I recently read Unreasonable Hospitality by author and chef Will Guidara. In it, he tells the story of taking a restaurant from dead last in the world rankings to the very top. Throughout the book, he weaves captivating tales of how they pushed their team farther, improved service, and refined every aspect of their business. It’s a book about a restaurant, but it’s easy to see how their business is just like ours.
We can get food anywhere. Patients can get dentistry anywhere. There are plenty of options—from Applebee’s all the way to Tabla (a world-renowned restaurant). Just like there’s Aspen Dental and then our own clinics. You get the picture.
But one story really struck me about how far we can go in customer service:
We can get food anywhere. Patients can get dentistry anywhere. There are plenty of options—from Applebee’s all the way to Tabla (a world-renowned restaurant). Just like there’s Aspen Dental and then our own clinics. You get the picture.
But one story really struck me about how far we can go in customer service:
In Setting the Table, Danny Meyer’s groundbreaking book about enlightened hospitality, he tells a story about a couple celebrating their anniversary at one of his restaurants. Midway through their meal, they remember they’ve left a bottle of champagne in the freezer. They call the sommelier over to ask if it’s likely to explode before they get home (almost certainly yes). The sommelier saves the day by taking their keys and rescuing the bottle, so the couple can relax and finish their celebratory meal. When they arrive home, they find the champagne safely tucked into their fridge, along with a tin of caviar, a box of chocolates, and an anniversary card from the restaurant.
Stories like this circulated through the company, priming every one of us to find new ways to make our guests’ experiences more seamless, relaxing, and delightful. So, the first time a guest mentioned she had to get up mid-meal to feed the meter a few blocks away, it was natural for us to offer to do it for her.Eventually, that gesture became one of our steps of service. The host would ask guests, “How did you get here tonight?” If they responded, “Oh, we drove,” he’d follow up with, “Cool! Where’d you park?” If they mentioned a meter on the street, he’d ask which car was theirs so one of us could run out and drop a couple of quarters in while they dined.
This gesture was the definition of a grace note—a sweet but nonessential addition to the experience. It was an act of hospitality that didn’t even take place within the restaurant’s walls! But this simple gift—worth fifty cents—blew people’s minds.
Systemizing it transformed it from a heroic act to a routine gesture, like checking a coat or offering a dessert menu. The more normal it became for us to give this little gift, the more extraordinary it seemed to those receiving it.
So, my question to you is: How can you plant this idea in the heads of your team and management? How can you implement—nay, systemize—the unbelievable customer service this restaurant exhibits? What can we do daily to create special moments like this in the dental office?
I don’t have all the answers, but I’m brainstorming ideas, and I’ll share on DSN if anything ends up sticking!
Be well and do well,
Addison Killeen
P.S. If you’re looking to systemize your practice, now is the perfect time to join DSN! Connect with other dental professionals and learn how they establish systems. Join today for a 7-day free trial!
