ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - July 2, 2004

I just returned from a Pizza Insight strategy session in Louisville and I am excited about we have planned for the next year ... but more on that in another issue. Every time I go on the road, I am always surprised -- appalled might be more accurate -- by how many examples I see of how NOT to do things, which brings up the insight on trust that I share below.

I must also acknowledge that this is Independence Day weekend in the US, a time to reflect on what it means to be a free people ... and what it takes to preserve that freedom. The fight for freedom is a process -- a personal responsibility that we ignore at our own peril.

It's About Trust
Big Dave and I went out to dinner in Louisville a few nights ago, to a steakhouse close to the hotel that had "been around a long time." There was a convention in town and every restaurant seemed to have a line, so we were not surprised when we were told, rather curtly, that there would be a wait. We WERE surprised that there were quite a few empty tables and several more sitting uncleared.

Oh well, we wanted a pre-dinner drink anyway ... but it did raise a question: did management just not staff for the extra business (we assumed that an 8000 person convention did not come as a surprise to anyone) or was there a massive staff no-show? In either case, we saw no management presence on the floor.

We asked the bartender for a dinner menu (to save time when we were finally seated) and were told that she "gave them all back to the hostess." Period. We were also told that we had to clear the bar check with her before we could go to the table. Since her style seemed to be to tell us what she could NOT do for us, I just walked ten feet to the hostess stand and got a couple of menus myself.

As we looked over the menus, we suddenly realized that, because of the attitudes of the staff and what we had witnessed, we no longer trusted the place. We had no confidence that we were being told the truth on the menu and we did not trust that the meal would be a worthwhile experience. As it turns out, we were right on both counts! This is a business of details. Fail to handle all the small points and you will lose the trust (and the business) of your guests.

Great Cassette Clean-Out
I have got to clear out my remaining audio cassette inventory and have offered you unbelievable clearance prices ... but tomorrow is the last day of the deal.

My wife has left no doubt that this weekend at least the shipping area WILL become neat and orderly again -- an outcome that is not likely to happen if the place is still cluttered up with little plastic boxes. Realizing that maintaining household harmony is more important than profit margins, I am clearing out my entire stock of audio cassettes at up to a 75% discount.

I only have six full sets of 40 titles left. After that, there is still a decent selection of seminars and Management Insight Series interviews. These are all good, relevant material, just in a format that not many folks are ordering any more and they have got to go.

I can accept orders until Saturday, but after that this deal goes away forever. Take advantage of this opportunity to build a professional reference library for pennies on the dollar. The link below will give you the whole story ... but act quickly.

Click here to check out the Great Cassette Clean-Out.

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

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