What Can We Learn From How Portugal Does Customer Service?
Anyone who knows me knows that I love people watching. Put me in a café, restaurant or airport and I’m perfectly happy spending hours observing how people interact with each other. It’s probably one of the reasons I enjoy working in learning and development so much. People are fascinating.
I spent a week in Portugal for some end of season rays and, whilst the scenery, sunshine and food were all excellent, it was the customer service that really caught my attention.
Genuine
Firstly, across a number of different restaurants, from busy waterfront establishments to small family-run eateries, the service was consistently impressive. Not because it was overly polished or heavily scripted, but because it felt genuine.
The staff seemed present. They made eye contact, listened properly and took the time to engage with customers. There was no sense of going through the motions. Instead, there was a warmth and authenticity that made people feel welcome and that shone through in the atmosphere and energy all around.
Ownership
Equally important was the sense of ownership. If you asked a question, someone took responsibility for helping. There was none of the passing customers around or pointing them elsewhere. Staff appeared empowered to solve problems and ensure guests enjoyed their experience.
Pride
Perhaps most importantly, there was a real sense of pride. Pride in the food, pride in the service and pride in showcasing their local area. You could feel it in the way dishes were recommended and stories were shared. It felt less like serving customers and more like welcoming guests.
Consistency
Interestingly the experience reminded me that great customer service is rarely about grand gestures. More often, it’s the accumulation of small things done consistently well. Being present. Listening properly. Taking ownership. Showing genuine interest in people.
Simplicity
Above all, as I sat watching the world go by from various restaurant terraces throughout the week, it struck me that the best service isn’t complicated at all.
It’s human.
And that’s something every organisation can learn from.
