ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - October 20, 2006

I am shuffling off to Buffalo for one last trip before taking a break. This morning I speak to a group of distributor sales reps about how to become the vendor of choice without competing on price. Tomorrow we get Margene's nephew married off, then on Monday it is two programs for the local chapter of the Restaurant Association ... then home for a week on Tuesday.

The freak snow that buried the town is gone, replaced by a chilly rain. If I had wanted rain, I could have stayed in Seattle. (Note: I am obligated to tell you that it rains all the time in Seattle. You would hate it. Please don't move here!)

AN UNEXPECTED EDGE
Last week I talked about adding sparkle to your dessert tray. This week I want to expand that idea and talk about a blinding flash of the obvious that recently hit me - adding sparkle to your restaurant.

What if you made cleanliness a competitive advantage for your place? I don't mean just CLEAN -- people expect that. Clean is the price of admission in the foodservice business. I am talking about SPARKLING -- where the place is so spotless and shiny clean that people notice and comment favorably on it.

Your guests expect your restaurant to be clean. When you surpass clean and make your restaurant sparkle, you improve your "score" in their minds which will set you apart from every other competitor out there. Sparkling facilities can help make up for any lapses in the operation ... and you could certainly do worse than having a reputation for spotlessness.

Do you have the courage to commit to it? If not, why not? Do the Work!

SMART MOVES -- PART 2
I continue with an article on preparing for the holidays by my colleague Phyllis Ann Marshall. Phyllis Ann is my co-conspirator on Super Summit 2007 -- Your 100,000 Mile Tune-Up -- in Charleston next February and her recent articles reflect her evolving thinking on how to re-energize your operation.

For the sake of brevity, I am breaking her holiday article into several pieces and will share them with you over the next couple of weeks.

2. Deck the Halls
Decorate and decorate some more. This is an opportunity to light up your restaurant, experiment with new effects, draw attention to your location, and dress up cost effectively for maximum effect.

Match your concept and decor to your decorations to attract your clientele. Don't forget your staff. New uniforms might be in order with a "countenance code" that matches the guests dressed up best. Guests will be in their holiday duds ... so your staff should be too! Mr. Stox [her award-winning restaurant in Southern California] has become a Holiday "must see" by decorating profusely all through the house the day after Thanksgiving.

3. Create the Celebration
The Five Crowns in Corona del Mar schedules Dickens Carolers to cruise the dining rooms in keeping with their classic English theme, adding extra festivity to the dining experience. A harp, piano, or violin can provide companion music to serious dining, while a combo works later in the evening or in the lounge.

The Anaheim White House fills the front lawn with snow and many of our hotels have state-of-the-art gingerbread cities. Maestro's in Laguna makes martinis that smoke with dry ice thus carrying the celebration all through the house.

4. Stage Your Space
Make sure your dining rooms are programmed with the right degree of lighting and music, and change the balance as the evening progresses. Medium light and full, hum-along music, provides energy early when rooms are empty.

Dim the lights and soften the music when the dining rooms are full. In the lounge at the end of dining, increase the volume of the music to tempt guests to stay longer. Know your rooms and your guests and act accordingly to create magical moods. Put flickering candles on tables, walls --any crevice will do-- to create the mood.

(to be concluded next week)

Find out more about Super Summit 2007.

THE SILVER BULLET AND YOU
I suspect that you have been accumulating "good ideas" all your professional life.

* Did you ever wonder why you haven't implemented more of them?

* Why is it that even when you know what you need to do, you still don't do it?

* What will it take to bridge the gap between good intentions and implementation to finally turn your restaurant into the money machine you always imagined it would be?

The solution to these situations is THE SILVER BULLET.

You know what we mean by the silver bullet:

* THE SIMPLE FIX that will suddenly kick the effectiveness of your marketing into high gear

* THE SUBTLE SECRET that will have people lined up at your door long before you open, waving money and begging you to let them spend it

* THE MINOR TWEAK that will take the struggle out of building volume and lets you sleep soundly without worrying about making payroll

* THE ONE BIG THING that will finally change everything.

On November 13 & 14, 2006, at Bill and Joel's Third Annual Most Excellent Restaurant Marketing Birthday Bash in Las Vegas, marketing guru Joel Cohen and I will reveal the secret of THE SILVER BULLET to a select group of restaurant operators. If you are part of the group, we will show you how to use this potent insight to finally get off your butt, dominate your market and crush your competition.

(If you are not part of the group ... are you about to be crushed?)

Birthday Bash alumni can attend at a special reduced price. We have even devised a plan that will allow you to attend at no charge ... and get Joel and me as your personal coaches for a year to increase the odds that you will actually see those big sales increases after the program.

If you are ready to give up excuses in favor of real results, you really need to consider joining us in Las Vegas. Click on the link below to find out more about this event and how you can attend at no charge.

Find out more about the Birthday Bash.

THE OCTOBER SURVEY
(Oops! I forgot to put in a link to this survey in last week's EHC. Sorry 'bout that!)

During the holiday season, your operation is likely to be exposed to lots of people who have never dined with you before. This month we look at what you can be doing to turn these newbies into regulars.

I am interested to know what you are doing to make special occasions more special and turn first-timers into regulars.

BTW, you can download copies of all past EHC surveys -- including the massive WOW Ideas collection.

Add your thoughts to the September survey.

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

Many things, but what is important is that I realize that most of my serving staff are working to put themselves through school and this is a great way to make a lot of money. This job is just a stepping stone for them.

As a manager I just ask that whatever they do in life they should always give their best everyday and in return I will give them my best, trying to bring out the best in them. Great performance means a great schedule for them (working around their life schedules.)

I will run through walls for the them, but expect the same in return ... and it has worked. I have a very low turnover. What gets measured, gets done. -- Gwendolyn, Longhorn Steakhouse, Cleveland, OH

The management mindset has always held that the role of the staff is to serve the needs of the company. That responsibility is still there, of course, but these days it is equally as important for the company to serve the needs of the staff.

This does not mean that the inmates run the asylum, but just that you get over the idea that your needs are most important and allow yourself to be clever enough to accommodate the needs of the staff. This may mean having a few more part-timers on call or allowing more flexibility with scheduling, but it is all do-able ... if you want to do it.

If you want your staff to say "yes" to your guests, you have to say "yes" to them. If you can't go along with all of it, say yes to as much as you can ... or tell them under what circumstances you could say yes.

The important thing is that you really try to make it work for them. As Gwendolyn found out, if you deal with them that way, they will reciprocate. So slow down, ask good questions so you are sure what they need and why they need it, and then find a clever way to help everyone get what they need.

Never doubt that the most critical -- and perhaps profitable -- 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?

© 2006 Restaurant Doctor