ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - January 22, 1998

BIG LESSONS IN LITTLE THINGS
Am I the only one who is still writing "1997" on checks and things? When I do this, I am reminded how often I run on automatic and do things without being in the moment with them. How much of life slips by while we are distracted with other thoughts?

STAYING FOCUSED ON JOB ONE
Here is a note I got from Jim Pond, the Marketing Director for the southern division of Golden Corral Restaurants:

While visiting with one of our franchisees in Marshall, Texas, I noticed that several of his co-workers were wearing large buttons that simply had the letters W.I.T. on them. I stopped our server and asked her "what is W.I.T.?" A huge smile lit up her face as she proudly told me.."it stands for 'Whatever It Takes' and we get one whenever we do something extra for our guests." She continued by telling me..."Not everyone has one but everyone wants one." "What did you do to get yours?" I asked. She explained to me that one afternoon recently a sudden thunder storm blew through and it was raining very hard. She noticed a customer waiting by the door and said... "I knew she was waiting for the storm to subside and didn't have her umbrella with her so I ran to our closet where we always keep extra umbrella's and walked her out to her car. She was very grateful because she was afraid she would be late for an appointment. Now she is one of my regulars."

Kyle James, the franchisee, told me that this program has done more for sales and morale than anything else he has done this year. But that was just one story, Kyle has many more. Some a little less dramatic but equally effective.

(A note from the Doc: This is roughly equivalent to the way I recommend operators use my "No Unhappy Guests" buttons, but anything that helps the staff (and management) stay focused on Job One - making the guests happy - is worthwhile. If you implement a program like this, it might be helpful to have a discussion with the staff about how they might respond to a guest who asks them what the button means. My own favorite: "It means that you cannot have a bad time here because I am not going to let it happen!"

INANE COMMENT OF THE WEEK
We had been waiting awhile for our meal to arrive. The waiter came by the table and, like he was passing on some secret of the ages, reassured us that "as soon as your order's ready, I'll bring it out!" When else would you bring it? And is that comment somehow supposed to make us feel better about sitting with no food? Do you train your crew about how to manage service delays? How much latitude do you give your staff to appease a guest who's experience of the meal is slipping away due to delays in the kitchen?

An example of another way to deal with a delay comes from a crony of mine in Portland, Oregon. One of the standards in his restaurant was a 15-minute ticket time. One day he was going through the dining room and noticed a table where it seemed like the guests had been waiting too long. He checked it out and found it had been about 20 minutes since their order had been placed. He went to the kitchen, got the meal and brought it to the table with the following comments: "Gentlemen, I am terribly sorry. This took far longer than our norm. First of all, I want you to know that your meals are on me. Secondly, I would like you to accept these gift certificates and come back as my guests. I want to show you that we can do a better job than this." The guests were astounded. "Thanks," they stammered, "but we didn't notice." "Perhaps not," he continued, "but WE did!"

WE BE NOTICED!
This website has received the Restaurant Report Top 100 Hospitality Sites Award! Restaurant Report has an interesting site and can lead you to a number of interesting spots on the web. Their free newsletter can also be a source of good information. Check them out at http://www.restaurantreport.com. While you are surfing', check out my site. There are some deals, some great articles and other items of interest.

ONE MORE RESOURCE
Speaking of free newsletters, I don't think I have mentioned the F&B Manager Online newsletter put out by Chuck Gohn. To receive a free copy, send an e-mail to mailto:subscribe@ranw.com.

That's it for this go-round. Happy New Year and I will be in touch.

[Home] [Top] [Email Restaurant Doctor]

© 1998 Restaurant Doctor