Hospitality Sweet

While it’s true that most people will go out of their way to make their own houseguests feel welcome, it’s been a long time since I’ve experienced full-blown hospitality as a customer.

Last payday, after taking in a movie, my husband and I drove past the Texas Roadhouse in Arvada and realized we were in the mood for a steakhouse dinner. We’d never been there but were a little wary of finding what we were hungry for at a chain restaurant. I ran in first to approve the menu since not only am I a vegetarian, I was dying for a glass of good iced tea.

Upon opening the door, I was assailed by extremely loud music and almost turned around. But this turned out to be the only negative aspect of the evening. Not only did the server I first talked to assure me that the iced tea was excellent there, she took it upon herself to fetch two glasses for me to try, one sweetened and one unsweetened. After the trouble she went to, I felt we just had to eat there.

Were we glad we did! From the moment we were greeted, it was an experience full of exemplary customer service. The only word for it, in fact, was hospitality. We were made to feel not only welcome but that our presence there was virtually essential to the success of the evening. Every server wore a tee shirt saying, “I Love My Job,” and from the smiles on their faces, we believed that statement. Our waiter immediately asked us if this was our first time there, then brought us some piping hot homemade rolls. A few minutes later, the manager stopped at our table to welcome us and to offer a free sample of barbecued ribs.

Every encounter we had that evening was imbued with the spirit of true hospitality. Everyone was warm, friendly, and seemed genuinely glad to have us as customers. We left feeling pampered, upbeat, and certain we would return.

So many service-driven companies claim that their customers come first and then don’t deliver on the customer service. Looking at this company’s website I was struck by the fact that they say their employees come first. And that should be a lesson to all of us.