The Customer Is Always Right

       Bad customer service is displayed in this video clip from the TV show "Kitchen Nightmares".

       The first issue is Chef Gordon's tone when he first approaches the unhappy customer.  He talks down to the woman, and his tone of voice and the way he phrases his question immediately inform us that he finds her opinion to be incorrect. When it comes to communicating in customer service situations, it is important to make sure that the way you talk to your customers shows that you care about their concerns. The customer is already upset, so approaching them with the tone of voice shown in this video would not be helpful. Chef Gordon's tone of voice and word choice continue to display bad customer service throughout the video.

       The second issue with Chef Gordon's customer service communication is that his body language is very rigid and unwelcoming. He stands over the woman with his hands on his hips and looks down at her while he is speaking to her. In addition, his stance clearly displays that he is angry with the customer and is not interested in helping her. His body language basically screams "I am above you, and you have no right to feel the way that you do." Body language can speak loudly in customer service situations. It would have calmed the tense situation if Chef Gordon had more open body language that signified he cared about the customer's concerns.

       I'm fairly certain that the woman in the clip did not come back to eat at that restaurant ever again.  Companies stress their staff providing good customer service because they want the customers to leave having had a good experience so that they will be more likely to return. It is important to always be helpful, respectful and kind when dealing with customers in order to ensure that their experience is pleasant. It doesn't always work, and some customers will still leave unhappy, but they will DEFINITELY leave unhappy if you handle their issue in the same way that Chef Gordon did in this video.

-Sabrina Schultz

Gordon Argues with Awkward Customer. Dir. Kitchen Nightmares. Perf. Gordon Ramsay. 2 Oct. 2009. YouTube. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.