Sorry to bother you!

The other day our son stopped by for a visit. Coincidentally it was the dinner hour, so we ordered pizza. We’re not terribly picky about our pizza so we have lots of choice when it comes to choosing a brand to deliver dinner. But I can’t say the same for service. As a customer I’m VERY picky when it comes to the customer service experience! On this particular evening, it was not good. The person on the phone was not just less than helpful, she made ordering a pizza almost painful. It went something like this:

“What do you want?”
“I’d like a large, thin crust pizza. What toppings do you suggest to go with banana peppers?”
“I don’t know – it’s up to you. What kind of crust do you want?”
“Thin.”
“What toppings?”
“What meat toppings do you have?”
“Just the usual ones. What do you want?”
“Sorry to bother you! I’ll take a pepperoni pizza please.”

At Greenleaf we know a thing or two about training employees. Most pizza joints have extensive employee training on how to make a pizza – what ingredients go on it, how much, and even pictures showing exactly where to place each piece of pepperoni so the pizza looks its best. Unfortunately, as the example above illustrates, that’s where the in-depth training seems to stop. If employees can’t be trusted to wing it when building a pizza, why would they be left to their own devices where customer contact is a given? There’s a simple solution. Provide employees with a “picture” – a script – of what every point of contact with a customer should look like. For example:

“Thank you for calling!”
. . .”Oh, we have lots of toppings to choose from. Do you prefer beef, pork or chicken? May I suggest . . . ”
“Have you ever tried our [other menu items]? That would go really well with your pizza!”
“We have several drink options. May I add that to your order?”
“Sit back, relax, and we’ll have your dinner to you in 30 minutes. Thank you for choosing [our establishment]!

Now why would I go anywhere else for my pizza? This is true customer service and would rival the high quality of the pizza!