Why service with a smile sets us apart – and is worth its weight in gold
IONCE worked with a lovely restaurant manager called Kevin whose motto at work – and in life – was: “It’s nice to be nice, it costs nothing.” Kevin adhered to this stricture at all times, even when faced with the worst kind of disgruntled customer, dissatisfied with everything from the temperature of their food to the location of their table, to the provenance of their beef. Instead of tipping a pint over their heads, as I would have been tempted to do, Kevin would sit down beside them and listen patiently while they listed their many grievances.
He’d nod sympathetically and apologise graciously and generally treat them with charm and kindness.
Even the most crotchety customers usually melted in the full glare of his good humour and sincerity. More often than not, they left the restaurant beaming from ear to ear, promising to return soon. Even on the busiest of Sundays, when never-ending hordes of families with screaming children left mashed fish fingers on the carpet and splatters of tomato ketchup on the walls, Kevin waved them goodbye with a smile, thanked them for visiting and said he hoped they’d come again soon.
It was a masterclass in the true meaning of hospitality: you can offer customers the finest food and the fanciest wine, but none of it matters unless you make them feel truly welcome.
I thought of Kevin as I travelled round Kerry and west Cork on a family holiday last week. His ‘nice to be nice’ spirit is well and truly thriving in the pubs, hotels and restaurants of rural Ireland. We had a gaggle of small children and OAPs in our family group and as such, we’re not the easiest customers. We need highchairs and low steps. We have oversized buggies and too much baggage. We need roll-out beds and special menus and yes, sometimes we need ketchup. But everywhere we went, we were greeted with the biggest of smiles and the warmest of welcomes. Even when the toddler pulled a curtain off its rail in a posh hotel in Killarney, the restaurant manager dismissed the incident with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry,” he lied. “Sure that curtain falls down all the time.” Figures out today show that Dublin Airport just had its busiest month in its history, welcoming more than 3.3m visitors. Tourism is booming – and honestly, it is no surprise. We’re far from perfect as a nation. But when it comes to being welcoming, few other countries come close. In these febrile times, when the atmosphere feels coarsened by Twitter Trumpisms and stability feels threatened by Brexit, a Kevin-style Céad Míle Fáilte is worth its weight in tourism gold.