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The Blind Leading the Sighted
Ryan Cleek
May 30, 2008
A Unique Restaurant Sheds Light on How to Exceed Customers’ Expectations
When I heard there was a restaurant offering fine dining in complete darkness, one word came to mind: “How?” Serving customers in total darkness multiplies the already daunting difficulties conventional restaurants face – like keeping guests happy and not spilling wine on them. After learning about one such restaurant called Dans le Noir?, I believe that while creating an enjoyable dining experience in total darkness is a great challenge, it’s also a great opportunity to exceed customers’ expectations.
Dans le Noir? has a simple and effective process for delighting customers and exceeding expectations. Twenty minutes prior to their reservation, guests arrive at the dimly lit cocktail bar where they are greeted by their visually impaired server, referred to as their guide. The guide seeks to calm sighted diners’ nerves by offering helpful tips for dining in the dark, answering questions and explaining safety protocol.
Ensuring guests know what to expect, when and why is extremely important since they need to rely on their guides for nearly everything. In many ways, customers are powerless, so trusting their guides is also crucial. If your guide meets your expectations, you’ll think of them as more of a hero than just a good server. However, if your guide is gruff or leaves you stranded in a sea of darkness you’ll be more critical than if dining in a traditional restaurant.
Google search results for “Dans le Noir?” make it clear that people either love or hate this restaurant. There are many reasons for feeling either way. Much depends on individual customers and how comfortable they are surrendering control to a complete stranger. A lot also depends on the guide and how well they set and meet customers’ expectations.
Dans Le Noir? stresses the importance of training and empowering front-line employees, more than most restaurants. Management trains guides to be professional and empowers them with the knowledge and tools needed to accommodate customers, all keys to cultivating the customer-company relationship. After all my research, one thing is crystal clear, to truly appreciate this unique restaurant, you need to experience it firsthand.
Ryan Cleek is an Associate Consultant at Vox, Inc., a customer experience research and consulting firm. Contact him through the feedback form on our Contact Us page. Copyright 2008 Vox, Inc. All rights reserved.
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