ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - October 21, 2005

Just a couple of short trips next week -- the Pizza Expo Conference in Sacramento on Monday and a distributor food show in Boise on Tuesday.

Now that the taxes are done (!), the project of the moment is getting my thoughts organized for the Birthday Bash in November. This is going to be a very different sort of program for Joel and I ... and we are getting excited about its possibilities.

In case you missed it, if you register by tomorrow (Saturday) you will receive the live recording of the Bash -- potentially a $600 gift -- as our birthday present to you. See the article below for more information.

TELL THE TRUTH – REALLY
I was in Toronto last Monday to speak at Hostex, the Canadian equivalent of our National Restaurant Association Show. The night I arrived, I went to dinner at a busy local restaurant, got a seat in the bar, ordered a slab of ribs and a pint of their house beer ... and then waited ... and waited ... and waited.

I didn't expect the ribs right away but I figured I would at least have a beer to sip on while I waited. In fact, a draft beer was put up in the bar service area a few minutes after I ordered, but as I sat waiting, so did this beer.

About ten minutes later, my waitress finally picked up the beer and brought it to the table saying, "I'm sorry this took so long. The bartender is really running behind tonight." Had I not been sitting in the bar, staring at this particular drink for ten minutes before she brought it over, I might have bought the story. But in this case, there was no doubt that she was lying to me.

For an instant I was tempted to let it go, but I figured I wasn't doing anyone any favors by letting it pass. So I just said, "Really?" She stopped and stared at me. "I have watched this drink sitting on the bar for the last ten minutes," I said. "Really?" she said ... and walked away.

GOOD TO THE LAST DROP
The next night I was at a resort an hour outside of Pittsburgh. Another dinner alone (the glamorous life of the road warrior) and another adventure in service attitudes. I arrived late so I wasn't up for much of a meal, so I settled for some crab cakes and a glass of wine.

Everything arrived in a timely manner, so no problem there. Then I figured I would pass on dessert, have a cup of coffee and call it a night. It was getting toward closing time in the hotel dining room and I ordered a cup of decaf.

The coffee that arrived must have been on the burner for several hours. One sip told me that it was far too toasted to be drinkable. I told the waiter as much, pushed the coffee away and asked for the check.

You guessed it -- when the check arrived the coffee was still on it. The waiter really seemed put out when I mentioned it to him. I figured that my options were either to deduct the charge for the coffee either from the check ... or from his tip. He changed the check.

WHAT THEY SEE IS WHAT YOU GET
So what are the lessons in all this? In the first instance, we have an immediate breakdown in the trust and personal connection between the guest and the server. Since those two qualities lead to larger checks, happier guests and bigger tips, lying to a guest is a lapse of judgement that will cost the house (and the server) a bunch of money.

The second case points up the danger of trying to save a few cents by serving substandard product. If the hotel had been using air pots, they might have had a chance, but you cannot hold coffee on heat in a glass carafe for much more than 30 minutes before it goes south ... and your reputation along with it.

Both cases suggest a breakdown in leadership. The climate of an organization is set by the attitude and behavior of the management ... so you have to wonder how the first server's unwillingness to accept responsibility or the second server’s reluctance to correct a check in the interests of making the guest happy reflects similar patterns and attitudes in the leadership.

Not everything that happens is directly your fault, of course, but it is still your responsibility. When something goes wrong, enlightened leaders will reflect on how their own behavior might be contributing to the situation. You are the only person you really have a prayer of changing. What they see is what you get.

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 here to find out what we have in mind ... and learn how you can get a $600 birthday present from us just for registering before tomorrow, October 22nd. Do it now. We guarantee you will not be disappointed.

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 am learning that I can (and do) directly effect my management group's mind set. If I get upset or disappointed they get on "pins and needles." Their head gets in a "Bad Place" and it can take them days to find their way back to a "Good Place." I am trying to either not get upset or at the very least not be around them when I am.

After the Super Summit, I am working on skipping the getting upset part. Instead I just focus on solving the problem that made me upset so that we all do not have to go through that again. I figure I am going to have solve the problem anyway, whether it is a system failure or just a personal problem that I have to get over.

I am going to start an internal anonymous survey for managers and staff to put their thoughts out there without fear of reaction. I hope this will let everyone start to feel that they can say and do things without feeling uncomfortable. -- Paul Thornton, Washington Square Group, Huntsville, AL

Often the biggest lessons you learn from listening to your staff are insights about yourself.

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 management skill you can develop 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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