“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of
love.”
Merry Xmas.
For some reason, Christmas is a festival that I have always cherished,
right through the early years of my childhood- thanks to my schooling. While
the longer vacation was an added plus, the carols, the plays, the entire spirit
of festivities always made that little corner in my heart extremely happy. We
never really celebrated Christmas at home, but I Would make it a point to
decorate my own little Christmas tree- and that itself would be extremely
therapeutic. There is something about this festival, that is exceedingly modest
and unpretentious; the spirit really is about the giving, about connecting, and
sharing the love. (and that just sounded like the episode of Friends- where Joey
is giving his speech at Monika and
Chandler’s wedding!)
Anyhow, for various logistical reasons- I don’t have a recipe
to share today (even though there are a few in my drafts), But what I will
share is a recent experience that I had, which I think is in line with the Festive
spirit of Xmas, and of exceptionally good service. Usually, as bloggers, we get
invited to review books, and restaurants and new products quite often. I know,
for a fact that that the really popular bloggers, sometimes are requested for
reviews almost once a week or fortnight. Sometimes, the experience is good, the
products are great and then there are times, when the service is horrible or
the food is just average, and one is really caught in a situation- that can end
up being quite harsh. However, there are moments, when one is NOT invited for a
review, but is out somewhere for a casual coffee in the middle of a weekday,
meeting an old friend, and IF the service is exceptional, it really calls for a
post. The experience that I will share
today- was hence, not a planned review or a post- I am quite sure that they did
not expect me to blog about it, and therefore there are no pictures. But it has
found its way here, because it really is symbolic of what counts as brilliant service,
which many a times, one does not even get at the best of places.
I was meeting an old friend for coffee at the 361 Coffee
Shop at The New Oberoi, Gurgaon, post lunch at around 330. I had undergone some
dental treatment earlier that day, and hence could not eat much. I ordered
some coconut waffles and ice-cream to sooth my hurting jaw, while she ordered
some Kaava, which she said was fabulous and a vegetarian quiche. As we were
meeting at the odd hour post lunch, all she wanted was a small bite. The kava came,
and while we were waiting for our food, the server who served us (Deepak- here
onwards referred to as D), came and informed us that the vegetarian quiche
would not be available until the next hour or so, and can only provide us with
one that has bacon. My friend M, didn’t mind the meat, and opted for it. Another
10 minutes later, when my dessert came, we were informed that even the bacon
quiche was unavailable as an unexpected guest had just picked up all the party
snacks that were in the patisserie. The ‘after lunch hours’ menu was offered
again, and M was asked to opt for another dish. It is worth mentioning, that the
menu was extensive, but it didn’t have too many options for a smaller course
for 1 person; and on a cold winter day, a salad would just not have seemed
right. M was a bit unhappy at the lack of choices, and decided to skip the food
altogether. The manager came and apologized, and so did D- and offered to bring
her any other food that she would like. They really insisted that she picked
out something. After a detailed discussion of what was available, M decided to
stick to an assorted sushi platter, which would be leftovers from the lunch
buffet. The sushi came quite instantly, and was really a diverse assortment- so
diverse, that I hadn’t seen some of the variations. We continued to chat,
whilst I was hogging on my large plate of waffles and ice-cream. Almost 15
minutes later, D came, along with a freshly baked, very appetizing quiche. The
process had taken so long, that the chef had managed to bake a quiche by then-
just for us. M was pleasantly surprised, but declined, as she did not have much
of an appetite by then. But they insisted on her tasting it, and despite her
not being too hungry, she devoured the quiche. We really felt that they had
done more than their bit in offering us whatever we had wished to order and
ensuring that they delivered. The experience and service had turned out to be
pleasant after all. And it was all not over yet.
When we asked for the cheque, we were quietly informed that
the payment had been taken care of. We were quite surprised, called for D, and
insisted to pay. We had, after all, eaten, and got all that we had ordered for.
And then, we were humbly informed that they had not been able to deliver what
we had asked for- and could only do it much later than desired. These were the service
standards that they subscribed to, and anything lesser, was not acceptable and
did not account for 361 service.
For me, it is not the fact that they did not ask for money;
what strikes me is that they continued to try and ensure that we got what we
wanted, right till the very last minute. While some people may not find this
unique, I felt special and taken care of. They stuck to the 360/361 reputation
of delivering prime quality and exceptional service; something that can be
easily slipped on, and cost/payment did not have a bearing on the experience
and on what they offered. It is very easy for people to come back and write a
stinker email to the management, and complain about the horrible experience
that they have had- but it is rare for us to be grateful for when are offered a
great one instead. So, here is my thanks to the 361 management, for ensuring me
a wonderful afternoon; this was precisely why I had opted to be there.
I have a concluding thought though- How often is it that we
continue to strive for perfection; or deliver quality in whatever it is that we
may do; or sticking to our fundamental beliefs and values? We let it slip by too
often; and that maybe is just not acceptable. Here is a lesson possibly to be
learnt.
Merry Xmas. Enjoy the Christmas cheer and spread the love
and light.
Tanya
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Fascinating blog about the 361 Coffee Shop. I'm never likely to go to New Delhi but it would be great if you could provide a link to a map or better. Is Street View going to come to India?
Adrian
Same to you Adrian. Thanks for stopping by the blog. Here is a link to the shop- http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_gurgaon/index.asp and maybe you should consider visiting Delhi!
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