ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - January 6, 2006

I am in Tucson for the next couple of days at a marketing conference. Got to keep the axe sharp. Along that line, now would be a good time to create a budget allowance for your own continuing education in 2006.

The School of Hard Knocks may be a great teacher, but if you can learn from somebody else's mistakes -- or avoid the problems in the first place -- that is even better!

ROMANCE MONTH
OK, you've had almost a week to recuperate and rest up. It's time to start thinking marketing again! The next big event on the horizon is Valentine's Day on February 14th -- usually a good day for most restaurants. Certainly an occasion that is in the mind of most people at this time of year.

You could (and should) do something special to capitalize on the day ... but why stop with just the day. Why not just declare February to be Romance Month and make your promotion last for weeks instead of hours?

You could feature entrees and desserts for two, perhaps including a split of champagne. Promote the idea that <your place> is for lovers. To keep the energy up, you could interpret lovers as meaning steak lovers, pasta lovers, seafood lovers, wine lovers ... different features at different times of the month.

An idea like this is what my colleague Max Hitchins calls "slipstream marketing" where you tie a promotion to something that others will be spending money to keep in the minds of consumers. In this case, let Hallmark's drive to sell cards remind people of your month of romance.

Promotions are for sales lovers.

GIVING TO GET
In my seminars I often tell the story about how the Pacific Cafe in San Francisco has had a line out the door for 30 years because of their policy of offering free wine if you have to wait.

I told that story at the Virginia Restaurant Show many years ago and got a call several months later from one of the attendees. He had a restaurant on the strip in South Richmond next to Chili's, Applebee's and a dozen other mid-scale players.

That year, Valentine's Day was on a Friday night. In a management meeting, they noted that Valentine's Day was a busy day, Friday night was a busy night and they were likely to get slammed. He said they recalled the story of the Pacific Cafe and thought, "Why not?" "

So we bought two cases of cheap champagne," he said, "and whenever we were on a wait, we told people that it would be a few minutes, but that as long as they had to wait, the champagne was on us."

He said, "I KNOW we did at least $4000 worth of business that would have walked ... and it cost us $60 to do it!" What are YOU doing to set yourself apart from the competition on Valentine's Day ... or any day for that matter?

THE JANUARY SURVEY
Some elements of good service -- food quality, timing, and the like -- are constants. They are the price of admission to the restaurant game. But seasoned restaurateurs know that what WOWed your guests last year will not have the same impact this year. There is always a need to stay fresh ... and offer a few pleasant surprises.

This month we look at memorable customer service and what it takes to make -- and keep -- your operation distinct in the minds of the market. 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 January survey.

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

I learned that they are hungry for support in the management of their stations in order to maximize their tips and become better servers. -- David Trout, Black Bear Diner, Monterey, CA

How much easier do you think a training session on station management would be if you were responding to an expressed desire of your staff rather than just arbitrarily deciding that it was what they needed?

When you listen and understand before you respond, you truly become part of the solution -- a coach who they know has their best interests at heart. There is more to be gained from listening than just information.

Once you understand that employees don't leave restaurants, they leave managers, you start to appreciate the value of creating that connection with your staff. I just re-calculated my estimate of the direct cost of turnover and it came to $1700-4400 per person for hourly workers!

Never doubt that the most critical -- and perhaps profitable -- management skill you can develop is your ability to truly listen.

My thanks to David for taking the time to share this insight. 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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