I won't name either the client or the MSC in case someone else wants to mention one of them, but it's a pretty common shop and if you know, you know.

The report has a question "Did you witness or experience any exceptional acts of customer service during your visit today?" I'm pretty kind on these reports but I almost always answer "no" because to me, "exceptional" means "unusual situation".

If I see a complaint that's handled well or they get slammed with a huge influx of people and process them quickly, I'm happy to document that. But if someone asked me how to earn that I'd have to say they can't. If it's something you can make happen, it's not exceptional.

Does everyone else approach that the same way?

More or less the same approach.

90% of the time it’s “no” and “no” though I mostly agree with the sentiment.

@ wrote:

The report has a question "Did you witness or experience any exceptional acts of customer service during your visit today?" I'm pretty kind on these reports but I almost always answer "no" because to me, "exceptional" means "unusual situation".

Yes.

@ wrote:

If it's something you can make happen, it's not exceptional.

Strongly disagree. IMO, that's too harsh.

The one and only time I answered yes was a few years ago. A mom was with multiple children and ended up dropping two cups of soda along with a bag of food. It went all over the floor. The kids were crying, the mom was flustered and it was chaotic. I could feel the embarrassment and stress.

Guests seemed unfased and stepped around the mess.

An employee came right over, sat with the kids, another got a mop and bucket and they helped reassure the mom it was totally fine and played with the kids until everything was cleaned up and a wet floor sign was placed. They brought over a new meal and made sure everyone was happy and calm.

SOP? maybe, but the speed and urgency to replace the dinner earned points that day. Certainly wasn't their fault but they went out of their way to assist and replace. Even if I wasn't doing an MS I would have sent along a compliment that day because it really was exceptional.

My other experiences have not had anything out of the ordinary happen.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Strongly disagree. IMO, that's too harsh.

So what's the standard you use, then? Just kindness beyond minimum?

A complication for me is that I'm pretty sure at least one of the local managers knows I'm the shopper. Given that employees move around a bit and none of these places are ever that busy, it's probably more than one. So the last thing I want is to establish the rule that "If you kiss my ass, you get a bonus."

(And yes, he's smart enough to make small talk with other customers besides me, but something tells me it's not SOP when I'm not around.)

The local stores do a good job, and it's rare they get below a 10 even if I'm anonymous. And I'll compliment "friendly enthusiasm" in the comments. So I wouldn't mind making them look good to corporate. But I don't like the idea of fashioning it into a secret "Did you stop by my table?" category.

It's not a typical experience for me, but I've seen these instances and I am happy to document them.
A few months ago, I was doing a shop that didn't even have this question and I entered it on my own, giving the employee's name, details, etc.
Why? because I've had employers....I know the game and how stacked it can be against people. If I can help an employee, I am very happy to do so.

One location just north of Birmingham, AL ALWAYS brought the food to the table; no need to wait at the counter or go up when called to pick it up. I've always considered that exceptional as it happens so infrequently, if at all, at other locations.

Another time, on a late dinner shop (different location), my daughter and I were sharing a sandwich and fries (which is always enough for the two of us!) when they offered my guest a sandwich because it was close to closing and they were going to throw it away anyway.

I've been given another bag of fresh, hot fries to go along with the corrected sandwich so I wouldn't be eating cold fries with the hot sandwich a few times.

Once, for a different company but not a shop, the manager paraded a dessert over to our corner table. I hadn't ordered one and tried to decline, but she said that they like to do that occasionally to tempt other guests to order after seeing being carried by. And yes, we were sitting furthest away from the kitchen so it was carried past as many tables as possible without being obvious that's what they were doing.

I've always wondered if what WE consider to be exceptional is what THEY consider exceptional, though. Receiving free food is oftentimes great for the consumer, but not always for the company's bottom-line.

I do not consider the great service that is part and parcel of their job description to be exceptional service although if the rest of the crew appear to be slackers and one person is not I might point that person out and comment why. And if they go above and beyond what I imagine their job description to be I will also comment on that person.
So if, for instance, I am going down a line at an upscale fast food and one of the trays is getting lower and lower but I have not seen the servers offer to get more of that item but instead scrape a smaller amt from the bottom but when I get there a new server says something and gets a whole new full tray then I consider that to be exceptional under the circumstances. I have worked in too many offices where one or two dedicated people carry the burden left behind by the rest of the workers willing only to scrape by with the minimum to let that person go unnoticed by management and overworked. I feel someone taking on that responsibility deserves my kudos. I have had more than one job where they have asked for an outstanding person.

Theres 2 shops I do that have this question. One is a fast casual and the other is a grocery chain in NY.

I have pointed out several employees for both on occasion but it doesnt happen often.

When the whole crew is happy singing and talking to each other, I considered it exceptional. They enjoyed working there and the electric vibe permeated the restaurant. I only experienced it once at that location but it was really noticably different from other visits.

For the grocery store when I ask the produce guy a question he does not know the answer to but asks me to wait while he goes and finds out, I consider that exceptional service today.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2024 10:00PM by wrosie.

I guess I'm getting old. But helping people is what most jobs are about. And shouldn't be considered exceptional service for doing the job. But I feel I've become my grandfather. $.05 for a loaf of bread anyone?

For me, it's a judgement call, but it falls somewhere between answering my question and telling me where to find it in a friendly manner- and actually walking me there to find it. Exceptional is the latter.

@Amarsir wrote:

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Strongly disagree. IMO, that's too harsh.

So what's the standard you use, then? Just kindness beyond minimum?

A complication for me is that I'm pretty sure at least one of the local managers knows I'm the shopper. Given that employees move around a bit and none of these places are ever that busy, it's probably more than one. So the last thing I want is to establish the rule that "If you kiss my ass, you get a bonus."

(And yes, he's smart enough to make small talk with other customers besides me, but something tells me it's not SOP when I'm not around.)

The local stores do a good job, and it's rare they get below a 10 even if I'm anonymous. And I'll compliment "friendly enthusiasm" in the comments. So I wouldn't mind making them look good to corporate. But I don't like the idea of fashioning it into a secret "Did you stop by my table?" category.

"Just kindness beyond minimum"? Of course not. That's not what "exceptional" means. I already said I agreed with you that "exceptional" means "unusual situation".

Your original post was self-contradictory. On one hand, you wrote: "exceptional" meant "unusual situation." Then, you wrote: "If it's something you can make happen, it's not exceptional." So, if there was an unusual situation and the employees at one of your shops went above and beyond to resolve the situation, would you still answer "no" to the question?

I would have gladly answered "yes" if I had seen what Momtreal described. Customers spill things but such a huge spill was unusual. The employees not only cleaned up the mess quickly and provided free replacements; one of them showed exceptional kindness by sitting with the kids. I am not a mother but I could just imagine how grateful that mom was because the employees were so kind and gentle with her and her kids.

The employees did not have to go to such lengths to take care of a customer. They could and they did -- and an unbiased shopper would acknowledge and document what they did instead of always answering "no" to that question.

Your current post is even worse in terms of showing bias. Instead of punishing employees by ignoring exceptional service, you may instead consider not shopping locations where you are pretty sure one of the managers knows you're the shopper.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2024 12:19PM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

What is "exceptional" in a day and age when all kinds of things are dubbed "awesome", despite not inspiring awe in any way, shape, or form?

Anyone who has shopped for a length of time should have a good idea of the baseline for decent service.

Anything over and above that will get some sort of credit in my book, even if I don't consider it "exceptional".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2024 05:22AM by CoolMusic.

I watch how the staff handles disabled customers and parents with young children. Those instances are usually where I get to observe exceptional behavior.

Also, when there are groups of teenagers being loud to the point that they disturb everyone else: How they interact with them to encourage them to use their inside voices matters, too.

@wrosie wrote:

Theres 2 shops I do that have this question. One is a fast casual and the other is a grocery chain in NY.

I have pointed out several employees for both on occasion but it doesnt happen often.

When the whole crew is happy singing and talking to each other, I considered it exceptional. They enjoyed working there and the electric vibe permeated the restaurant. I only experienced it once at that location but it was really noticably different from other visits.

For the grocery store when I ask the produce guy a question he does not know the answer to but asks me to wait while he goes and finds out, I consider that exceptional service today.

The NY shop that has an AdventEDGE over the competition recently changed their evals and this question was removed. I now put it in the notes section if I see something great. I understand why it was removed along with some of the other questions but I actually really liked it and used it often. This app is my all time favorite.

You nailed it Momtreal.

The MSC also seemed to steamline the report and raise the reimbursement from $10 of groceries while hiding a jug of laundry detergent costing $12 on the bottom of your cart to see if the cashier noticed (or even a couple bottles of soda or a $5 bag of potoes).

Makes the shop more doable now. Without having to ask for a bonus before doing the shop.

Apparently the MSC went back and reworked the contract so they got to keep more money.

You can't buy more than 2-3 items in a grocery store today for $10 and expect me to forget i put one below the cart!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2024 07:46AM by wrosie.

and even $25 is cutting it close....really, I use the mini carts because the regular size carts make it all look so obvious that something is askew.....but then, I don't do any major shops at those stores, maybe if I did.....

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Your original post was self-contradictory. On one hand, you wrote: "exceptional" meant "unusual situation." Then, you wrote: "If it's something you can make happen, it's not exceptional." So, if there was an unusual situation and the employees at one of your shops went above and beyond to resolve the situation, would you still answer "no" to the question?

I would say "yes" because it's an unusual situation that they cannot make happen. I don't see where you see a contradiction. Almost every example in the thread is one I agree with. Solving problems is reacting to something you "didn't make happen". If you replace ruined food, that's exceptional. (Unless you slap it out of their hand in the first place while saying loudly "I WILL REPLACE THAT FOR YOU IN AN EXCEPTIONAL MANNER!")

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Your current post is even worse in terms of showing bias. Instead of punishing employees by ignoring exceptional service, you may instead consider not shopping locations where you are pretty sure one of the managers knows you're the shopper.

I told the schedulers. They don't care, so it doesn't stop me. (But I only go every 2-3 months so if someone else wants to go in-between and cover my trail, please do.) And I don't "punish" anyone. I specifically made the thread to see if I could justify things like small talk.

@Amarsir wrote:

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Your original post was self-contradictory. On one hand, you wrote: "exceptional" meant "unusual situation." Then, you wrote: "If it's something you can make happen, it's not exceptional." So, if there was an unusual situation and the employees at one of your shops went above and beyond to resolve the situation, would you still answer "no" to the question?

I would say "yes" because it's an unusual situation that they cannot make happen. I don't see where you see a contradiction. Almost every example in the thread is one I agree with. Solving problems is reacting to something you "didn't make happen". If you replace ruined food, that's exceptional. (Unless you slap it out of their hand in the first place while saying loudly "I WILL REPLACE THAT FOR YOU IN AN EXCEPTIONAL MANNER!")

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Your current post is even worse in terms of showing bias. Instead of punishing employees by ignoring exceptional service, you may instead consider not shopping locations where you are pretty sure one of the managers knows you're the shopper.

I told the schedulers. They don't care, so it doesn't stop me. (But I only go every 2-3 months so if someone else wants to go in-between and cover my trail, please do.) And I don't "punish" anyone. I specifically made the thread to see if I could justify things like small talk.

I apologize for misunderstanding what you meant by something you can make happen.

I can see why you keep doing the shops if the schedulers are OK with it. It's still biased though if you assume employees are kissing your ass when they do something special only when you're there and they know you are the shopper.

Exceptional acts of customer service is subjective because perceptions and expectations can vary from one person to the next.

To me an exceptional act of customer service is when I shop at Trader Joe's; if you inquire about a product that is out of stock on the floor, the associate offers to check the back stock. He/she comes back saying there is no stock in the back but that according to the system it is on order and due in on XX date.

That in contrast to some other grocery stores that just give you the automatic "all stock is out on the shelves" I do believe that can be true sometimes, but body language and facial expressions are sometimes a dead give away to the real truth.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

It's still biased though if you assume employees are kissing your ass when they do something special only when you're there and they know you are the shopper.

I agree, and I don't feel great about doing them for that reason. I just don't know how to react when the manager walks by my table and says "How are you doing today? If you have any problems, let me know." I mean that's good service and I always try to fit something into the paragraphs about friendly customer interactions. It just doesn't push me far enough to tick the "exceptional" box.

@Zek wrote:

To me an exceptional act of customer service is when I shop at Trader Joe's; if you inquire about a product that is out of stock on the floor, the associate offers to check the back stock. He/she comes back saying there is no stock in the back but that according to the system it is on order and due in on XX date.

That in contrast to some other grocery stores that just give you the automatic "all stock is out on the shelves" I do believe that can be true sometimes, but body language and facial expressions are sometimes a dead give away to the real truth.

I bet if we were doing shops for Trader Joes (I wish!) then corporate probably wouldn't consider that exceptional. Their standard rule is that if you want to sample something they will open the box for you. I mean it's great service and part of why the brand has such a good reputation. But it shows how the standard shifts according to the baseline.

@Zek wrote:

To me an exceptional act of customer service is when I shop at Trader Joe's; if you inquire about a product that is out of stock on the floor, the associate offers to check the back stock. He/she comes back saying there is no stock in the back but that according to the system it is on order and due in on XX date.

Also at Trade Joe's, when the cashiers see that you've brought your own bags, they voluntarily take them and pack them for you with things you're buying. That's exceptional customer service.

@Amarsir wrote:

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

It's still biased though if you assume employees are kissing your ass when they do something special only when you're there and they know you are the shopper.

I agree, and I don't feel great about doing them for that reason. I just don't know how to react when the manager walks by my table and says "How are you doing today? If you have any problems, let me know." I mean that's good service and I always try to fit something into the paragraphs about friendly customer interactions. It just doesn't push me far enough to tick the "exceptional" box.

That's completely your judgment call. It's fair to see that as either just good service or exceptional service. As long as you don't assume the manager is behaving differently only because you are the shopper, there's no wrong answer. Now, if I were the shopper and the manager visited multiple tables the same way mine was visited, I would report that as exceptional. I would not expect that level of customer service at a burger joint.

@Amarsi

Yes, corporate may not view as exceptional customer service on a report, but it would confirm their crew members are delivering the standard expected. The crew members have 7 values to follow. #3 is to provide "wow customer service."

Yes, it is the things like the product sampling (I did not know this one), a no questions asked return policy, giving a customer who is having a bad day a free boquet of flowers, how they check product stock, etc. that helps to set them apart from competitors and influences consumer behavior.

@Amarsi

I bet if we were doing shops for Trader Joes (I wish!) then corporate probably wouldn't consider that exceptional. Their standard rule is that if you want to sample something they will open the box for you. I mean it's great service and part of why the brand has such a good reputation. But it shows how the standard shifts according to the baseline.[/quote wrote: