Intro

When working in JOE & THE JUICE, it is inevitable that at some point you will experience a difficult situation with an unhappy guest. Even if you are certain that you are not to blame for the cause of their unhappiness. Although, once it does occur, the only thing that truly matters is how you handle the situation and never how you try to avoid or defend the issue. Dealing with the situation, face on, is what we do in JOE & THE JUICE.

The best approach towards deflating a situation is always achieved through the type of response and the instant solution you offer. To do this we need to first start by attempting to understand from the guest’s perspective.

The Guest’s Perspective

When a guest approaches the bar to complain you need to understand the 3 general aspects which occur up until the actual complaint is made directly to the Juicer:

1) It can be very intimidating for the guest to step up to 3-5 Juicers and say something is wrong with their product.

2) People are naturally reluctant to confront others with their complaints, fearing it will create a scene in front of other guests, instead preferring to leave and never show up again because of their disappointment. So, we should welcome their courage to complain directly to us, otherwise, we would never have the opportunity to fix such issues on the spot.

3) When the guest does finally complain to the Juicer, they have been building up the courage and anger for some time which can cause them to possibly be difficult to reason with.

So, when a guest actually wants to complain to the Juicer then the complaint is substantial. We must respect that fact and handle it with great care.

“It’s Never About the Coffee”

Another very important perspective to consider with complaints is our saying, “It’s never about the coffee”. Meaning that most of the time when a guest becomes upset or overreacts in a situation, it might not actually have anything to do with us. It could instead be more to do with the guest having a bad day, or maybe because of personal problems they are having to deal with, causing them to be on the edge. No matter their reason, it is still our responsibility to deflate the situation and avoid it becoming personal during the encounter. So, remember that no matter how nasty the guest might become in the dialogue, always avoid going down the same path as them.

Questioning, Dismissing, or Denying the Issue = Provoking

Now we understand better the build-up and reasons for an actual complaint from a guest, we need to know how to avoid infuriating the guest further. When dealing with a person who is ready to explode, it is crucial that you do not provoke them further by questioning, dismissing, or denying their complaint to be valid. If you do resist, by giving an irritated response, defending yourself, or hiding behind the company rules you will just add to the fire. The same applies if you simply refuse to accept that there is actually an issue. Choosing either path will further escalate the situation and it is here where most of our Juicers, unknowingly, draw the label for being arrogant or rude, which has always been our most negative perception to battle.

So, what can we do?

Accept the Problem and Provide the Solution

The only way is to accept the issue and provide a solution when dealing with a complaining guest. Always start by allowing the guest to express their full message before speaking, then simply accept it and provide them with an instant solution.

The Most Common Complaints

It is usually the same complaints and issues that occur. When you know how to handle these common issues, you can solve the problem easy and quick. It shows the guest that we are professional in what we do when action is taken right away.

JUICE

Problem: “The Juice doesn’t taste like it normally does”.

Solution: Make a new one with a smile. You can say “Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Let me try again”. When you then deliver the product as it should be on the second try, it will be a success for both you and the guest. You need to show the guest that you really care about them getting the product exactly as they would like it.

Problem: “Something is wrong with the ingredients in the Juice”.

Solution 1 – Add Ingredient: If you need to add another ingredient or more of a consisting ingredient e.g. ginger, you don’t have to make a new juice. You can add the ingredient to the existing product. Pour the juice back in the blender can, add the ingredient, blend the juice again for a second, give the product back with a smile.

Solution 2 – Remove Ingredient: You cannot remove an ingredient from a Juice once it is blended. So, if the juice contains too much of an ingredient or contains a specific ingredient by mistake, then make a new juice with a smile.

SANDWICH

Problem: “Something is missing in the Sandwich“.

Solution 1: If there is missing an ingredient or the guest feels like there isn’t enough of a specific ingredient in the sandwich e.g. Avocado, you should take back the sandwich and add some more avocado slices to fulfil the experience for the guest. If the guest seems unreasonable and wants extra avocado in the sandwich and you are sure you have added the right amount of avocado, inform the guest politely that it actually costs extra for an extra ingredient, but that you will add it for them this time free of charge. Then the guest are aware of this for next time they order a sandwich and they still leave the store with a good experience.

Problem: “There is an ingredient in the sandwich that I don’t want”.

Solution: We do not remove any ingredients from the sandwiches. We always offer making a new sandwich if it contains an ingredient that shouldn’t have been added. This also applies if the guest forgot to order the product without a certain ingredient.

COFFEE

Problem: “The coffee is too hot or too cold”.

Solution: We never heat up the coffee again – always make a new one! The value we create by making a new coffee and thereby making the guest happy is way greater than what we lose on wasting one coffee.

Problem: “The coffee is too strong or too weak”.

Solution: Inform the guest about how we make our coffees with 1, 2 or 3 espresso shots and that they can get it exactly as they want it. Agree on number of shots in the coffee and make the coffee for them again.

*When making a new product to a guest, make sure to register it on the Waste iPad. We obviously want to minimise the waste in our stores as much as possible, but Guest Satisfaction and Product Quality always come before waste!

Whatever the issue might be or whose fault it is, we always have a solution for it:

• If we gave the wrong product to the guest, we make them a new one (Recovery).

• If the guest drops their product on the floor, we make them a new one (Recovery).

• If the music is too loud, we turn it down to a reasonable level (Action).

• If you are aware that the waiting time is long, you inform the guest before they pay for their order (Information).

• If the guest ordered the wrong product, we make them a new one (Recovery).

• If the guest doesn’t like their product, we make them a new one (Recovery).

• If the guest is allergic to kiwi we rinse the blender before making the juice (Action).

• If the tables are not clean, we clean them immediately (Action).

Basically, whatever the problem is or whose fault it is, we already have the solution in the store.

The Unreasonable Guest

Remember that we purposefully aim to try and provide an alternative approach in everything we do but this will not always be appreciated by everyone. Sometimes guests can become offended by simply who we are. This can be from the confidence we convey, our casual and authentic interaction, the atmosphere we create, or our natural attitude behind the bar. In these circumstances, it can be almost impossible to satisfy them and they will find any opportunity possible to complain. It is very difficult to handle such guests and we understand that. So, if you are uncomfortable in handling a guest in that situation, then pass them on to the HQ by referring them to email Customer Care at care@joejuice.com.

Customer Care

In the end, if a guest is yelling at you or refusing to accept your solution then don’t worry too much about it. If you know that you have done everything possible within your power to help the guest and they are still not satisfied, it is important to accept that the guest is not willing to be helped or reasoned with. You should not fear these situations because it is very likely to happen to everyone at some point in the store. A guest can easily intimidate young people, so if you do not feel comfortable handling the situation then JOE & THE JUICE will handle it for you. Offer the guest to contact Customer Care and end the situation on good terms, knowing JOE & THE JUICE will support your answer.

It is important to understand that referring a guest to Customer Care is not a way for the guests to give you a personal complaint, but a good solution for the guest to complain the right place. It will deflate the situation and protect you from any situation which you are not able to handle.

Referring the guest to Customer Care should never be done in arrogance, without care, being rude, or simply as a way of not dealing with the issue at hand. It can only be done with a humble attitude because it is about showing we recognize that something went wrong which we are unable to fix on the spot for them. Only refer the guest to Customer Care in a humble manner and explain we have a solution which makes it simple and easy for them to complain and speak directly to the HQ using the email.

More importantly, it should create a culture where we are bringing forward and studying the difficult situations we experience.

Sum up

• The Guest’s Perspective
Always keep in mind that whenever a guest complains, it took the guest a lot of courage to bring it up in the first place. Therefore, we should take all complaints seriously with the full intention to take care of them in the best possible way.

• “It’s Never About the Coffee”
The guest might have had a bad day and overreacts to the issue but it is still our responsibility to take care of the issue.

• Questioning, Dismissing or Denying the Issue = Provoking
Never provoke the guest further by questioning, dismissing, or denying their complaint to be valid. It will only further infuriate the guest, essentially escalating the situation even further.

• Accept the Problem and Provide the Solution
Whatever the issue is, we always have a solution regardless of whose fault it is.

• Customer Care Email
If you do not feel comfortable handling the situation or nothing else works, then refer the guest to Customer Care in a humble manner and let the HQ take the dialogue from here.