94. Case Review: Aszo Restaurant in Budapest

  • When we apologised to the hostess for being ten minutes late, she did not acknowledge or respond at all. Key emotion: Ignored. (-1)

  • While leading us to our table in the big restaurant, the sommelier was in the midst of serving the adjacent table so we were told to wait for a moment. It felt rather awkward to be standing right in the middle of the restaurant between the tables. Couldn't the hostess lead around the other side of table? Or the sommelier step aside instead of having to wait until his guest has sampled the wine? Key emotion: Invisible, ignored, uncomfortable (- 2)

  • We asked the waiter to recommend between two main courses. After cheerfully assuring us that all our shortlist dishes were really good, as with all items on the menu, he proceeded to find out about our intended starters so as to put forward a better match. Key emotion: Personalised (+1)

  • Later the manager came by as I swapped seats with my husband. He was attentive and asked if we were feeling comfortable. I told him I changed seats to have a better view of the live band. Key emotion: Care and interest (+1)

  • Later on, the manager came by to recommend some of his favourite desserts and welcomed us to make some song dedication to the musicians. Key emotion: Engaged (+1)

It's a pity that the arrival and seating had compromised the overall experience. Otherwise, the evening would have been more memorable!

Total Service Bank: Net of zero. 


Reflective thoughts: Identify the regular micro-moments that could negate or compromise the overall service experience you would like to target. There could be things specific to your service touch point, the physical space, the sequence, etc. Drill down further. Put in place the "stoppers". What would your list look like?

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