Polle de Maagt 
Polle de Maagt
Many companies talk about a personal, customer-intimate experience. Putting it into practice, and making it scale, without leaning on 'cold' digital solutions is the hard part.
I believe in what I call omakase living: travelling and living with an open mind. So I was having a drink with a friend in a cocktail bar in Antwerp when I spotted a familiar face at the bar. After a while I couldn't resist. I walked up and asked if he was who I thought he was.
“Yes, I remember you. Table 16, with a lady.”
I was dumbstruck. More than four and a half years earlier he had been on staff the night I had dinner at The Jane, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Antwerp, and he had made a lasting impression: witty, smart, completely focused on the guest. He invited us to join him for a drink, and we ended up talking about hospitality, about making people feel at ease, and about the methods they use at The Jane.
table 16, with a lady
What they did.
Two 'captains' are each responsible for one side of the restaurant. They build a connection and get to know the guests: a special occasion, returning guests, and so on. Everything they learn goes on a paper 'Did you know …' list in the back. Anyone on staff who learns something new adds to it, so the list grows during service and everyone knows a little more about every guest.
A couple that had just married in Firenze? It goes on the list, and the sommelier congratulates them and pours a wine from a vineyard close by. Special guests and occasions are memorised before service, and after more than five visits your preferences, down to still or sparkling water, are logged in their system.
Why it works.
I love the simplicity and pragmatism of it. Giving a great experience at scale is often about the human touch. Technology can work, but it is not always needed to give guests a wow experience.
What you can steal.
Start one shared 'Did you know …' list per shift, on paper or in a shared note. Give every person who meets customers the job of adding one thing they learned. Then use it at least once, visibly: a congratulation, a wine from the right region, the water they always order.
Write down one thing you learned about a guest, and make sure the next colleague uses it.
Source: a conversation with a former member of staff at The Jane, Antwerp. First published on polledemaagt.com, January 2022.
