Start with a May 24th weekend, the two of us eager to show off our home province. Add two dear friends freshly arrived from Germany on their first trip to Canada. Stir in their abundance of positive energy, charm and curiosity, pumped to explore Niagara-on-the-Lake. Sprinke the promised forecast of cloudless skies with highs of 26 C. You get the idea - we're alive with anticipation, expecting to make our visit a stellar experience. We're any service provider's dream customers!
Warm and welcoming folks greeted us at the Harbour House when we got settled before lunchtime. After enjoying a tasty al fresco lunch at The River Bend Inn we walked around the 'prettiest town in Canada'. - The River Bend's service and ambience struck a welcoming chord. Our friends were struck by the exquisite view of the flat expanse of vineyards that contrasted their home town's steep wine growing hills. We took our time sampling the local offerings and sunk in to the lazy warm afternoon.
Basking in great company and fun, we headed to dinner at the Hillebrand/Trius Estates Winery that evening. We were offered a cool, formal greeting. I had written ahead to explain we were celebrating the birthday of one of our guests; no welcome given, no names used, nothing that demonstrated the host was happy to see us, and no acknowledgement of the birthday happened that evening. We were seated outside on this lovely night, anticipating a view of the sunset. The seating was fairly tightly packed, with a row of empty tables along the periphery of the patio. We asked if it would be possible to be seated there instead. The server we asked rolled her eyes and said, "Ahmmm... there's no cushions on those chairs." With a grin, our friend asked if we could perhaps move the ones from our chairs to those ones and sit there. "That's not allowed." "Perhaps you could check with the manager," I said, raising my eyebrows in silent pleading. I felt perplexed and uncomfortable. She fetched the manager after some time, and he told us, "We don't usually seat folks at those tables 'unless we are full'". Wha'?? Smiling, I slowly got out of my chair to face him and softly said we had brought friends from Germany who were in Canada for the first time, and it would be really nice if we could max their experience and ours by moving us to the table ten feet away. He shrugged, grudgingly complied and proceeded to display body language so we'd know he was being put out. Being moved to the other table was the thwarted satisfaction one feels when a sweetheart finally arrives with flowers after weeks of making the expectation known. How different it could have been if the staff demonstrated a vested interest in creating the best evening possible! How simple it would have been to generate a delightfully satisfying transaction for everyone involved on both sides. We felt embarassed for Niagara-on-the-Lake and our country. Our friends were gracious, raved about the delicious and beautifully presented food and the wines we sampled. They shared our disappointment in the service. What seemed like an opportunity for the restaurant to super-charge the experience of four easily-pleased people was squandered. Our experience has guided us to choose different restaurants in the area ever since.
To the recruiters at the Winery - I'm confident your service is inconsistent with your vision. Hiring folks that are wired to delight, trained and empowered to offer each and every guest knock-your-socks-off-service would make your vision manifest. I'd be happy to partner with you in making raving fans of your guests. Ask me how!
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