). Visit your business in person and over the phone. Listen carefully to how your staff reply when asked a series of routine, unusual and penetrating questions. Train them to focus on customers' needs, not on policies, dates and procedures. Create satisfied cAt an elegant resort in Mauritius, the dessert menu was rather sparse. One customer asked the waiter for ‘The Special Dessert of Today’.

The waiter returned from the kitchen and reported flatly, ‘We only have the cheesecake of tomorrow.’

Nonplussed, the customer asked for further explanation.

‘The Special of Today is sold out,’ the waiter explained, ‘We only have the cheesecake of tomorrow.’

‘Well, can I have a piece of the cheesecake of tomorrow?’ asked the guest.

‘I suppose so,’ replied the waiter, and brought this customer a piece of tomorrow’s cheesecake – today.

Key Learning Point
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What staff members say to your customers reveals a lot about how they are trained and what they consider to be possible, or important.

Action Steps
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Use a mystery shopper (or be a mystery shopper). Visit your business in person and over the phone. Listen carefully to how your staff reply when asked a series of routine, unusual and penetrating questions. Train them to focus on customers' needs, not on policies, dates and procedures. Create satisfied cu

d, the customer asked for further explanation.

‘The Special of Today is sold out,’ the waiter explained, ‘We only have the cheesecake of tomorrow.’

‘Well, can I have a piece of the cheesecake of tomorrow?’ asked the guest.

‘I suppose so,’ replied the waiter, and brought this customer a piece of tomorrow’s cheesecake – today.

Key Learning Point
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What staff members say to your customers reveals a lot about how they are trained and what they consider to be possible, or important.

Action Steps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Use a mystery shopper (or be a mystery shopper). Visit your business in person and over the phone. Listen carefully to how your staff reply when asked a series of routine, unusual and penetrating questions. Train them to focus on customers' needs, not on policies, dates and procedures. Create satisfied c

plied the waiter, and brought this customer a piece of tomorrow’s cheesecake – today.

Key Learning Point
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What staff members say to your customers reveals a lot about how they are trained and what they consider to be possible, or important.

Action Steps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Use a mystery shopper (or be a mystery shopper). Visit your business in person and over the phone. Listen carefully to how your staff reply when asked a series of routine, unusual and penetrating questions. Train them to focus on customers' needs, not on policies, dates and procedures. Create satisfied c

als a lot about how they are trained and what they consider to be possible, or important.

Action Steps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Use a mystery shopper (or be a mystery shopper). Visit your business in person and over the phone. Listen carefully to how your staff reply when asked a series of routine, unusual and penetrating questions. Train them to focus on customers' needs, not on policies, dates and procedures. Create satisfied c

). Visit your business in person and over the phone. Listen carefully to how your staff reply when asked a series of routine, unusual and penetrating questions. Train them to focus on customers' needs, not on policies, dates and procedures. Create satisfied customers today, or those customers may go elsewhere tomorrow.

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