ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - February 25, 2005

I have been in Salt Lake City all week. It has been very springlike in town -- sunny and in the 50's -- while only a few miles away they are enjoying one of the best ski seasons in years. It seems strange.

I have been working with a hospitality management company affiliated with the Mormon Church to help them evaluate and reposition their restaurant operations. I have been impressed both with what they have achieved to date and their openness to new ideas.

This weekend I head to Denver for the CHART conference and to check in on some old friends. After that, I expect to be home until the end of the month. With the Super Summit coming up quickly, I am looking forward to a little more time for relaxation and reflection.

No More Flat Restaurants
Sparkle. I haven't been able to get this word out of my head for weeks so I guess it is time for a short rant.

We must stamp out flat restaurants -- those boring places with little visual interest. You know the kind -- they have plain walls, plain ceilings, dark corners and plenty of empty spaces that suck the energy out of the room. In short, they have no "eye candy" to excite the senses and make guests feel like they have stumbled into something special.

Sparkle can save a flat restaurant ... which is why I beat you up every year to buy those small clear Christmas lights while they are plentiful. Put lights in your landscaping and the sparkle will draw passing patrons. Put lights in your interior plants and the sparkle will catch the eye and add energy. Sparkle in the dark corners will fill the visual voids in the room.

Sparkle draws the eye. There is something festive about it. The sparkle of candles makes a birthday cake seem special. Dessert sales increase when you add a small votive candle to the dessert tray because its sparkle draws the eye. Try it for yourself and see what I mean. I won't even ask for a commission on the additional sales!

Does sparkle make a difference? Imagine Las Vegas without the lights. What does YOUR place look like without the lights?

(Next week I will beat you up some more about lighting.)

Tell Me a Story
Are you looking for the silver bullet ... the magic wand to wave over your restaurant to make it instantly better ... that million-dollar idea that will solve everything and pave the road to the bank? If you have been waiting anxiously for the next big thing ... it arrived ages ago and has just been waiting for you to see it. It is called Storytelling and it is a simple process that can help you win over guests like never before.

Everyone says that (positive) word-of-mouth is the best advertising ... and it probably is ... but there is no word of mouth without something to talk about. This means that if we want people to talk about us and say wonderful things to their friends, we need to give them something to talk about ... and something to remember.

The most effective way to differentiate your restaurant and create an impression on your guests is to tell a story that creates a memory in their minds. If you cannot create a memory for our guests, they will not remember anything special about the restaurant or the dining experience ... or at least not enough to allow them to tell their friends about you.

Why is this so important? If they never think of you, they will never patronize you. Asked to name local restaurants, most people can only remember 3-5 names -- seven at best. If you can give them a memory -- something to remember you by -- you help assure that you will remain top of mind with that guest.

People need reasons for the things they do. ("I live in this part of town because ...", "I drive this kind of car because ...", "I go to this restaurant because ...") When we can fill in that blank for them, we make it easier for them to justify giving us their business. In other words, we have to educate guests as to why they dine with us. We cannot count on them to pick it up for themselves.

One of the best ways to educate your guests is to tell them a story. When your staff is telling a story about the restaurant or the food, they are connecting with the guest and giving them something to remember.

Is there a story behind your decor pieces? Tell it. Did your recipes come from your grandmother or a celebrity? Tell the story. What is it that makes your Lemon Chicken so wonderful? Let them know. Do you get produce from a local farmer? That makes for a wonderful memory.

The list goes on and on. Your job is not only to do things that are worth talking about, but to tell the stories so your guests will have something to tell their friends. Most restaurants are just another place to eat. They are not giving their guests anything to remember which makes this a great opportunity for you.

Perhaps you might go as far as to start calling your service staff storytellers instead of servers. It certainly sounds a lot better than "sales person" and we think you will find that a good story will sell more product in a friendlier way than you can accomplish with scripted sales techniques and robotic head-bobbing.

You will be amazed at the high interest level that stories will generate in both your guests and your staff. Best of all, it helps establish that all important personal connection. Your guests have dozens of restaurant to choose from, so you must help them remember yours. Tell them a story and keep them for life.

(A Note from the Doc: This was adapted from one of 100 sales-building tips in the Year of the Guest series co-created with Joel Cohen. If you have not subscribed, it is the cheapest consulting advice you will ever get.)

Click here to find out more about Year of the Guest program.

The February Survey
This month I am asking about the quality of one-on-one time that restaurant workers are receiving with management. Unless you choose to leave your name, the survey is completely anonymous, so please answer honestly -- tell me what is REALLY happening, not what you would LIKE to be happening.

My thanks to those who have already contributed this month. I will be sharing some of the comments received at the end of each EHC, so be sure to read to the bottom of the page.

Click here to find the February survey.

Super Summit, Part 2
All 44 seats in the April Super Summit were filled in a little less than five weeks, so Robert Kausen and I have decided to offer a second section of the Super Summit program on June 5-7 to accommodate the additional demand. It will also be in New Orleans ... also limited to just 44 people ... and ten of those seats are gone already!

If the June dates work for you, I encourage you to read the information letter about the program. If what we have in mind seems intriguing, complete the online application. We will contact you to arrange a time for a telephone interview to discuss the program with you in more detail.

This program can truly be life-changing ... but only for operators who are ready to make the leap. Are you one of them? Give us two days and we will put the fun back in your work.

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

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

One of our bartenders came up with an idea for a new breakfast burger. After sampling it out to some customers we are putting it on the menu. I also learned that one our new bartenders who is great with service and interacting with customers needs more training in how to stock the bar correctly. -- Fred Frazier, Caribbean Inn, Manheim, PA

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