My brother and I went on a sibling date at a famous hotpot restaurant. As soon as we got seated, I could feel the chill from the AC and thought if I should ask to turn the AC down. Anyway, right after the waiter took our order, he came back with a blanket. He said, “In case you are cold from the AC, here’s a blanket for you”. A restaurant that gives their customers blankets? I instantly felt like I was in the first-class seat on an airplane.
This restaurant is called Hai Di Lao. This chain restaurant was founded in Sichuan, China, and has made its way to over 15 countries around the world. The owner of the empire is the richest person in Singapore (can you imagine that? Singapore!). People flock in every day not only for good quality food but most importantly the quality of their service.
They are famous for going above and beyond for their customers. Just to start, there’s a daycare in the restaurant so parents can eat in peace. There’s a nail bar offering manicures and hand massages so ladies can get pampered. They can change the screen protector of your phone for you. They give ladies hair ties to tie up their hair. They generously give plenty of popcorn, dessert, snacks for you to take home after dinner. And all of this for FREE!
Even though I have to mention their price is not cheap, I am very happy to spend my money here because of the level of service and quality I get. I love the extent to which they make sure each customer leaves home full and happy. Whenever I dine here, I feel being cared for, looked after, and know my experience is important to them.
Another example I want to bring up is Zappos – an online shoe store that got bought by Amazon for 1.2 billion dollars. Other than their 365-day return policy, they are also famous for their call center. They are known for having the best phone support. Other than calling to get help on your orders, you can literally call them for anything! They have helped people order pizza, rehearse a play, give driving directions before GPS was popular. Their longest customer service call is over 10 hours! They have made their customers’ satisfaction the utmost priority. While most call centers do their best to reduce call times, Zappos does their best in making sure those who call in are happy no matter how long it takes.
I think we could all learn from these businesses – putting customers first. Anticipating customers’ needs and fulfilling them generously and diligently. So often businesses put the emphasis on the cost of operation and finding ways to squeeze or save every dime. Hai Di Lao and Zappos have proved that when you put your customers’ happiness as the most important thing, the business thrives.
I’ve mentioned in my other post about a quote from Panache Desai “Our job is the excuse through which we get to love people”. No matter what kind of job we have, our main purpose is to love people.
If you’re an entrepreneur or whatever kind of work you are in, can you think of ways to increase your customers’ satisfaction and make it a mission to make them feel loved and happy?
