ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - July 8, 2005

My wonderful week-and-a-half at home comes to an end at 0-dark-30 on Saturday morning when I board the red-eye for a flight to Atlanta and four days at the NSA (National Speakers Association) convention.

I expect to pick up more great ideas than I can implement between now and the next convention. Some of my very best friends will be there. That may not sound like much until you realize that most of them are folks that I only cross paths with at the NSA convention. I am always pleasantly surprised at how close I can get to people that I only see once a year.

WOW!
When the time finally expired on the June survey, 127 of you had shared some great ideas on what you were doing -- or what you had seen other doing -- to create the WOW with your guests. I was particularly pleased by the International response. Canadians are always strong contributors but this time we also had great ideas from South Africa, Bulgaria, Mexico, Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. That global perspective really broadens the possibilities.

I compiled it all into a 24-page document that each of the respondents received this week . Many tell me they are already making some changes.

Jeffrey Summers raised an interesting point after he reviewed the list. He said: "I think it's very interesting to see that to some people a certain practice is a 'WOW' when to others it is just a 'doing your job' kinda thing. Lots of opportunity still left isn't there?"

To which I responded: "It is only a WOW if the market hasn't seen it before. Once it becomes commonplace -- even in your own operation -- you must do something different to delight and amaze them. To me, the real benefit of a compilation like this is that it gives you ideas for what you can do next ... and you must always be looking for what you can do next."

Would you like to have nearly 17,000 words of wisdom that outline hundreds of great ideas to make your guests happy and set you apart from your competition? This information, properly applied, could be worth thousands of dollars in additional sales ... but for the next week, you can get an instant download of all of it for only $27.00 Just click the link below.

Click here to get your own copy of WOW Ideas.

SPEED SELLS
If I ever am at a loss on what to write about, I only have to dine out. Last night, Margene and I went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. We had just closed on the refinancing for our mortgage (dropped the interest rate by a full point!) and felt like celebrating.

So we ordered a round of cocktails. We waited ... and munched on chips and salsa ... and waited some more ... and munched some more. Finally the drinks arrived, but only 15 seconds ahead of our meals. Had the drinks arrived promptly, we most likely would have ordered another round. As it was, one drink lasted through the meal and that was it.

The cost to the restaurant for the slow delivery? About $10 in sales. The cost to the server? At least $2 on the tip. Given that the tip for the meal was only $6 (hey, this was not an expensive joint!), that represented a potential 33% increase in the server's income ... lost.

I know, I know, this is just good business practice and everybody already knows it ... but if they know it, why isn't it happening? How fast are drinks delivered around your place? Have you timed it lately?

Feel free to use this mini rant as a reminder to your staff ... so I can be sure to get that second Margarita!

THE JULY SURVEY
Well here we are in July. Halfway through the year ... and a good time to re-examine goals and priorities.

This month's survey wants to know how the first half of your year went and what you hope to accomplish in the remaining six months.

Why would you take time to share information like that?

First of all, because it will force you to think about what you want and how you are going to get it. That discipline in itself would be worth the effort. Without a plan, you are just making it up.

The second reason is that it will help me determine what I should be looking for and writing about in the coming months to give you as much assistance as I can in your quest. Without some sort of guidance, I would just be making it up, too!

So in the immortal words of Jerry McGuire, "Help me help you." Take a couple of minutes to participate in the July survey and help us both out.

Click here to add your thoughts to the July survey.

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
What did you learn from your staff today?

"I learned that I had no business being in the office today. Melissa looked at me and said, "I thought you were playing golf." "I am," I said, "but I thought I would get caught up on some paper work till then." At this point she reminded me, "Steve, we are open on Monday at 8am and that is why I am the one here on Saturdays. Go home." Doctor will I ever get cured? -- Steven Coleman, Foodservice Tracker, Toronto, ON

My perpetual question is really a lot deeper -- and a lot more important -- than it may sound.

I hope Steve immediately headed to the golf course. His note indicated that he was starting to realize that improving his listening skills brought enormous benefits ... aside from more time to work on his golf game.

What did you learn from your staff today? The most effective managers I know can give a fresh answer to this question every day -- no problem. If you do not have a response readily at hand, what does that say about the quality of your listening?

The worrisome part to me is that after years of posting this question and months of giving you a place to answer the question, only 22 people have done so. I hope that is not indicative of the amount of effective listening that is happening out there.

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question. Just click on the link below and contribute your answer for the common good.

What did YOU learn from YOUR staff today?

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