It’s the little things that matter…
I love to eat. People would be surprised to hear that since I’m like a walking skeleton (blame it on the high metabolism..) I love to check out new places and try out everything new, but I am also very picky over the eateries’ service. Let’s just say that, I can forgive bad/average food with excellent service but I will not visit again even if it’s awesome food with lousy service. (Yes, there are eateries that I refuse to step into just because of their poor service – which annoys the hell out of my parents. lol)
So we were at Botak Jones earlier on for a short dinner before visiting 987fm studio (SMU Broadcast & Entertainment-related) and a few of us ordered steaks, ranging from medium/medium rare. My friend’s ribeye steak came first (it was suppose to be medium) and the waiter asked him to doublecheck if it’s ok. He cuts open and noticed that it was too well done so the waiter took it back, leaving us thinking that he’s going to replace it. Shortly, the chef came out and told my friend that “this is medium.” after the waiter returning back to the kitchen twice before the chef’s appearance.
My steak came next (medium rare,on left) and the same thing happened – the waiter asked me to check and the steak was so tough that almost instantly I knew it was overcooked. But I made sure the rest sliced a piece to check if it’s too well done to be fair (since I really love my meat alil bloody…hmm) and it was certainly overcooked. So the waiter took it back and no prizes for guessing what happened next – the chef came out again to shove the plate back in my face and said ‘This IS medium rare.’ I don’t think I have to continue with the next steak since we all agreed that if all we get is being told that ‘This is _____.’ and are being expected to accept it – what’s the point of asking !? We joked that next time we should ask for ‘Steak – raw please!’ (haha) Quite disappointed by the service, as much as the food was still decent. Frankly, I don’t think I will visit that outlet again – but so far I have no issues with the other outlets. Totally killed the dinner mood.
On the other hand, grumpy me was walking around a Pasar Malam (aka night market/bazaar) and the typical Singaporean in me was tempted by the queue I saw at the Kueh Tutu stall. As much as I love these lovely white goodies, I was quite annoyed by the heat and the long wait (plus the unsatisfying dinner earlier on). The auntie probably noticed my grumpy aura and asked if I had a bad day and we started chatting while she was busy preparing for my order.
She really made my day with a short simple chat (ok, and a few compliments) though it was quite funny of her to end the conversation with ‘Wah, you so tall (I’m 170cm only!)…very hard to find boyfriend hor?” -awkward moment-
After she handed me my Kueh Tutu, she apologized profusely for the long wait and wished me a blessed day ahead. S$2 for a simple cheer-me-up was totally worth it and I will visit her stall again (Kueh Tutu is yums!) just to say ‘Hi!’.
Honestly, it really takes little things to make someone’s day and it’s not that difficult to provide good service as a brand – just simple effort/gestures will be remembered by the consumers and there’s nothing to lose by putting a smile on their faces ! Don’t you think so ?
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”- Vincent Van Gogh
Speak and Listen to your consumers !
More and more businesses are getting on social networking platforms, especially Twitter. I’ve come across many (in fact, way too many) company accounts that are either pretty much inactive or can be classified as ‘spammers’. Sure, 140 characters is good enough for business advertisements, quick and cost-effective. What’s more ? It’s free ! But doing it the wrong way can actually backfire your plans and destroy all potential relationships you may gain.
From personal experiences, I think it is important for business to bear in mind a few tips before starting to reach out to your crowd on social networking sites, IMHO :
1) Know your audience, listen to their needs !
Recently there was this email spam from a certain property agency that pissed most tweeples off. As for me, I think it’s quite silly to email me (of all people!) who have yet to pay off my university debt to check out the new apartments in town. Seriously, do some research and know who are your target audience ! Obviously I don’t need a condo yet?!
I think it’s a good and important thing that companies are starting to ‘listen’ online to their consumer’s needs too ! I tweeted about looking for a short term rental apartment in Hong Kong just yesterday and I got a reply from @Ascott_Ltd recommending their serviced residences. Perfect example of listening to what your customers need and responding to what they are looking for, without sounding too pushy.
2) Don’t just be yet-another-brand, be personal !
It’s no longer about how ‘BIG’ your brand is but consumers need to be ‘entertained’. It’s nice to know there are ‘real people’ behind the online presence too. We like to see behind-the-scenes after a movie is out, so same goes for brands online. We’re not talking to bots afterall !
I personally like @standingsushi even thought I have yet to try their food. Mainly because I read about them on their blog and I really liked how they bring their concept across. And when I mentioned to my bestie that I want to visit @standingsushi someday, I immediately received a personal message to welcome my future visit. It certainly makes me want to go down and check it out personally (real soon!).
3) It’s about profit BUT more about relationship !
Be a ‘friend’ rather than an annoying salesman. You need to build a relationship based on trust, sincerity and constant interaction. Sure, not everyone can buy your products all the time but hey, no harm retweeting or spreading the message to others who can possibly do so if I like you. Don’t just follow everyone and expects to be followed back instantly. It’s not about the numbers either.
I like @thegardenslug alot as you can see from my tweets if you’ve been following. I started off not knowing what they have to offer but I don’t feel that their main objectives of being online is to force people to visit them but instead, to build a relationship with their customers. That’s definitely a (Popsicle) brownie point for me and when I visited them, I knew it won’t be the last time I’m going over because The Garden Slug won my heart with their friendliness and awesome food.
4) Don’t act like a naggy old fart. Stop repeating the same messages!
This is spamming. Quality over quantity. 987123415623 tweets about the same product isn’t going to get you sales. We get your message but we may not like it. In fact, count yourself lucky if you still have 1 follower at the end of the day.
5) Reach out – help – contribute !
Sometimes it’s not just about your brand. No one really cares about you on twitter since it’s such a huge community unless you reach out to them individually. Introduce yourself at the right time – don’t be too money-minded aka not too eager to sell your product/services. Promote others or retweet their messages is a good way to start, it’s not just about you afterall. It’s all about the charm and making people genuinely interested in you. Share interesting relevant links or include pictures or videos in your messages. People will follow you if they enjoy reading your tweets.
6) Customer is always number 1. (not entirely true but that’s the saying)
(Almost) Real-time customer service is probably the best thing that one can get from social networking sites. I like how @Starhubcares try to answer to everyone’s enquries and drop direct messages to assist you when you are getting pissed holding on to the phone for half an hour listening to that awful waiting tone. Sometimes it just takes a tiny effort to pacify your angsty customers and we like it when you are willing to listen to our feedback and improve. It’s a 2 way communication afterall.
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Of course I’m no expert and I may be wrong but at least that’s how I feel as a consumer. Any good case studies or examples that you can think of ? Or any other tips you can think of to share ? Open to discussion =)
