ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - January 14, 2005

After four days in (occasionally) sunny Mexico, I am back in winter again ... or at least what passes for winter in Seattle. My sunburn is itching and my head is throbbing with new ideas.

Burning Down the House
"How to Burn Down the House is a manual on how to commit petty crime. Specifically, it gives waiters and bartenders inside info on how to efficiently rip off their bosses.

Scams range from waiters giving the same bill to multiple customers and pocketing the extra cash to more serious crimes such as smuggling cases of expensive liquor and seafood out of the restaurant and selling them for personal profit.

Indeed, it appears that the primary purpose of the book is to glorify and encourage larceny. The detailed descriptions of the scams and what waiters should do if caught performing any of them makes for an unnerving read. I was particularly put off by the attitude the two waiter/authors had toward their guests and managers. Still, I suspect this is how they honestly feel.

This is the book you were hoping nobody would ever write ... but since it is now out there, you should get a copy before your waiters do, if only for self-defense. I suspect this book will take on an underground life of its own among more unscrupulous servers and bartenders ... perhaps even among those who are basically honest but easily led astray.

I have a small stock of these incendiary epics. My Gold Group subscribers will each receive a copy as my gift but that will still leave a few copies. If you would like one ($12.95 plus postage), just click on the link below.

Click here to order the Scam Bible.

Q&A
The Question: "I am doing a lot of real estate deals and second mortgage stuff and have lost interest in the restaurant. I am thinking very, very seriously about putting it on the market. Do you have any thoughts you might like to share?"

My Response: If you have lost interest in the restaurant, it's best to get the place into the hands of somebody who still has a passion. Otherwise, it is likely to slowly slide into boring ... and the world does not need another boring restaurant.

Selling it is an interesting deal, since a single-unit restaurant is not generally worth a whole lot more than it would cost someone to build it from scratch. (If I could duplicate your place for $1 million, why would I pay you $2 million for it?) That said, your database may turn out to be the most valuable asset you have and will definitely raise the value of the joint to a potential purchaser.

If you are going to sell it, try to do it while you are on an upward sales trend. People buy potential.

A Note from the Doc:
This question calls for a lot more discussion than I have room for here. Perhaps I will pick it up again in a future issue. Until then, I will appreciate any ideas that readers want to contribute on the topic.

The January Survey
After 363 weeks of offering the Electronic House Call, I had a blinding flash of the obvious. I have been missing a perfect opportunity to keep you current on the real pulse of the industry. The EHC is a great forum for me to rant ... and I often respond to questions and comments from readers ... but the feedback loop was not the best.

Sooooo, I am instituting a short (2-question) monthly survey to stay in touch with life in the trenches ... and to give you a place to sound off.

Since we are starting a new year, the January survey asks about your biggest concern for the new year and what you plan to do about it. I would also like to know what questions you would like to see asked in future surveys.

The survey will run through the end of the month and I will report the results in early February. Please take a second right now to add your comments.

Click here to find the January survey.

Super Summit 2005
Give us two days and we will give you back your life!

What would you give to put in half the hours, get twice as much accomplished and put the fun back in your work?

What would it be worth if your company always operated like it had an auto-pilot for excellence?

How much larger (and more profitable) could you become if things ran as well -- or perhaps even better -- without the need for your continual personal involvement?

Einstein said, "You cannot solve a problem on the level at which it was created." This means that you never know what is possible until you step outside of your current thinking. At Super Summit 2005, a select group of 44 people will do just that ... and learn how to create their own Effortless Organization. Will you be one of them? You could be ... if you act quickly.

Click here to get the whole story on the Super Summit.

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

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