“No Problem” is that Really Great Customer Service?

Yesterday I was flying home from a mini vacation skiing in Utah.  I had a layover in Detroit and headed to my favorite lunch and/or dinner spot in Terminal A-Sora Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar.  It was just past lunch time and we were in luck as there was no line for a table.

This place really rocks both their sushi and their noodle dishes.  My favorite is zygoza ramen.  It’s full of great ingredients and very flavorful.

I ordered my favorite with a hot tea and began to check e-mail as I waited.  First the tea arrived and as I said “thank you” to my waitress she responded with “no problem”.  That response 1 time would have been OK.  It seems every time she brought something to my table and I thanked her, she responded with the same statement “No Problem”.   I then began to listen as she interacted with the rest of the diners and her response was always the same “No Problem”.

This had me thinking–I don’t blame her for what seems to be a brush off response.  I believe the issue lies in her training.  What would an answer like “It’s my pleasure” do for those dining at the restaurant?  Or even ” you are welcome”.  Would these go further toward delivering a great customer service experience.

I don’t mean to pick on this great restaurant nor our waitress.  I think the issues lies even deeper in our society.  Where have the phrases “It’s my pleasure” or “You are welcome” all gone?

As I though more about this over the past day, I found this great article on the topic:  “19 Words That Will Make People Like You More“.  Check it out and if you found this post helpful–You Are Welcome.

Coaching Corner-Keyword Backtracking

Coaching Corner

Six times each year I provide a short video on coaching for the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers (CRB).  Here are a few of the most recent.

What Does the Future Hold?

It’s interesting time for me. I’ve been enjoying the success and opportunity I’ve had over the past 3 years teaching a course called “BOLD-Business Objective a Life by Design” to real estate agents throughout the US and Canada.

I’m feeling as though I’m coming to the end of this part of my personal development and I’m ready to branch out beyond the time and travel commitments this course requires. Today is Sunday, March 24, 2013.  I’m home, off the road for this entire week and then I start a whirlwind travel and training schedule that includes Fort Lauderdale, Florida; 10 days in Dubai; and then back to Florida to finish out the month of May.  In the “time off” (ha) I’m taking a recommend NLP training course in Miami.  Oh yeah, I also have a weekend training in Atlanta in the mix for April as well.

Anyway, I can’t help but feel this is all a step towards the “what’s next” for me in my professional speaking and training career.  It’s an exciting time.  It’s also a time of some trepidation on my part.  I trust that what’s coming up for me is exactly as it is to be and yet I’m nervous I might miss an opportunity as it’s laid before me.

In BOLD we teach that the “Fear of the Future” is one of the greatest for most of us.  I believe “Fear of the Future” is another way of saying “Fear of Success”.  It’s funny that I teach this and yet I find myself right there today.  In times like these I remember the wonderful prose by author Mariann Williamson for inspiration.  Here it is:
 

What are Real Estate Agents Afraid Of?

As I Build my Speaker Business….

I’ll post my experiences here.

Where to start?  Oh, opportunity for speaking seems to be showing up everywhere.  Just this morning I received a phone call from a vendor I used to work with in my residential construction days.  She had sent me a message on Linked In asking about my speaker/coaching business.  I suggested she call me and we could chat.  In the conversation she mentioned a committee she sits on for a trade association that puts on an annual meeting/convention.  She asked that I forward a proposal for her that she could share with the planning committee.

Is it really that easy?

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Hi and thanks for checking this out.  My intention with the blog is to share video and written ideas, thoughts and opinions as it pertains to the world I operate in.  I’m a professional speaker, coach and trainer who travels North America throughout the year helping people realize their full potentional.

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