ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - May 14, 2004

Well, the European jaunt is about done and we leave for the US of A on Tuesday. This has been an interesting adventure, not only for the trip itself but for the self-imposed requirement to come up with a daily insight that might have implications for the restaurant industry or for restaurateurs in general.

If you have been following the daily diaries, you have already picked up on a few of these. It just seemed to me that a recitation of places visited and things seen would be of limited value to my readers ... and certainly of no value to me in the long run. The value is not in what happens, but in what you learn from what happens.

You Never Know
Here is a story that I have always liked. It might make an interesting anecdote to pass along to your servers, particularly if you have had an incident where the staff is complaining about tips.

Back when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a boy entered a coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table, and the waitress was impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said angrily. The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream."

The waitress brought the ice cream and hurried away. The boy finished, paid the cashier, and departed. When the waitress came back, she swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies -- her tip.

Managing by Disapproval
Notice how often you attempt to shape behavior in others through your disapproval, however subtle.

The first step in correcting this unfortunate habit is catching yourself doing it. When you do, cop to it and apologize. Then look for some way to reward behavior you WANT rather than to punish behavior you DON'T want. It will be a lot more fun ... and a lot more effective

Bonjour, Mes Amis
It is always wonderful to get away ... and it is delightful to get home. This has been a wonderful break and yet there is still a pull from our "old lives." Perhaps one of these days I will head off on a trip like this and just stay gone ... but this is not the time.

We will spend the next couple of days with a friend in Cessenon, in the Languedoc region down toward the Mediterranean coast. On Monday we head for London, spend the night near the Gatwick airport and head for home on Tuesday.

If you can believe it, I have to do a seminar in Seattle on Wednesday! Then it is off to Chicago for the NRA show next Friday. I will have more for you then. Au revoir et bon chance!

Look over our shoulders on this trip.

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The Perpetual Question
I challenge you every week by asking, "What did you learn from your staff today?" A bigger query is, "What did you learn from your LIFE today?" When you can answer that question every day, you are really on your way!

Slow down. Know less. Learn more.

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