Nobody is Perfect

From time to time i blog about the poor customer service we all seem to experience in this country and how we could do better. Well today let me change my story and write about a nice experience we actually had. My family and i went to lunch at Macaroni Grill yesterday. It was our first visit to this restaurant in N/W Tucson, although we had been to the Kansas City location a couple of times.

Things were going well, ---nice waiter, (Scot was his name), the bread was great, but it seemed to take a while to get our food. Finally our 9 year old's Fettuccine Alfredo came out, all by its self, ---than a couple of minutes later my Angel Hair Pasta with meat sauce on the side arrived ---but my wife's Eggplant Parmesan was missing in action! Our waiter explained the manager was going to visit us in a moment. Hmm...now what?

I'll admit that i was going into the cynicism mode, but in less than a moment Paula Buchanan, the General Manager, showed up and apologized for the delay. Apparently the order got screwed up in the kitchen and the new Eggplant Parmesan was coming soon and it was on the house as well! We also ended up with free dessert, Smothered Chocolate Cake! It's wasn't just the free dish that impressed me, (although that did not hurt), it was Paula's sincere concern and desire to make things right without having to be asked. She went the extra mile and that means we will be coming back to Macaroni Grill at 2265 West Ina Road soon.

Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes, that's why we need grace but all it takes to win back customers, (or at least keep from losing them), is showing some genuine empathy and demonstrating a desire to correct the problem. Be polite, be nice, and take responsibility for the goof-up.

How about you? Any good luck with your dinning out experience lately?