How important is good customer service?

Having worked in the hospitality/service industry in one capacity or another for over 14 years, I gained a lot of appreciation, patience, and tolerance when dealing with people in general.

When I worked for CP Hotels and Resorts (now Fairmont), that old saying "the customer is always right" stuck with me, even when it was apparent that they weren't.

People in the service industry work their asses off just to make sure we leave happy, come back, and leave a decent tip to help top-off their minimum wage.

Truth be told, in all my years I've never encountered an employee/fellow co-worker come into work with the sole purpose of pissing off a customer by intentionally serving a flat beer or an overcooked steak.

Yesterday was Remembrance Day. Lisa and I had the day off. After a morning of putting things away for the winter and purging kids' toys and books, we decided to go out for lunch. The Corner Bar & Grill just opened up in Orléans and we had had a positive first experience on one of our date nights. They have a great selection of craft beer, so it seems fitting that it would be my new 'go-to' place.

Because it is a relatively new location, one can expect some growing pains in the first few months. Yesterday was proof that there are some lessons to be learned, and quickly.

Lunch was busy, but not waiting-line busy. We took a table at the bar and, after about 10 minutes, ordered drinks. My wife's Flying Monkey's Amber Ale and my Cascadian Dark arrived with little delay - my pint was very good, but the glass they brought Lisa smelled of soap. Clearly from the glass washer. If this happens to you, send the glass back and ask them to rinse it out.

We talked about vacation plans, Christmas, and the kids for what seemed like hours. In fact, it was about 20 minutes before our server came and took our food order.

Chicken wings take anywhere from 5 minutes (if they've been pre-cooked) to 15 minutes from deep-fryer to plate. In our case, it was over an hour before they arrived.

Now, at no point did we panic, freak out, or get angry. Our server apologized several times during the wait, and since we were enjoying our time out, were not in too much of rush to leave. That is, until we remembered that we had to pick up the kids from school!

So at 1:50 p.m., we finally got our wings - 3 lbs of cajun dusted and Franks Hot. Big, meaty wings that were worth the wait.


So where's the good customer service, and how do you recognize it?

Well, we could have been pissed off - surly, grumpy, and rude. I'm sure others were that day, but what does that accomplish? Besides, it was Remembrance Day. There are bigger problems in the world that don't involve waiting for food.

Our server - Julie - informed us when she delivered our order, that they never realized how busy it would be for lunch on Remembrance Day in Orléans. She is clearly not from the area. As my wife and I had speculated, the Corner Bar & Grill thought people in the east end would naturally go downtown, not realizing that many of the residents are public servants. Hence, a lot of people had the day off.

Without any prompting, she said she would 'make adjustments' to our bill.

Previous experiences at other, larger chains, have offered a free desert, or 10% off the bill, usually after some prompting or a talk with the manager. But Julie (who I believe now was one of the managers) and the Corner Bar & Grill earned not only our business, but our loyalty. What we didn't realize was that she comped our wings, leaving us only to pay for our drinks. What seems like a small gesture (some of you are thinking "it's the least they could do!") to some, meant a lot to both of us.

It means a lot for a business to admit when they screwed up and actually take initiative to fix it.

So, go to the Corner Bar & Grill. They have multiple locations throughout Ottawa, but we believe the best one with tons of potential is in Orléans. They want to do well, they sincerely want to be part of the community, and don't take people for granted.

Follow them on Twitter to get the inside track on great food and drink specials, and while you're in there, ask for Julie and say hi.

Karma - you get what you give. Cheers!