Is your staff required to give great service? Have you fully trained them on how to act, what to say, and how to handle service issues? If you have, that’s wonderful of course, but it will NOT guarantee great service. Unfortunately, the delivery of above and beyond service in firms both large and small is a requirement and often treated as such. Required activities are often delivered because a person has to, not because they want to…and people can tell the difference.

Recently I was at a very nice hotel in New York. The staff there had most certainly been trained well on HOW to service. They were committed to service but did it without the proverbial smile.  Personally I don’t want other people going out of their way to open doors, carry my bags around, and greet me by name if they seem to be doing it begrudgingly. Pay close attention next time and see if you feel the same way. I’d rather lug my own bags around than inconvenience someone.

Does your staff WANT to deliver great service? If they don’t, even if they deliver the service exactly as trained, they may be turning people off. Service only really works if you mean it. If your staff doesn’t mean it, then find those that will. It’ll not only make your clients feel the way you want them to feel, it may just be the missing link in getting the referrals you thought you deserved.