Great Customer Service…at Wendy’s

in Customer Service, Self Motivation

I am fed up with, and still amazed by how the mainstream media thrives on presenting news through negative filters.

Yesterday, when the Dow had its second biggest day in HISTORY, an online summary at MSN.com said something to the effect of , "Stocks have massive record gains; get ready for an equally massive drop on fears from jittery investors."

Give me a break! How about some reporting of how something is being done right…how a business or individual is taking control of their own destiny and getting positive results? Here’s one.

Hetta Malone sent this description of her great customer service experience, at Wendy’s.

 

Art:
I totally enjoy your weekly newsletters.  I particularly like the stories of success and lack thereof.  I recently had an experience that may be worthy of your newsletter.

I was racing around making my normal sales calls and did something I rarely do.  I was hungry and decided to pull into a Wendy’s that I knew was in the area, primarily because it was on the right side of the street.  Like many Wendy’s restaurants it was in a line-up with multiple other fast food choices.  Don’t know why I chose Wendy’s, just did.

Also don’t know why I chose to enter the place, when desperate enough for fast food I’d usually just do the drive-through option.  I walked in to a sea of smiling, welcoming faces.  It didn’t stop there . . . I noticed someone sweeping up crumbs, someone else polishing the tables and chairs, the place was spotless.  When it came time to order I was greeted warmly with a gentle try at an up-sell to one of their new products.  My tray came out and was handed to me by a server who genuinely invited me to enjoy my lunch.   Now they really have my attention.   

The experience started bordering on surreal.  I live in an upscale town known for it’s high-end restaurants, there are real lessons to be learned here at Wendy’s.  It gets better . . .

I’m so fascinated by the scene and the activity I decide to take a seat where I can watch the goings-on and the diner reactions.  I start munching on my hamburger and yes, sipping on their new product.  I watch people enter the place with the expected look of the over-extended and leave with decided brighter looks on their faces.  For this brief moment in the day, they are special! 

At that point a young employee approaches me and asks if I’d like a re-fill or anything else.  He also asks if I enjoyed my meal.  I declined anything more saying I had to be on my way at which point he offered to take my tray while wishing me a great afternoon.  When did that last happen to you at a fast food joint?

I walked out shaking my head.  You bet I’ll search that place out when I’m next in that area.  

When times get tough and there are many, many options the smart owners and managers will go back to the old standards that made our country memorable . . . unforgettable service!  What a concept.

Regards,

Hetta Malone

Great job, Wendy’s. Anyone else have some great service examples, on the phone or off? Perhaps service you experienced, or delivered?

Let’s hear some examples of positive situations…examples where people take control of their own destiny and MAKE positive things happens regardless of the market, environment, or naysayers.

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Nader Al Adawi November 2, 2008 at 6:31 pm

Dear Hetta,

The saying goes “keep customers happy and they keep you in business.” Your short small story has a big customer service moral.
Definitely the crew at this Wendy’s outlet know very well that dining experience starts not only from the moment you step into the restaurant, even before it starts in the parking place of the restaurant.

congratulations for the team because they provided you with a total pleasant dining experience not just good food. and that is what business is about “Total Customer’s Experience” from prospecting to after sales service.

Very truly yours
Nader Al Adawi
sales Training Manager
janssen – Cilag
KSa,Egypt and Gulf Countries

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Jason Allen November 3, 2008 at 10:38 am

I had a GREAT customer service experience on the weekend buying a used washer dryer. We had experienced the opposite at several stores in the previous few days (reeking of cigarette smoke, sales people ignoring us, small dirty shops, etc).
Went to the Appliance Doctor in Hamilton, Ontario Canada, and my wife had just started to look when the owner popped up, and said “I just want to say up front, that everything in here is warranteed for two years.” He then explained the process of how he rebuilds machines, and very carefully selects the ones he will resell because “If it breaks down, it’s a hassle for you, and leaves a bad tatse in your mouth, so I want to make sure it keeps running.”
They are delivering our “new” set today!
Jason Allen
Sales Trainer
Myron Corporation

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Nichol Hodgkinson November 7, 2008 at 9:32 am

I went to Chipotle over the weekend and the employee behind the counter greeted us as we walked in, got in line and checked us out. As we sat at our table eating the oversized burritos, he came over and asked how our food was and proceeded to do this to the other customers in the store. Five minutes later he came out onto the floor with bags of chips for everyone. “We’re getting close to shutting down and you look like you would like a bag of chips for the road” he said. As we finished up, he came by our table and took our leftover wrappers and wished us a good night.

This was amazing to me! Great food…free chips…those are NOT the things that will get me to go back…the service from this employee is.

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Art Sobczak November 7, 2008 at 11:34 am

Amazing how the little things can have such an impact. Just think if everyone made a point to do just a few more little things each day.

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Ted Luce December 3, 2008 at 1:23 pm

I thought of this post as my wife and I are now in the midst of our Christmas shopping. Here is another great customer service story:
we bought a set of four porcelain bowls from Kohl’s last night. This morning, as we were moving things around, the box slipped out of my hands and fell four inches to the floor shattering all four bowls. I was furious at myself. My wife told me she would take them back to Kohl’s and see what she could do. Get this, they took them back and gave us a full refund, no questions!
I know they didn’t have to do that but Kohl’s has just earned themselves two lifetime customers!!!

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