110. (Mis)Communication Overheard
These two random encounters were observed while I was out and about the week prior.
Incident 1:
While taking the local train (MRT), I overheard a tourist asking two fellow passengers the directions to Chinatown.
Tourist: We would like to get to Smith Street in Chinatown, where there are lots of local shops
and eateries along the street. Should we get off at the Marina Bay station?
Local: Ah, Lau Pa Sat has a lot of local food stalls too.
Tourist: Is that in Chinatown?
Local: It is.....not exactly there, but not very far. You can get off the next stop.
Tourist: Thank you!
~
Comments:
I am not sure if the recommended Lau Pa Sat is what the tourist is looking for. We do not know the needs of the tourist, whether he needs to be at Smith Street for a specific purpose/s. Somehow, the local person assumed it was all about food, about having a selection of local food.
Is he recommending it because it is much better than Smith Street - and if so, how different?
Or is it because he himself doesn't know Smith Street and jumped on the wagon simply because he heard the words "local eateries"?
The tourist had also mentioned "local shops". Is he looking for a specific shop, or some items to purchase in that area? Or what if he was actually meeting someone at or near Smith Street?
While I am sure the local man had good intentions to help, and perhaps the tourist ended up being very happy with Lau Pa Sat, note that the tourist's interest in getting to Smith Street was completely ignored.
Besides, what does "It is not exactly there, but not very far" mean? A taxi duration of 15 minutes or a walk of 30 minutes? This sentence does not add value or provide clarity to someone not familiar with both these places.
Reflective thoughts: Try imagining the above scenario being played out at a hotel - an interaction between the guest and the concierge/other hotel employee. Draft out two responses: one with a basic answer (Service Bank = 0) and the other that is more complete and impressive (Service Bank = +5)
*****
Incident 2:
A man entered the Clarks shoe shop and was overheard asking the sales person:
"Hello, I bought this pair of sneakers less than one month ago from this shop. However, I am surprised the stitches have already come off. Is there a cobbler you can recommend that your shop usually works with?"
The response from the employee:
"Ah, our policy here is no refund.....and we don't have a in-house cobbler."
~
Comments:
How would you feel if you were the customer?
This employee heard but did not listen properly to what was said and asked by the customer. Instead of being empathetic, the first thing the sales person jumped on was one of full defense. It had no bearing on what the customer's request was at all. I was not surprised when the customer replied with measured patience, stating, "I am not asking for a refund....I was just asking if......"
Shortly after, the store supervisor took over and apologised for the inconvenience and she agreed it was unusual that the stitches had come loose after few wears. She swiftly provided the solution by informing that they would send it to their regular cobbler and if the repair cost was less than $30, the shop would absorb it. Anything above and beyond, the customer would pay the difference. She assured the customer that if the cost was higher than $30, she would first give him a call to advise of the quote before proceeding.
This is what I call a professional service and effective handling of the situation. If only the service between the two were more consistent...
Reflective thoughts: How can the boutique ensure service consistency in this example? If you were to hone in on three specific aspects of your hotel/restaurant's service delivery, which area would need more polishing in terms of consistency? What could you do differently to address these?