We’re going to be discussing all things leadership and project management related in this weekly blog. And as you all know, project management covers a wide range of business topics so I’m guessing ideas for future blogs should be endless.

My husband and I are just recently back from a Cancun retreat. And the less than stellar customer service we received while on our vacation got me to thinking about writing a blog. So what does customer service have to do with project management? Everything!

Almost everyone is a customer of the project manager if you think of that way. PM’s provide a service and their customers (stakeholders, team members, steering committee members, and even vendors to some extent) are the recipients of those services.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. So imagine we’re relaxing on the beach with a great book and thinking about a sail. But first and foremost, we’re thirsty. BB (my husband) and I are wine drinkers. Yes, I know, an all inclusive retreat in Cancun is not the best place in the world to experience fine wines. None-the-less, we’ll drink what they have because wine is our beverage of choice. Imagine our surprise when we show up at the buffet to fill our glasses only to discover—they’re out of wine!! Not only are they out of wine, they remain out of wine for two full days. To add insult to injury, we decide to order a special bottle (translation: you pay for this one) for dinner that evening. Guess what, they’re out. No red wine of the hefty type anywhere in sight.

So we manage on fruity something-or-others (it was difficult, we barely scraped by) until the wine magically showed back up two days later. We’re thrilled, except there are no glasses in sight. We’re smart though and applied the lessons learned from day one. We stashed two glasses in our beach bag so that we were certain we had them when visiting the restaurant. Oh, did I mention they also ran out of clean plates, mugs, and food? Yes, food. But I digress.

While we’re satisfying our withdrawal symptoms, we notice a few changes to the old buffet. There are plates, mugs, and silverware a-plenty (the first since our arrival). The food is fresh and overflowing. And there must be one server to every three patrons frantically plowing over each other to see if they can meet your every need (also a first since arriving). Sure enough, we look over the end of the restaurant and there sits an impressive looking party of eight—all male I might add. They each wore ties, like color shirts, and sported radios strapped to their side. We confirmed our suspicions with one of the wait staff. Sure enough, the big guy himself was on the premises. Thus explaining the reappearance of the wine, the place settings, the fresh food, and additional wait staff.

Here’s my beef. BB and I are customers of Senor Barcelo and his staff. Here was an entire room full of his customers—and he ignored them. He was undoubtedly spouting the new management techniques of the week (okay I’m guessing on what they were talking about) and his senior staff were all seated with him hanging on his every word. Not once did they look over at the commoners, not once did they get up from their seats and ask their customers what they liked about their property. Not once did they ask what their customer experienced or what they liked and disliked.

I was stunned.

What an opportunity they had right before them—and they passed it up. It didn’t seem to matter to them what the customer experience was like. The restaurant was fully staffed, all was in order, and there was plenty of everything. Hmmm…did anyone stop to think that their property management team withheld food and wine from their customers for two days anticipating the arrival of Mr. Big Guy?

Back to my opening. What does all this have to do with project management? Just as BB and I were customers with strong opinions about our experiences, your stakeholders are your customers with equally strong opinions about your services (and those of your team). Don’t pass up an opportunity to listen to what they like and don’t like. Make yourself available to hear about what could go better if you only did (fill in the blank). Providing excellent customer service involves gathering honest feedback and adjusting your services to meet the needs of your stakeholders. Don’t sit with your back turned to your most important stakeholders and imagine the world is rosy because all the places are set and your “yes men” say everything is fine. Get out there and discover the real truth for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.