ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - April 6, 2007
I am finally off the road for a week or so ... and I have to tell you that is coming not a moment too soon! Frequent flyer miles are a good thing ... but the physical cost can be rather extreme.
I wish all I had to do was kick back and relax for the next ten days but alas, there is much catching-up to do. Among other projects is getting the word out about the Foundations Course of our Project to Create the Effortless Organization in July.
The program information will only be going out to Gold Group subscribers, so if you have ever thought, "There's GOT to be an easier way to run a restaurant!" and you are not already on that list, take me up on my Best Free Offer Ever so you can find out what we have in mind ... and get a $500 scholarship as part of the deal!
There will not be a lot of hype, just real testimonials from real people about how this program changed their lives, both professionally and personally.
We are also fast coming up on our annual corporate meeting. My Vice President (Margene) and I leave for twelve days in Italy on April 30, then on to ten days in the Greek islands, back on May 23. It will be a time to relax, re-group, re-think and re-focus on what we want the next year to look like. I hope you will make time to do something similar. If you don't take the initiative, who will?
AGENTS AND GATEKEEPERS III
It seems my little rant about my experience with a gatekeeper in Milwaukee a few weeks ago has taken on a life of its own. A few days ago I had this exchange with Dorothy Schueffner of Falls Firehouse Pizza. She wrote:
Since I live a short hour from Milwaukee, I have often visited the Midwest Convention Center, which is connected to the [hotel you stayed at.] I have found some "gatekeepers" to be friendly and some to be not so friendly. While that is unacceptable, and the experience you had was totally wrong, I do not think you should blame the hotel.
It is my understanding that the walkway connects the two buildings, but there is no connection in the management of the gatekeeper to the hotel. I have stayed at [the hotel] many times and was always treated well. I am disappointed that you blamed them for the rudeness.
I hope you would apologize for giving them a black eye. I don't think it was justified, even if they did not "wow" you. Just thought I'd add my two cents.
Thanks for taking the time to write, Dorothy. Since you raise some interesting points, let me offer a few words of further explanation.
I laid the responsibility on the hotel because I was sure the person in question wore a hotel name badge. Apparently I was wrong about that and I corrected the record in last week's EHC.
The incident itself is long over and I really have no more energy on it ... but it raises some larger lessons worth considering.
The big one to me is being reminded again how anything that happens in and around your property will color the memory people have of the experience, no matter who was at fault. You may not be responsible for the incident itself but you are totally responsible for how you respond to it ... and how you respond to it speaks volumes about your commitment to being a true place of hospitality.
For example, if someone's car is broken into while they are dining at your restaurant, don't you think it will impact their decision-making process the next time they are deciding where to go out for pizza?
If you shrug it off saying, "It's not my fault" and do nothing, you will likely lose the guest forever (and endure the negative word-of-mouth as they retell the story to their friends ... and their friends tell others). because they have many other choices of places to dine.
I believe that the only safe long-term approach that will protect your business is to take full responsibility for the guests' experience. Period. If something goes wrong, no matter who is technically at fault, make it right ... and do it in such a spectacular fashion that they will remember your generous solution rather than the incident that prompted it. Then figure out what caused the incident in the first place and get that fixed so it won't happen again.
I also think you must actively solicit feedback from guests about their experience -- information that you can really use to make adjustments in the operation. I am not talking about robotically asking "Was everything satisfactory?" That's right up there with "How's Everything?" in my book. It is mindless chatter that is not likely to yield any information you can work with.
I am not suggesting that you dig hard for negative comments. There are ways to ask that will keep the exchange positive and still make it safe for a guest to tell you an unpleasant truth if there is one. The lines that always seemed to get me the most useful information were, "How could be do an even better job for you next time?" and "What would it take to make it absolutely perfect?" Ask the question, then shut up and be intensely interested in the answer.
You will get information to the extent that people feel you are genuinely receptive to it. In this case, when the problem occurred I was running late already and didn't have time to stop at the desk to bring it up with someone ... at least not if I was going to get set up for my seminar on time.
(Remember that my short jaunt across the skyway and down the hall had suddenly become a lengthy trek through the hotel, across a busy street, around to the front of a very large building and back up to the meeting room.)
I also notice that when I finally checked out of the hotel after my program, nobody at the front desk asked how I had enjoyed my stay. I can't say if that was their normal procedure or just a lapse, but if someone had asked and really seemed interested, I would have mentioned it ... but to me it was old news to me by that time.
You could argue about whose responsibility it is to raise the issue. Still, as a business owner it makes no sense to abdicate that responsibility to someone else when it is your operation that will benefit (or suffer) from the consequences of a bad experience.
This is undoubtedly more information than you wanted, but I am enjoying the insights that my "Standoff on the Skyway" is triggering. Thanks for indulging me.
THE FILM FESTIVAL
Ninja New York
You have probably heard me say that the world doesn't need one more place to eat. Unless you can differentiate yourself from other operations, you are just a commodity and have to compete on price. Who really wants to do that?
This is a rather amazing operation that takes its theme to a theatrical level. Will it alienate some people? Certainly. Will it stand out from its competition? Absolutely! If you create this distinctive an experience, do you think price will be a consideration to your guests? Not a chance!
END OF THE MARCH SURVEY
The March survey will close over the weekend. Be sure to get your thoughts on record (and get a free copy of the results) while you still can.
We will soon have legislation in the US that raises the minimum wage significantly. The exact amount is not yet known, but will likely be at least $2 per hour higher than the current rate within the next few years. Since the hospitality industry is typically a point of first entry into the workforce, it has more minimum wage workers than most.
This month we look at the likely impact of a major increase in the minimum wage and how operators are going to deal with it.
As usual I will send a compilation of the responses to all who participate. In the meantime, you can download copies of all past EHC surveys -- including the massive WOW Ideas collection.
Add your thoughts to the monthly survey.
THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
"What did you learn from your staff today?"
I learned that I am the most watched employee in the restaurant. Every staff member is constantly aware of my actions and each responds differently to what they see from me.
I have found that if I am to enforce standards of operation then everyone expects me to lead by example and apply the same standards to myself. If I create a mess, I must clean it up and not leave it for others. I must put foods in storage properly dated and ID'd. I cannot disturb an employees area and maintain their respect.
I must hold my own conduct to a higher standard than what I demand of them, no matter how much of a hurry I believe I am in. My employees expect and have the right to see me practicing work habits as good or better than their own.
This is not easy because some of them are very good but it is extremely important because they are watching and miss nothing. When employees see me doing as I say they are they inclined to do the same. If I allow them to see me cut a corner or leave a task undone, they either resent that I took the advantage or smply cut the same corner themselves.
Leading people that respect you is much more successful than leading people that resent you. My employees have taught me that I need to be the companies top employee at all times. No excuses. I owe them that. -- Fred Oehlerking, Smiley's Steakhouse, Adair, IA.
What they see is what you will get. You are the role model whether you want the job or not. You can't kick butt, take names and then say, "Go love 'em." It won't work.
If you want them to show up on time, show up on time. If you want them to dress well, dress well. If you want them to listen to you, they must first feel that you have listened to them.
Never doubt that the most critical -- and perhaps profitable -- management skill you can develop is your ability to truly listen.
So what did YOU learn from YOUR staff today?
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 above and contribute your insights for the common good (and your own as well!)
© 2007 Restaurant Doctor