A Pappadam Story & Some Lessons on Customer Service

The people who knows me closely are aware of my love for eating Pappadam. Whether it is a rice or noodle dish (yes you read correct- even Noodles), Pappadam is a must have item for me. In fact from my perspective a rice based meal without Pappadam is like a comedy with less laughter i.e. good, probably served the purpose but definitely something missing. As an ardent self-proclaimed foodie, I always make it a point to indulge myself in trying new restaurants, cafe's & more importantly the wayside small boutiques. After all as they say- 'variety is the spice of life'!. It is fair to say that some of the best food I have tasted across the world has been from wayside boutiques & street food stalls. I must confess that it is almost guaranteed that each time I order a rice based meal or 'take-away' a packet of rice & curry from one of the many street vendors in Sri Lanka, I need to request for an additional Pappadam. It's just natural for me because Pappadam is an excellent 'rice puller' as they commonly say.There have been instances that I have volunteered to pay for the additional Pappadam if the waiter or the owner of the shop exemplified reluctance in granting the request (there are a few times that I actually paid as well). Unless in dire situations or no alternative option, I would also avoid ordering a meal which is not accompanied with Pappadam. In my defense sometimes the request is not for a full Papadam but just an additional piece because at times only pieces are served unfortunately. Not sure why, but for some odd reason there seems to be a huge dent in the profitability if a full Pappadam is served with a meal. At least that's what I feel most restaurants & boutique owners seem to assume. If you have never tried Pappadam with a meal you are definitely missing out on something great for sure. Now let's stop with the background context and discuss the main objective of this article. 

Last week on Thursday, I had some back to back meetings in the Colombo 4 area. Having skipped breakfast and anticipating the strong possibility of missing out on lunch as well due to the busy schedule, I thought of having a quick meal around the vicinity of where the meetings were held. Spoilt for choice with the various options in the buzzing neighborhood, I decided to satisfy my cravings at a small vegetarian food outlet (Thosai Kade as it is commonly known in Sri Lanka) around the corner. I got a seat at a table which was right next to the cashier (who was incidentally also the owner of the restaurant). Without glancing at the menu...I quickly ordered a Vegetarian Thali (A platter with rice and a number of curries). As per usual, I politely requested the waiter for two Papaddams very well knowing that they have the light yellow, wafer thin, crispy version that is widely available in India. The waiter without blinking an eyelid granted my request with an authentic & caring smile. Whilst indulging the mouthwatering thali, I realized I have already finished the two Pappadams even though I was nowhere nearing the completion of the meal. I also did not have the heart to ask the waiter for another Pappadam. However, suddenly the waiter just turned up to my table without any intimation and handed over two more Pappadams and said to me with a smile 'enjoy your meal sir'! I just looked at the owner of the restaurant and fully aware of the sequence of events, he also acknowledged with a pleasing smile. His smile gave the impression that this is what they do everyday i.e. 'deliver great customer experiences'. At first I was taken by sheer surprise. Thereafter, I felt as if this is my lucky day (additional Pappadam without even requesting). It should be noted that this particular waiter was also providing the service to around 8-10 other customers at the same time and I definitely did not have undivided attention either. A few minutes later, already stuffed and almost at the end of my meal, the waiter comes back asks me "may I get you anything else sir"? I replied immediately with a gesture saying no thanks. He then asks me how about another Pappadam sir? For the first time in my life....I had to reply no thanks because I already had my quota. I couldn't believe what I just said myself that but it was indeed the true feeling I had at that precise moment. I thereafter, paid the bill and just before leaving the restaurant, the owner who was manning the cashier said to me...'thank you sir, hope you enjoyed the meal & see you soon'! In my mind both the owner & waiter were true champions both in terms of customer service and humaneness!! Some may call this good marketing and if so this is what marketing should be all about!.

I am sure that most of you would have encountered similar scenarios at restaurants & eating places even though Pappadam was out of the equation. When you ponder and reflect on such situations there are definitely some important corporate lessons that we can learn. Given below are some of the key lessons that I learned from my experience last Thursday exemplified above. 

1. If you empower employees they are more likely to provide a better customer experience and service. In my case the waiter was definitely empowered to make decisions on how may Pappadams to serve etc. He was able to make decisions on delivering a great customer experience. The focus was on the customer and not a policy or process which often hinders customer service delivery. Similarly micro managing impedes customer service. Just imaging if the restaurant owner was micro managing to see how many Pappadams were served per customer as per the standard? my experience as a customer would have definitely been different

2. Customer service requires everyone in the organization to play their part. In my case both the owner of the restaurant and the waiter played their part with commitment. They were clear of their role and purpose. There is no hierarchies, power play or status when it comes to delivering customer service. Great customer service requires teamwork and engagement from every level of the organization. This was very evident in my experience at this vegetarian restaurant (Thosai Kade).  

3. Politeness, Courtesy, Passion & Authenticity is critical for delivering great customer service. I witnessed all of these during my experience at the Thosai kade. Every word spoken had sincerity and humaneness with the focus on relationships and not just a transaction. I am sure both the owner & the waiter would have had many problems in their day to day life. However, when it came to performing their role none of these personal (or professional) problems were evident to the outside world. The waiter exemplified passion when performing his job, similarly the owner ensured that the customer was looked after and was satisfied throughout the process. The right attitude is key when it comes to customer service.

We live in a world where an enormous amount of money and time is spent on customer service training programs. There is also a common feeling that these programs are done more as a reactive strategy as opposed to a proactive, purpose driven strategy (not every company falls under this scenario because some of them are truly world class in customer service delivery). However, if there is no empowerment, role definition (and understanding), politeness, courtesy, passion & authenticity then it is very difficulty for organizations to provide a great customer service experience. So as you may see a simple and trivial thing like Pappadam and how it is served with a meal can teach us a few lessons especially from a corporate perspective. Now would I visit that food outlet again, the answer is an overwhelming 'YES'. Whether the outlet will consistently provide great food and service, I sincerely 'HOPE SO'. Would my love for eating Pappadam and sharing various lessons in life ever stop? the answer is hell 'NO' !!!