(2 minute read)
“You’re serving a customer, not a life sentence. Learn how to enjoy your work!”
Laurie McIntosh
It’s been 3 years since I last saw Nathan, who was then running his café in Richmond (an inner suburb of Melbourne).
Bumping into him outside a well-known hotel in nearby Cremorne, where he now manages the kitchen and menu for the venue, reminded me why he’s been so successful in the unforgiving world of hospitality.
Within minutes of rekindling our relationship, Nathan enthusiastically gushed, “You’ve got to come out back and see the awesome custom smoker I had built. It’s halfway through slow cooking a 10-hour brisket for our dinner guests this evening!”
The pure joy and enthusiasm Nathan demonstrates to his craft, and the positive impact it can have upon the hotel’s customers is palpable. (Plus, it really is an awesome smoker!)
Sadly, the Nathan’s of this world have become as ‘rare as rocking-horse poo’, as my father-in-law often quotes.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Whether your role is customer-facing or not, make it a goal to go above & beyond the norm, and strive to make someone else’s day.
Consider what you could do to jolt someone clear of a world where mediocrity is so often tolerated – if not expected.
While the phrase ‘surprise & delight’ may be a tad cheesy, it’s a reminder to all of us to move beyond the mundane, and away from vanilla, to step up and make the experiences of others more positive and memorable.
Go Ahead. Make their Day!
