Electronic House Call - January 17, 2003

ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - January 17, 2003

It's been a busy week! The sale has kept me jumping -- burning CDs, packing up goodies, running to the post office ... good thing I am still young and resilient!

I have also been getting back in road warrior mode because tomorrow I leave for my annual trip to the New York Restaurant Show ... and a few days of below freezing weather to remind me why I live on the shores of Puget Sound!

SCREWING AROUND WITH WINE
It's started. The other day I bought a bottle of Bonny Doon's Ca' del Solo Big House Red (an excellent product, by the way) ... with a screw top! This is the first I have seen from a major winery and I suspect it is just the start.

There are a lot of reasons why a screw top (excuse me, "Stelvin closure") is superior to a cork ... and it is a story we are going to have to learn how to tell as the traditional cork becomes more scarce. We are also going to have to rework the ceremony around opening the bottle.

I have always been impressed with the quality of writing that Bonny Doon produces, and their neck hanger with the explanation of the screw top is definitely worth reading. I link to it below for those so inclined.

Click here to find out more about the Stelvin closure.

A TIP FOR TIPS
Never talk to a table while you are moving. When you do that, the message you deliver is that you have something going on right now that is more important than the people you are talking to.

Stop, focus, say what you have to say directly TO someone, and then move on. It won't take any more time ... and the guests will feel better-served and more connected. That connection will be positively reflected in your tips.

LAST DAYS OF THE SALE
My First-and-Possibly-Last Inventory Clearance Sale was to end at midnight tonight, but since I won't be able to fill all the orders until I get back from New York, I have extended it until midnight next Tuesday. Several items are gone already and I have added one or two new ones. This is a great chance to stock your training library and save some money, but not for long.

Click here to check out the savings.

THE YEAR OF THE GUEST
Restaurant marketer Joel Cohen and I have declared 2003 as The Official Year of the Guest. We believe there are still some tough times ahead and that operators must return the focus to their guests and the experience that diners have in the restaurant.

To do this, we have developed a series of 50 proven tips, delivered once a week by email, that will help you enhance personal connection, increase frequency, develop positive word-of-mouth on the street, build party size, create the WOW or just generally make your operation more guest-friendly.

The program is free with a $12 donation to Share Our Strength, the national organization that taps the resources of the hospitality industry to end hunger and homelessness. To date we have raised almost $7000 toward our $50,000 goal. Will you help?

Click here for more information on The Year of the Guest..

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
What did you learn from your staff today?

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