Inspiring Service

“This is the BEST dining experience I ever had.”

That’s what our newly minted 10-year old son said after his birthday dinner. Our family was dining at the posh Rockefeller Room, which is located at the Forbes 5-Star Williamsburg Inn. To celebrate his decade of life, we decided that this restaurant would be a special treat, and something he would never forget.

Our server, Sharon, was the perfect combination of warmth, hospitality and professionalism. She carefully explained each of the five courses on the prix-fixe menu. Our family is GF and mostly DF. Sharon and the culinary team were not only accommodating but they were HAPPY to be accommodating. There’s a difference.

As a former fine-dining server myself, I appreciated the care and attentiveness that went into the DETAILS.

For example, one of the dishes had crispy parsnips as a garnish. Our son briefly mentioned to us how delicious they were. A few minutes later, the server assistant (Amy) brought a small plate with just the parsnips for him. Keep in mind…we never told the server team anything . They were just being inconspicuously attentive and listening for any opportunity to WOW us.

If you can imagine what it’s like to be served as a president or head of state, this would probably be it.

Here’s the kicker…we actually had reservations elsewhere, but due to a last-minute mix up, we were left without a dinner reservation for that evening! I literally researched and booked the Rockefeller Room reservation a couple of hours prior. Gratefully, we were able to get a table, and they orchestrated a memorable dining experience for my family without much prior notice.

THAT is what true service excellence is all about. Treating everyone like VIPS without knowing their job title, social standing or any other socio-economic or demographic factor. Let’s be honest, ANYONE can be nice and attentive if they perceive you to be important. But that doesn’t count!⭐️

True hospitality is giving your BEST every time with every customer. The experience should be inspiring for both the ones giving the service AND those receiving it.

Mathew (the maitre’d) regularly engaged us in light conversation as he elegantly toured the room. And to make it even more memorable, both the chef (Eric Gill) and pastry chef (Eliza Sharpless) came out to the table at the end. First class on every level!

Takeaway: Let your service inspire everyone around you!

Click here to learn more about our upcoming events!