Customers are people too, just like you and I, though often it’s hard to remember that fact. Our job, by necessity, separates us from the people we serve. This separation tends to invoke an ‘us versus them’ attitude, which is especially reinforced when we are super busy. It is extremely difficult to see customers as unique individuals with different needs and emotions when 30 of them all show up at the same time and expect service, but we still have to make it happen.
My guest today is Todd Carnam. Todd is the beverage director at The Interval in San Francisco, where we recorded this interview. Him and I used to work together before he was in that role. Todd and I had a great conversation about empathy in the context of service, and how to use those ideas when you find yourself in challenging situations with guests.
Check out our conversation in the player below or wherever podcasts are found, and please hit subscribe in the player of your choice to stay up to date with our weekly conversations with bartenders about all kinds of different challenges. Read on after the break for more.
If you find yourself with a challenging customer, take a second to think about where they’re coming from, why they are there and why you’re there. It may seem weird, but when we start thinking about the happiness of others instead of only focusing on our own happiness, it actually just makes everyone happy.
That’s all for this week! It was a pleasure talking with Todd and hearing all he had to say about guest interactions. Thank you so much for tuning in and checking us out!
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Cheers!