At several points in my life I have been a professional waiter. I honestly think that waiting tables is one of the best experiences someone can have on their resume. Outside of building a project plan or writing a creative brief, succeeding as a waiter will give you most every skill you need to be a great client services professional. You’ll learn to think on your feet, address conflict (“this isn’t what I ordered!” ) deliver on deadline (“Here’s your filet sir”), service multiple clients at once (“which table is this for?”) and manage a team (“Clear table #4, then grab the check on #6 and set up a four-top on #10”) You also get to learn different languages; albeit mostly swear words from the kitchen staff.
I have an old article in my files from a client talk given to the Ogilvy & Mather Account Management Training Seminar way back in the day. In that talk, the client talked about his expectations of the account team summarized into 5 key points. Here is my assessment of those points mashed up with my experiences on the restaurant floor.

As a client, I expect that you will:

1.  Lead the process of envisioning and executing an excellent program

While the quality of the food, a great table and the right atmosphere contribute to the customer’s overall dining experience, the waiter, like the account lead, is ultimately responsible for the orchestration of all those events towards an excellent affair. The account person is also responsible for setting the expectations with the client on how things are going to work, what the risks are and how best to communicate progress. Unlike the waiter who always happens to look away at the exact moment the customer tries to wave him over for a beverage refill, clients want an agency contact who anticipates their needs and has the wherewithal to conduct the various moving parts of the project/campaign experience to demonstrative success.

2.  Be an expert on the customer/end user

I went to lunch yesterday at my favorite little Mexican place outside the LEVEL |SJ office and the minute I sat down, the waiter brought me an icy cold Jarritos orange soda. I absolutely love it when a restaurant remembers my name or what I ordered last time. Any good agency suit (Do clients still call us “suits”?) has got his iGoogle & Twitter feeds setup to scrape the latest industry news about the client’s business and if you are really good, you’ll also know your client’s favorite beverage, sports team and his kids’ birthdays. All these little things add up and will off in the form of an extra credit when you might need it (like during a change order conversation.)

3.  Be intellectually honest

Don’t bullshit the customer. If the Ahi looks suspect, recommend something else. And for goodness sake, don’t just recommend the most expensive cut of meat to boost your tip base. If you’re going to be late on a deliverable, let the client know ASAP. By the same token, if the client teams are continuously missing or delaying critical reviews, then let your stakeholder know how this is going to affect the schedule. Your honesty (and solid deliverables) will pay off over time with repeat business and referrals.

4.  Lead your team to get the work done on time and done right

I worked with a waiter whose first order of business each shift was to take the beer orders of the kitchen staff ahead of time. He always got his food when he wanted it. As an Account Exec or Project Manager, you need to do whatever it takes to get the best work out of your team. Set the expectations up front that you will accept nothing less than perfection, brilliance and on-time delivery. But you better be right there with them at midnight before a key deliverable and your project plans and kickoff meetings better be spot-on or you’ll just look like a poser. At LEVEL our best Account people and PM’s are always there for their teams, watch their backs and over-service their clients. Oh and by the way…they also run the biggest and most profitable accounts.

5.  Be an example of excellence yourself

I once worked with a Maitre D’ named Helmut (HELL- MOOT). He trained in Europe and was a professional waiter his entire career. He believed and talked often about the difference between “service” and “servitude.” He felt the art of service was a noble profession that deserved respect. It was also a lucrative one (he owns several properties in Sausalito, California… paid for with tip money). I liked being a waiter and I love leading the Client Service team here at LEVEL. Its hard work and our account and project teams here routinely pull some of the longest hours in the shop, but they do great work and help to represent the best our agency has to offer.

And as the closing line in the O&M training session says, “You have chosen an important and challenging calling. go and do it brilliantly.” If we keep doing that, we will win new clients AND strengthen the ones we already have.