Case Study's: Olive Garden and Waukegan Materials

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Case 1 - Customer Service at Olive Garden. Case Analysis (attachment is formatted)

In reviewing this customer case, it becomes quickly evident that one of the first issues at this restaurant is a general lack of concern for the customer. According to the complaint, from the time the customer entered the restaurant there was nobody to seat them. Upon going and finding someone to seat them, they had a confrontation of sorts about the customer's disability and this lead to their being seated in an unclean table with the wrong menus.
In this first part of the case the key communication skill that was identified by the customer was nonverbal. On numerous occasions the customer makes note that the hostess was "visibly frustrated" that they had entered the restaurant. Then again, the customer noted that the hostess displayed a visibly non caring attitude upon seating them in the unclean table.

From this point in the case the same type of communication issue continues. The customers were left unattended for an extended period of time. Finally, a waiter appeared and asked if they had been helped yet (another nonverbal sign of an overall lack of concern by the restaurant as nobody realized or cared they were sitting there). Upon realizing the customers needed to order, the waiter made the point to communicate to the customers that "it wasn't his section" but he would take their order anyway.

Upon placing their order, the continued lack of concern continued. The customer requested a glass of wine while placing their order. There was never anything communicated, however the wine never came and the food was late to arrive. In addition, the food was cold when the customers got it.

Based on the continued disrespect and poor customer service to this point in the dining experience, the customer asked to see a manager. Upon arriving, the customer noted that the manager was displaying an attitude of frustration with the customers and not a general concern about their complaint. When asked about the wine the response was "the bar was out of wine", no apology. When the customer continued to explain the food was cold, the manager blamed it on the waiter and stated it was made as requested and blew off the complaint as non sense. This barrage of disrespect and lack of concern for the customers legitimate complaints lead to a final confrontation upon leaving.

After waiting for over 15 minutes for their check and noticing they were the last of two couples in the restaurant, the customer had to go look for the waiter to get their bill. At this point the frustration level was very high and the customer felt it was not necessary to leave a tip upon signing his credit card, this lead to the manager unprofessionally commenting "no tip huh" as the customer was ...