Biz Lessons From a Bowl of Bisque

Half way through the six-course tasting menu, our server, Shekeba, arrived at our table with a surprise gift.

“It’s carrot bisque with lobster claw,” she said. “A ‘thank you’ for being so patient.”

Shekeba is the wife of Chef Andy Hyde, and on Saturday they scrambled to deliver a 5-star dining experience at their restaurant, Hyde n Chic, in Naples, Florida.

Seven employees were supposed to work that night. Three didn’t make it in. So things moved slower than usual in the kitchen.

Shekeba apologized and explained the ‘delay’ as we waited for the second course. (Melissa and I hadn’t noticed any problem.)

She apologized again after the third course.

We told her everything was delicious, and we were enjoying every minute.

Then she arrived with the carrot bisque — which may have been the most delicious of many delicious things we ate that night.

“It’s about how you make them feel…”

I heard about Hyde n Chic from my friend and mentor Dave Dee. Weeks before Melissa and I ate there, Dave and his wife, Kalia, had a memorable experience at Hyde n Chic. Dave talked about it during a weekly meeting of his Elite Mastermind group.

Running a successful business is not only about delivering quality products and services to your customers, Dave said, “It’s about how you make them feel.”

And that carrot bisque with lobster claw made Melissa and me feel oh-so-good!

It made us feel noticed (never let your customers think you take them for granted).

It made us feel respected (Shekeba let us know she respects our time).

It made us feel pampered (special treatment goes a long way — even if it’s delivered to compensate for a mistake or shortcoming).

So Melissa and I felt delighted, not annoyed. We barely noticed the “delays.” And we’ll never forget the good feelings Andy and Shekeba delivered.

How do your customers feel when they do business with you? What do you do to delight and surprise them?

Don’t ask these questions only when your business hiccups. Yes, when your business stumbles, you have an opportunity to set things right and delight your customers, as Andy and Shekeba did.

But focusing on how your customers feel is a full-time job — something to do when your business runs like clockwork or when you struggle to deliver products and services as promised.

How do you delight customers? How do you make them feel noticed, respected, and pampered? Please reply and let me know.