The Sporting Life: Businesses need to put service back into customer service

A field trip to Las Vegas is in order for some Springfield-area business owners and managers.

It seems that too many have forgotten about the important part of customer service service.

It's a common scenario: You walk into an office and the receptionist is on the phone. She won't acknowledge your presence. You wait patiently, but the conversation has no end.

I don't ask for much. How about a little eye contact or a hand gesture. I'd even accept an obscene gesture; just acknowledge my presence.

Then there's the service industry.

I recently had a leak in my tire and took it to a chain auto repair shop. I told the fellow inside I didn't think it was fixable, but wanted them to double-check. He said, "OK, go outside and I'll have Ryan meet you there." He then told Ryan to meet me at the car.

I waited about five minutes at the car for Ryan to appear. While looking at the service bays, none of the workers seemed by overly busy, but nobody was making an effort to come look at my tire.

Finally, I went to the service area, found Ryan, who was slowly sweeping the floor, and asked, "Aren't you supposed to help me?" He nodded yes and I asked, "They told you to meet me at the car. What were you waiting for, me to come get you?"

"Yeah, kinda," he said.

The moral of the story: I had Ryan fill up the tire with a portable air tank and took my business elsewhere. Ryan obviously didn't care if the company made any money. He just wanted to collect a paycheck for a minimal amount of work.

My favorite, however, is the restaurant industry.

Why would you put the girl with the tongue ring on the drive-up speaker or the guy loaded with piercings and tattoos at the counter?

It's not that I'm too old or too conservative. I just believe in quality service. If I go to a biker bar, I expect to see tattoos and piercings. I'm not bothered by that. If I go to a family-style restaurant, however, I don't want to see my server with blue hair and a lip ring.

Quality customer service is all about tailoring your service to your clients, which is a perfect segue into why Las Vegas is well, successful.

The first thing that comes to mind is Sin City casinos, gambling and showgirls. That's what I used to think. Now I think of quality service.

The casinos strive to take care of all your needs in one place. They provide gambling, shows, food, beverages, shopping and entertainment under one roof. Their job is to put you in a fantasy world. And that fantasy is based on service.

My last visit to Las Vegas was two years ago. While staying at the MGM Grand with Anthony Tindall, we rarely had to open a door, wait in line or do anything to take us out of the fantasy world.

None of the employees card dealers, attendants, waitresses, security people or custodians had tattoos, extra piercings or unusual hair styles. They were always neatly dressed and quick to lend a hand even at 3 a.m.

Perhaps the most telling moment occurred in Caesar's Palace. Anthony and I were looking for Planet Hollywood. We were obviously lost, stumbling around the hotel/gaming area.

We stopped to discuss which direction we should go next. (A brief aside: Women say men never admit being lost; here it is in print we were lost, and we stopped to figure out which way to go.) While standing there in our low-roller attire of shorts and T-shirts, a casino manager walked past us. He took two or three more steps, noted our confusion, stopped and asked, "Gentlemen, can I help you find something?"

We told him of our destination and now here's where real quality service comes in he walked us through the casino area and to the wing with the store. He pointed out the store to us, thanked us for our business and went on his way.

If a manager at Caesar's Palace can take the time to help a couple of tourists buy T-shirts, then shouldn't an employee be able to break away from a conversation with a co-worker to help you?

We found everybody to be very accommodating, and the services were reasonably priced. Even the security folks at the Bellagio were quite friendly, despite a little misunderstanding over their swimming pool. But that is a story for another time.

When it comes to customer service, Elvis and I both say, "Viva Las Vegas."

(Brent Lawrence is copy editor for Springfield Business Journal.)