The Restaurant Doctor - Electronic House Call

ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - October 26, 2001

Alas, the Vancouver mini-vacation fell victim to my stepmother's passing, so the extra day of relaxation has become a quick dash to Cape Cod to say farewells and tie up loose ends. Back in Gig Harbor on Monday.

What were you doing when opportunity knocked?
In case you have been preoccupied with thoughts of survival, I would like to point out that since so many of your competitors will be taking a defensive posture in this down economy, this is a terrific time to build your business. Use good taste, of course, and be sensitive to the mood of the market, but if you can increase market share during bad times, you are likely to keep it when things improve.

Not only can this be a good time to build volume, it is a great time to improve the quality of your staff. As my colleague Barry Shamis put it in a recent e-letter, "These are difficult times. But more fortunes have been made during hard times than all the good times combined. This is the single best market for recruiting that I have experienced in the past 15 years. There are some very talented people available . . . and they are more affordable now than they have been for ages."

The Name is the Game
On Tuesday night in Vancouver, I had the delightful experience of dinner at the Five Sails Restaurant in the Pan-Pacific Hotel, a five-diamond operation ably presided over by Maitre 'd Martin Repicky. The food was superb, the service responsive and the view of Vancouver Harbor unbeatable . . . but that is not the lesson for today. They did something thing unexpected that most any restaurant could easily adapt if they thought it important enoughWhen I arrived, Martin introduced himself and asked me my name. For the rest of the meal, every member of the staff who came to the table addressed me by name. It made the meal much more personal, a particularly nice touch for an out-of-towner dining alone. I have other ideas from Five Sails, but I will save those for another issue.

Finally
This week was just another reminder that life is all too short and family is important. Is there anyone you should call . . . while you still can?

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