour the drinks or something while you get the number?

Otherwise you look behind you, a local is glowering because you dont know the system that pub uses.

But why should you? Cant pubs go some of the way to make it easier for customers?

Isnt it much better when the (usually) local pub says "dont worry, we'll find you."

I wonder how a workable system (for the pub) can be made as friendly as that for the customer.

Amazon Update

They arrived. The books (detailed in blog below) arrived - at 9.23 am!!! I only ordered them the night before at 4 in the afternoon! How good is that? What level of quality does that offer?

Amazon

I just last night bought some books from Amazon... and as I selected my first a little countdown appeared to tell me that if I completed my purchase within the next 55 minutes (and 17 seconds ... and reducing the whole time...!) I could have my books by one o clock today.

How clever is that ... an automatic sales close ... I found myself cursing if I clicked the wrong button event though I had almost an hour to go!

More clever for me though is the standard this sets. I mean, I like the time countdown as a tool to help a customer buy now, and to upsell to the express delivery, but what I really like is the quality of this approach. I buy a book from my office at 4pm, and can have it by lunchtime the following day. Brilliant.

Regardless of what you make or sell, or what service you deliver, attentions to customers, delivered by market leaders, really should have anyone seriously contemplating how they can adapt an idea like this, or at least the customer-centric approach it offers, for their own business, department or section.

I dont know what the answer is, but if you have an idea of how this could apply to the service industry - particularly training, I would love to read your comments or your email.

Of course ... the only downside would be if the delivery doesnt happen in the next four hours and five minutes ... and counting down!

Hotels and "service charges"

Yesterday I checked out of a big hotel in London. The bill was being paid by the client, except for a couple of extras. After a long wait from the checkout Lady (we stood there in silence for five minutes) she presented me with my bill. Not only was breakfast shown on it, but also lots of little charges (£1.02, 88p and so on).

I queried the breakfast charges which she agreed to remove and then the little charges

"Those are service charges" she said.

"Let me get this straight" I asked "I buy a drink for £3.50, and you add a service charge?"

"Its discretionary" she replied, "Shall I remove them?"

So in addition to clearly paying a premium at the hotel, they then wanted to add 12.5% to everything! Yes she said they were discretionary, and yes she offered to remove them (which she did) but I am amazed that after marking up all sales, there is then ANOTHER mark up.

She removed all of them, then I had to ask what another charge was for ...

"That is the service charge to bring the sandwich to your room"...

That, by the way, is a service charge on a £9 sandwich ... some people might think already that a £9 sandwich is carrying a certain amount of extra service cost!

I just dont think its open and honest ... if as an hotel you need to charge £10 to deliver a sandwich to a room, then fine, charge that ... I then buy or dont buy.

But to tell me it is £9 and THEN add £1.13 for "service" is really sneaky.

I am with Gordon Ramsays opinion of restaurants that levy a "discretionary" service here ... the business needs to makes its money in the food, not add on charges.

(By the way, there is a suggested 15% "reading" charge for this blog ... thanks!)