ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - August 1, 2003

August already! Where has the summer gone? I just returned from a pleasant week in New Orleans (where it was cooler than the temperatures that greeted me in Seattle yesterday!) This weekend I head for Boca Raton and the CHART conference (Council of Hotel & Restaurant Trainers), a group where I have been a member since 1986. If you have a multi-unit trainer in your organization, CHART can be an incredibly valuable resource for them.

When You Blow It and You Know It
Subscriber Larry Brown writes: We were in Chicago during NRA week -- busy nights, over-booked reservations, long waits for a table ... the usual. Our party of six waited 2+ hours after our reservation time before we were seated. During the wait were offered cocktails (several times) in consideration of the inconvenience but it was still an endless wait.

Once seated, anything that could go wrong did. The server tried to be efficient and timely but it just was not happening for her. One person in the party ordered a medium rare steak that arrived well done, another steak that was ordered well done was cooked rare. Very few of the dessert selections were available ... and so it went. It was just a bad experience from start to finish.

The owner came over, apologized for everything that went wrong and for all the disappointments along the way, starting with the wait through the lack of desserts available. Then he said, "Can I get anything else for you?" We all said, "No thanks, we just need the bill." He said there would not be one, that what we experienced was far from the norm of how they treat their valued guests, and there was no way he would accept any payment for anything based on the unfortunate experience we had. Moreover, the wait staff refused -- yes, REFUSED -- to accept any gratuity, echoing the same mindset of the owner. Their willingness to take responsibility for the results of their actions turned a bad experience into one that left all 6 guests with a reason to try the restaurant again the next time we were in Chicago ... and all agreed we would.

A note from the Doc:
If you blow it, take responsibility for it. In this case, the owner realized that he was selling the EXPERIENCE, not just the meal, and when the experience was not delivered, he had failed to provide value and could not charge the guest. In the short run, it seems like it is costing you money, particularly when the guest is willing to pay, but in the long run, this sort of attitude is far more profitable.

Super Summit 2003 ... or 2004?
This is a strange time in our industry. On one hand, people seem to be having a harder time than ever making it go ... and on the other, seem to be in less of a position to do anything about it. At least, that is what I am gathering from the response to Super Summit 2003, an event that should be a "must do" for any operators looking to improve their lot.

Maybe it is the general level of uncertainty that people feel. It could be that folks are not very responsive during the summer. Whatever the reason, the simple fact is that we still have not received enough registrations to reach critical mass on the Super Summit and the clock is ticking. Ever the optimist, I am hoping for a last-minute surge to beat the early registration deadline tonight ... but at this point, who knows? I do know that a significant part of the value of the event comes from the interactions with other operators and I will not proceed unless I can assure that we will deliver the quality of experience we demand.

If we have to postpone the event, we will re-schedule it, most likely to January 2004. (Southern California should be very attractive to some of you in mid-winter!) I am embarrassed to find myself in this position, but it is what it is and there is nothing to be gained by pretending otherwise. No matter which way it goes, I appreciate your continued support ... and who knows? Perhaps in January you will be ready to look at how to re-invent your business!

Click here for more information on the Super Summit.

The Perpetual Question
What did you learn from your staff today?

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