We had been to the movies and, as you do, decided we should follow the food for the brain with food for the gut.

A smart looking restaurant nearby featured my favourite food… souvlaki. It was a no brainer so inside we trooped.

After attacking a glass or two of a nice wine we surveyed the menu and ordered. Mine was an unbundled chicken souvlaki, promising loads of chicken smothering some chips. My friends ordered similar but with lamb instead of chicken.

Our meals arrived and thus also the genesis of my disappointment.

Everyone else got lots of meat on their chips; I got a bare glimpse of some on mine!

So, I barely touched my meal whilst the others licked their platters clean.

Great customer service hasn't changed in the years since this fantastic live session with the great Doug Malouf and Winston was recorded. Discover how to give customer service that really works. How to be BIG on Customer Service

When the waitress collected the plates I told her I hadn’t eaten my meal “because there wasn’t any chicken on it”.

She looked at me with a raised eyebrow, said nothing and gave me a look that said “you’re lying”. No expression of sorrow, no apology, nil, zip, nada!

I thought she might relay my comments to someone in authority but nothing, absolutely nothing happened.

So, when I went over to pay, the owner happened to be serving and asked me “How was the meal?”

Big mistake!

So I told him…in spades! And said we were so disappointed we wouldn’t be back.

He was appreciative of my straight from the shoulder advice and was most upset my problem had not been reported to him so he could do something about it.

“The fish rots from the head,” I observed pointing out that it wasn’t the team member’s fault she had said or done nothing. Quite simply she didn’t know how to handle the situation, or what she should have done.

“Teach her what to do in situations such as this and give her the responsibility, power and authority to act and you won’t have a problem,” I said.

“You’re right,” he agreed, “That’s what I’m gunna do and that’s one situation we won’t have again.”

Declining his offer of a bottle of wine or some chicken to make good but happy with the result, I used the Schwarzenegger farewell.

“I’ll be back!”

Responsibility, power and authority! Three little words that make team members and your customers, clients and patients very happy!