ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL #166 - April 6, 2001

I am in Dallas on the bowling center project through Sunday . . . and actually get to spend all next week at home!

IT TAKES TWO
I have been reminded repeatedly this week that if you want to create a positive first impression (. . . and you most certainly do!), it takes more than one person on the door or front desk. When you only have one person there and the phone rings, what happens to the people who are waiting while the phone call gets handled? First of all, it is awkward to eavesdrop on somebody else's conversation but it also makes the person waiting feel like a second class citizen. Why should someone on the phone get the priority over someone who cared enough to show up in person? What happens to the guests who walk in while one greeter is taking guests to their table? The longer newly arrived guests stand there feeling ignored and awkward, the lower their mood gets, the less money they are likely to spend, the more they are likely to complain and the less likely they are to return. You could cover this by making sure that everyone in the place is alert to new arrivals and takes personal responsibility to be sure that nobody can walk in the door without being warmly greeted, but it is still a worthwhile investment to have a dedicated back-up on the front line. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

BEING THERE
I ate in two respectable restaurants yesterday. One was a non-experience and one was a great time, not because of the food (which was good in both cases) but because of the server. Our lunch server was going through the motions and never seemed to have his full attention at the table. There were only two of us, but he couldn't remember who had the iced tea and who had the water. He forgot that we asked for separate checks. When the billing was finally separated, he put my companion's beverages on my bill. In short, he did all the work that any waiter would have done but left us with a feeling of being unimportant and our impression of the restaurant was . . . well, "so what?"

In the evening, the experience was totally different. Lisa, our server was "in fun" with us. In addition to a wonderful smile that seldom left her face, she gave us her total attention whenever she was at the table. Even though she had been on duty since 11am, she presented herself in a very positive manner. She took the time to suggest some items that were not on the menu ("but the kitchen will do them if I ask them to.") and in general gave the impression that she really cared about what sort of time we were having in her restaurant. Marv Hunt, my colleague on the bowling center project, confessed that he actually liked the food at lunch better, but had a more enjoyable time at dinner!

In looking at it now, it is interesting to notice that I remember Lisa's name (the restaurant was Pappadeaux in Ft. Worth) but do not have a clue as to the name of the lunch waiter, whose employer will remain unnamed. Which restaurant is most likely to get a return visit? Which server is most likely to get a call party? Which server is likely to take home more money? Which restaurant is most likely to be in business a year from now?

A note from the Doc:
Those of you who have spent any time with me know how I feel about the importance of presence -- of being with people when you are with people. My guess is that the attention level of these two servers was a direct reflection of the attention level they get from their managers. Are you giving your staff YOUR total attention when you deal with them? Just something to start to notice.

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