ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - February 13, 2004

Guten tag from Rothenberg. Margene and I are doing a little sightseeing before my program in Stuttgart on Monday. The language is a little harder to work with than French or Italian, but the people are terrific, the food is hearty and the scenery breathtaking.

Observations of a Road Warrior
Our flight from Seattle was delayed nearly an hour and a half by mechanical problems. Hey, it happens. What I noticed was that what caused upset to the passengers was not the event itself, but how it was being handled onboard.

Although I am sure something similar has happened many times before, the cabin crew seemed to be in a state of perpetual reaction to the concerns of the passengers. Had they gone on the PA system at the outset to explain what was going on, what that meant -- or might mean -- in terms of making connections in Amsterdam, why they could not allow anyone to get off the plane, what they were going to do to make the wait more comfortable, etc., I think folks would have accepted it and stayed calm.

By not addressing issues until the customers raised them, they allowed the passengers to get in an agitated state where every little thing took on more significance.

What shape is your disaster-recovery plan in? Have you role-played through power failures, kitchen melt-downs and the myriad of other problems that you know are going to surface sooner or later? When your staff is well-drilled on how to handle these deviations in routine, they tend to keep their cool under fire which, in turn, helps your guests keep it together.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg is still Germany's best-preserved walled town. Countless travelers have searched for the elusive "untouristy Rothenburg." There are many contenders (Michelstadt, Miltenberg, Bamberg, Bad Windsheim, and Dinkelsbühl), but we are told that none holds a candle to the king of medieval German cuteness. Even with crowds, overpriced souvenirs, a Japanese-speaking night watchman, and, yes, even with Schneeballs, (more on those on the website) Rothenburg has the reputation for being the best.

In the Middle Ages, when Frankfurt and Munich were just wide spots in the road, Rothenburg was Germany's second-largest city, with a whopping population of 6,000. Today it's Europe's most exciting medieval town, enjoying tremendous tourist popularity. We are catching it at one of the slowest times of the year so we should have fewer crowds to fight. Since we are travelers rather than tourists, this suits us fine.

We are here for three nights before heading to Stuttgart where I speak at a hospitality industry trade show on Monday. I will do my best to fill you in with photos and commentary of what we discover along the way. I hope you will check it out from time to time. Auf Wiedersehen.

To follow our travels through Germany, go to http://www.restaurantdoctor.com/trips.html

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

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