There are plenty of cellar doors where the service is mediocre and an unsettlingly high number that fall into the "downright poor" category. But there are relatively few that have proved "exceptional" and "outstanding" when it comes to dealing with customers. So if you're after a point of difference, providing fabulous service is definitely one way you can stand out from the crowd.

Developing your Edge
Selecting the right staff and training them appropriately is the first step. Developing your "edge" and creating a culture that ensures your staff go the extra mile is the second. Delivering the service so that visitors notice, return and bring others is the third step.

This section is about delivering the experience. It doesn't matter whether it's a tasting, a tour or serving a platter. The way it's conducted is the key.

Ordinary vs Exceptional Service
Think of a time when you've been at a restaurant and the waitperson interrupts your conversation to offer menus and the specials for the day. There's a cursory run down of the specials read directly from a handwritten note. You ask a question about one of them and you're met with: "I don't know - I'll see if I can find out", delivered in a manner that suggests you're being a nuisance.

Exceptional service might be quite different. The waitperson gently gets your attention and expounds on the finer points of chef's selections, that seem to have been created just for you; at the end of the delivery you don't even glance at the menu and order immediately. Your sense of anticipation is so high you can't resist the generous offering of some local olives, freshly baked bread and chef's special dukkah while you wait.

Let's face it: there simply isn't a good reason for poor customer service.

In this Section:

• Discover how to create a customer focused organisation
• Learn how to identify visitor's needs and interact effectively
• Find out ways to tailor experiences and add value, and
• Use checklists and templates to develop customer service plans and conduct visitor satisfaction surveys.