Ilac van blog

  Through the Service Excellence/ Essential Program, my perception of customer service is changed. First, I think dealing the customer is very difficult for me, because no one customer is not same, and I think that I cannot handle difficult customers. However, I learned basic duty and skills about customer service like interpersonal and social/soft skills. The one of the important things for me is becoming a better listener that I learned in front desk service. It seems easy but in the real situation it become a little difficult. If I face to difficult customer, I will be impatient. After I realised that listening is related to understanding, I can be more patient than before. These clarify skills what I need to know and acquire. Also, through the course, there are some opportunities to demonstrate how to provide the service in the different situations. I understand these skills from practice in demonstrate and presentations.   Before I took this program, I have never work a...

  I’d like to work in the food industry. Actually, I haven’t decided yet what kind of position or specific things. However, through the service excellence/ essentials program, and working as a server in a restaurant, I realised that this job is really interesting. Before I took this program, I never work as a server, so I cannot know about the duty and responsibility of a server. Based on ability or essential skills I learned in this program, and support from co-worker, I can notice that food industry such as café, restaurants, or pub where the staff and customer meet face to face is one of the place staff can see the customer who become happy because of our service.   I think that I’d like to get job in my country. I plan that after I go back to Japan, I try to work in restaurant or café as utilise my experience here and things I learned from the program to get job in Japan. I believe that my experience that work in different country become a big advantage, because I get sk...

In customer service, there are a lot of challenges because no one customer be the same. they need to think best way to provide a good service every time. According to the customer service skills text, there are ten common barriers to excellent customer service which are laziness, poor communication skills, poor time management, attitude, moodiness, lack of adequate training, inability to handle stress, insufficient authority, serving customers on autopilot, inadequate staffing. To improve service, they should find solution for these.   Break bakery & café is one of the few cafés which open 24 hours. Their pastries and opening hour make this café popular. However, as I heard from few workers who work at break bakery & café, at the mid night shift, there are only two people there. If there are few customers, it doesn’t a problem, but the place, where they work, is located in downtown and near the bar and pub. It means that two staffs are not enough to manage all. It also ...

  Tim Horton which sells coffee and doughnut is one of the most famous chain coffee shops and fast food restaurants in Canada. Tim Horton has over 4,000 restaurants in 14 countries. As you can see from this number, this restaurant successfully rising. It means that they have strong advantage that better than competitors.   The key success factor is their price. They are much cheaper compares to their competitor such as Starbucks, McDonald’s. This price attracts people of all economic levels and gain repeat customers. When you walk in Vancouver, it is common sight that someone who walk with a cup of coffee from Tim Horton. These people want to grab coffee and go somewhere like workplace, and schools. This price makes this need solves easily so that Tim Horton is a good place to just grab coffee and some bakery goods.   Moreover, their application contributes to gain loyal customers. These days, using restaurants shops own apps is famous way. They also follow this tre...

  I went to a café which located in Main St. The staff of the café is friendly and greeted me with smile. He made me feel like he has helpful attitude. I’m not a native English speaker, so ordering at café is not so difficult, but I sometimes feel nervous. In this case, his attitude made me good first impression of the café. Greeting customer with welcome mind is a basic thing that I learned over and over through this hospitality course. As I experienced this, I think that it is easiest thing in customer service but having a big effect.   At that time, I ordered matcha latte, but the staff said that matcha latte is not available now. Managing the stock is one of the important things for customer service. When I heard that, I was little disappointed. However, he asked me my favor and suggest chai latte. This respond shows his professional knowledge. Having enough knowledge about the beverage they serve is skill which is related to increase customers’ satisfaction. Also, I tho...