When it comes to extra sausages, customers usually quickly demand the higher salary classes. There the leadership qualities are elsewhere – thinks Henning Hönicke.
“I want to speak to your boss!”: If these words are used, it never ends well. And yet the ominous "boss" (for most of them still only imaginable in masculine form) is asked anew every day by indignant customers. I never understood what they were expecting from it. Is "the boss" a kind of service Santa Claus, who beats his lousy team with the rod and hastily fulfills the special request?
Boss thing: approve the extra sausage
Because "the boss" is not called for normal matters. He should approve the extra sausage, which is required without any shame limit. Three examples of a restaurant visit, all of which escalated with the "Chef, here!" Command:
"But you have to give me a table, even without a reservation! 'Fully booked' is an excuse, everyone knows that!"
"That's not a plaice! I know how a plaice is made. It is bad that I know my way around better than your cook. Bring me a real plaice!"
"I want a warm meal! You have to write in the menu that you serve this salad cold. I will definitely not pay that!"
In the event of a dispute, is the boss the best person to talk to?
What exactly went wrong in people that when they say "No" they immediately call the "Chief" police? And does that really lead to success for you? What many overlook: "The boss" is not the best person to talk to in a dispute. Because pretty much every manager has enjoyed the same three-phase training in dealing with Quengel customers. Attention, dear "boss" believers, here comes a spoiler, how it goes on after your favorite phrase, always: The leading authority will listen to you 1. for a few minutes. Then she will 2. ask you how she can clarify the situation satisfactorily, and then 3. let you know that she thinks your suggestion is great, but unfortunately cannot implement it. Company policy, there is nothing we can do about it, what a shame, a shame … Leaving a manager.
But the service staff that you complain about? They are professionals in the "always stay friendly" duel that you pushed them into. Every day they master the delicate egocentric tango, in which they more or less subcutaneously assure the person dancing around: Okay, you just need confirmation that you are being treated with respect, and that is part of my job. But there is still no exception. One, two, off-like-gel-step.
I don't want to devalue the deployment of the ordnance disposal service, but have you ever listened to a waitress answering queasy questions as if she were actually always infatuated by her guests' thirst for knowledge? This is art – much more difficult than the standard cliché that the local authorities rave about.
Breathe in – breathe out – positive feedback!
So, dear customers in a complaint mood, how about that: When you got away with it again and you want to talk to "the boss" again, breathe in and out and think about how you snapped at someone for your will not get. Think how cool she / he stayed – for an hourly wage that many teenagers wouldn't even babysit for. And then asks for the manager and tells how you fled your skin over a little something and how incredibly casual the reaction was. This is feedback that everyone benefits from: boss, boss, employee – and you too. Because be honest: you are not in a good mood after your boss complaint either. And between us: I've already seen how special requests were fulfilled – out of kindness, at a friendly request.
Try it out, you can only win, I promise! And if you want to continue complaining: ask for my boss.
Frankly
Henning Hönicke would love to always call the top manager when he was served particularly well to tell the brutal truth about the unbelievably great staff.
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