Let Customers ‘Pull’ Service on Demand

Instead of ‘pushing’ it to them at your convenience

“Check on your customers every 10 minutes or so,” instructs the typical restaurant manager. And Deming turns in his grave again because the manager’s objective is arbirtrary. It’s not based on the capabilities of a process or the needs of the customer. But wait—there’s a new service quality strategy emerging under the grey skies of Seattle.

I don’t know you, but I do know you’ve been in many a restaurant where you spent your well-earned money only to feel short-changed because you couldn’t get the server’s attention. When the server finally did show up, she’d already missed the sweet spot either because you ate the food as delivered, or it sat there getting cold while everyone else is nearly finished eating.

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Comments

Tip Question

If I'm doing more of the work (which I don't mind) , it follows that my tip might fall accordingly. Most people don't tip as much at buffets as they do at full service restaurants.

Raising the hand first

I come from a culture where raising your hand and saying "waiter" loudly is still common. While tipping is not as customary back home, customer service using the "PULL" method does work its' wonders.

Do Penguins pull or push?

Sellers want to sell, hence own money, buyers - when they're not TV-doped - want to spare their money. Even Antarctica Penguins do that, their own way. I recently posed the question that ISO 9000 h) principle, that promotes an "effective partnership" between customers and suppliers, will never work. It can work effectively enough based on different principles: please refer Matthew E. May's column on Mr. Jiro's passion for his sushi, and Stan Craig's emphasis on non-for-profit business - Quality Digest, March 6. Maybe "lateral" selling will help us all to cross the river bridge, the waters of which get more and more troubled. Thank you. PS: Have you ever thought that the word "between" may have been originated by "be twin", that is, born together?