ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - October 7, 2005

This is one of those times of year that calls for a shift of focus. The changing weather calls for menu adjustments. Students are back in school which may signal some schedule tweaking. The holiday season will soon be here in full force which means that your marketing for the rest of the year should already be organized and in place. Even the fall sports calendar presents new opportunities.

So take a deep breath, put a smile on your face and get ready for the best fall season on your life. The business is out there ... but you may have to work for it.

THE ENERGY EQUATION
Margene and I went out to dinner last night ... to a very pleasant local Italian restaurant. When it opened a year or so ago, it had a wonderful energy about it. That was due in large part to Franco, an outgoing, almost stereotypical Italian whose enthusiasm and humor was contagious. Whatever the shortcomings of the place, Franco made it fun.

But after a few months, Franco left to open his own place and the energy in the restaurant has been flat ever since. The food is still decent, but the ambiance still needs work and the service is adequate at best. When you walk in, there is a sense that somebody just left! Guest counts seem to be dropping and I question how long the place will be able to hold on.

There is certainly good news and bad news about having dominant personalities in the dining room, but my point is that you need to pay attention to the energy level in the room and keep it as high as possible.

This doesn't mean allowing the inmates to run the asylum -- you still need to assure that the level of decorum is appropriate for your concept and your clientele. Still, the sense of excitement is an important part of your market appeal. Don't let them leave for home without it.

RESTAURANT BASICS
At dinner tonight, I was reminded of the very first "aha" that led me to write "Restaurant Basics: Why Guests Don't Come Back and What You Can Do About It" -- still the only book on guest service written entirely from the guest's point of view. (As near as I can tell, that is the only perspective that really counts anyway!)

In any event, here is the seed of the original idea ... and a few other pet peeves to give you something to talk about at this week's staff meetings.

Pepper shakers so full they won't pour
A totally full pepper shaker will not shake. Make your staff aware of this phenomenon and train them to fill only to within a half inch of the top. Wet change -- Yuck! If you hand the guest wet money or place change on a wet bar, your point total drops quickly. Some lesser life forms do this to encourage the patron to leave the money as a tip. Perhaps the inconsiderate bartender should leave!

"We've run out of ..."
If you run out of something, it appears that you don't know how to run your business. On the other hand, if you SELL out of something, guests perceive that you have highly desirable items. Any time you cannot provide what the guest orders, tell them at once and always suggest alternate choices.

Pointing in the dining room
Directing a guest by pointing is rude. It is always preferable to say "let me show you" and lead them where they want to go. Pointing the way to the restrooms, in particular, can embarrass your guest. If you can't lead them there yourself, be sure you can give discrete directions that don't require waving your hands.

Bear in mind, too, that usually the only guests who will not know the location of the restrooms are people who have never been in the restaurant before. Train your staff to let you know of any first-time guests so you can personally welcome them to the restaurant ... and make them patrons for life!

Click here to get your own copy of Restaurant Basics.

THE BIRTHDAY BASH
Have you ever invested your valuable time and money on a restaurant marketing seminar, only to realize three months later that nothing much had actually changed? I suspect it happens more often than not ... but why?

It is not for lack of good ideas -- there are plenty of those to go around. It is certainly not for lack of desire -- you wouldn't have gone to the seminar if you didn't want something to happen. Marketing guru Joel Cohen and I are of the mind that the problem lies in the format of the typical marketing program.

The "50 Ideas in 50 Minutes" mentality leads people to try to cram too much information into too short a time frame. As a result, you never come to a deep understanding of the new principles. This, in turn, means that the new ideas remain intellectual theories -- one more thing to remember -- and are quickly forgotten in the press of day-to-day operations.

Joel and I want to put a stop to this. Maybe we are just getting impatient as we get older, but we are turned on by the idea of people actually making more money as a result of spending time with us.

For that reason, this year's Birthday Bash in Las Vegas will be a VERY different program than we have ever offered before. The focus and the format is all about making sure you get past the "good idea" stage and actually start implementing ideas that will have a positive impact on your bottom line. We will deal with fewer topics ... but in much greater depth. We will take all the time necessary to be sure you fully grasp Topic #1 before we move on to Topic #2.

You will leave this unique restaurant marketing clinic with a solid start on a few proven sales-building plans that will not only pile more cash on your bottom line ... but help you have enough free time to enjoy it!

Click on the link below to find out what we have in mind ... and learn how you can get a $600 gift by taking advantage of our birthday celebration before October 15th. But that is only a week away ... so do it now. We guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Click here to get the whole story on the Birthday Bash.

THE OCTOBER SURVEY
Tattoos. Piercings. Shaved heads. Blue hair. Bare bellies. Pants low, boxers high. What is going on with kids today? How can you put these people in front of your more conservative customers?

The younger generation always seems to find a way to rebel and it usually shows up in dress and grooming styles. (Don't even get me started about their music!) The clash of generations is tough enough at home, but on the job, it can make the manager's job a real tightrope walk.

This month we look at how you are addressing these appearance issues. As usual, I will provide a compilation of all the responses to everyone who contributes to this project. Click here to add your thoughts to the October survey.

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

I learned that my tipped staff are giving larger portions and pours to build customer goodwill. They seem not to understand that a larger check with good service creates a larger tip. -- Vic Parrino, Colombo's Italian Steak House, Los Angeles, CA

You cannot solve a problem that you don't know about, so finding out what is going on -- whatever it may be -- is always good news. Vic now knows what his next few staff training sessions need to cover.

Learning to listen to your staff -- and being intensely interested in what you hear -- will deepen the respect you have for each other. That will show up in the form of increased productivity, lower turnover, a more positive working climate and fewer on-the-job "emergencies."

Never doubt that the most critical skill you can develop as a manager is your ability to truly listen.

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question ... and you can add comments as often as you want. Just click on the link below and contribute your insights for the common good (and your own as well!)

What did YOU learn from YOUR staff today?

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