We talked several times about customer service. Let’s see it from the other side.
If you frequent a place and the staff does not even recognize you, you feel that it is not worth the effort to support the organization.
Let me mention three restaurants who know how to appreciate repeat customers.
I often take my clients to a great dim sum place in Toronto, the Dim Sum King. It is located at 421 Dundas Street West, just east of Spadina. Staff remembers me, and many of them know which courses I like. They serve them to us without even asking. Once the owner told me “Bring your family and it’s on the house.” Well, I brought one of my daughters and her whole family, and introduced them to the owner. He wrote something on the bottom of the paper where staff mark down what they put on the table. The servers all looked stunned – of course, they could read it, and we could not. When I asked, “please bring the bill” – in Chinese (I actually know those four words), the lady came back and said “Oh no, nothing.”
Will I come back again? Of course, the moment they re-open.
Another Toronto restaurant is Bloom, at 2315 Bloor Street West. They are mostly known for their jazz evenings, but I take my clients there for Saturday lunch. The owner and staff are always happy to see me. They know that whatever we order needs to be eaten with knife and fork, and suggest the foods that require this. I need to see that my clients are correctly using the utensils as taught in the etiquette course. At the end, staff always serves me a complimentary espresso to make sure I get through the afternoon session.
Another restaurant I take my clients to is Grill on King, at 233 King Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake. My clients are impressed when staff greets me by name. Actually, so am I. Every time. The servers know my preferences and my soda water is always on the house.
What I am trying to say here is that if you have a customer, especially a repeat customer, treat them well. Survey says that if a person is happy, he will tell three others. If he is unhappy, he will tell 24. Make sure your customers belong to the first group.
Upcoming Workshops
Tiny Tots
Ages 6 to 7
Workshops run 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. (unless otherwise stated)
Saturday, July 25
Sunday, August 9
Saturday, August 29
Saturday, September 12
100 Dowling Avenue, Toronto
$30; $50 for two
Kidiquette
Ages 8 to 12
Workshops run 10 a.m. to 12 noon (unless otherwise stated)
Saturday, July 25
Sunday August 9
Saturday, August 29
Saturday, September 12
100 Dowling Avenue, Toronto
$40; $70 for two
Teen Etiquette
Ages 13 to 17
Workshops run 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (unless otherwise stated)
Saturday, August 8
Saturday, August 22
Saturday, September 19
100 Dowling Avenue, Toronto
Includes three course lunch
and an 8-page workbook
$140; $250 for two
Adult Etiquette
Workshops run 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (unless otherwise stated)
By appointment for private session
Saturday, August 15
100 Dowling Avenue, Toronto
Includes three course lunch and quiz
and an 11-page workbook
$150 for university students
$295, $450 for two persons
Meals & Manners
For larger groups, minimum ten persons.
Please call for appointment.
Includes three course lunch or dinner and quiz.
What people are saying
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Hi Adeodata: This is a very good story and worth passing on.
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Ha tudtad volna,… akkor egy fánkot is rendeltál volna?
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