It is commonly accepted that customers have different expectations. "No two customers are exactly the same," Americans say. Imagine for example two business travelers at a hotel dining separately in the restaurant.
One customer is in the mood for conversation, something the waiter immediately perceives. After suggesting some dishes that suit his tastes, the waiter engages in a brief conversation with him, discussing various topics.
On the contrary, the other guest is introvent and more serious. After ordering without asking for the opinion of the polite waiter, he navigates through his phone on the internet, and once he finishes his meal, he pays the bill and leaves.
Those that work in customer service may be familiar with the Golden Rule of customer service: to treat the customer exactly as you would like to be treated.
However, there is also an upgraded version of the golden rule, which even fewer people know. This is the Platinum Rule, according to which we should treat the customer as they want us to treat them.
For example, a few years ago, Uber rolled out a new setting on its app that allowed premium riders to choose between “quiet mode” and “happy to chat” so that drivers could customize their approach accordingly. Similarly, Sephora stores experimented with color-coded baskets to signify whether or not shoppers were open to chatting with a sales associate.
In this case, the staff should listen, ask, observe, and adapt their services to the needs of each customer.
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