ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - August 17, 2007

I am just recovering from about ten days of house guests -- four different sets of them! It's great to have friends visit but it certainly messes up the routine!

I am off to St. Louis for a few days on Monday to speak to the club managers chapter. A little known bit of trivia is that I started the first student chapter of the CMAA back in 1965 at Cornell. At that time, I thought club management looked like a fun career path. Then I worked in a club for a summer and realized how much work it was!

As in a lot of businesses, the actual running of the club was fine ... it was just dealing with the personalities of the members that was draining! If I had known then what I know now, my whole life might have ended up quite differently.

It is interesting to look back at all the seemingly minor decisions that actually steered me to an entirely different future. I suspect that process still continues.

REMEMBERING 9/11
The anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is less than a month away. This is a perfect time to acknowledge the first responders in your area at a time when there will be a lot of media awareness. There are no rules or guidelines on this. All individuals will treat the day in their own way -- and there are no wrong approaches. But whatever you plan to do THEN will require some planning and promotional work NOW.

There is an opportunity here to help people and gain some positive exposure in your community if you find a tasteful way to acknowledge the anniversary. Some restaurants donate a percentage of that day's sales to the local fire station ... but you can go even farther in the interests of creating a closer connection with the community.

Long-time subscriber Carl Hixon of Georgio's Pizza in Pensacola, Florida first acknowledged the day by inviting any member of the local Police or Fire Department to eat free on 9/11. It worked so well that now he does it every year. He talks his vendors into providing many of the ingredients at cost and even gets coverage from the newspaper and the local TV station.

Carl said that the first time he was a little concerned about the cost of doing this and thought about limiting what he gave them. But his spirit of service prevailed, so he bit the bullet and made the offer work.

He says, "When 9/11 got here, we had extra help and plenty of food ... but no idea what kind of business to expect. One of the coolest sights I have ever seen was at 11:00am when I had 25 police cars and 4 fire trucks clustered around the restaurant. Even giving them free meals, I did 40% more business that day over the previous day."

The event was a great success. It made Georgio's look like a great place for doing a patriotic service (and it was!) plus everyone was very appreciative of the recognition. Carl says he went to bed with a great feeling about the day and a real sense of satisfaction that he had put a little smile on the faces of some hard workers on might otherwise have been a grim day.

RETENTION IS SIMPLE
Words of Wisdom from The Doc

If turnover is an issue for you, the problem is not "out there" somewhere. People do not leave companies, they leave managers. (This is probably not what you want to hear, but you had best pay attention if you want to slow the revolving door).

The days of "my way or the highway" have been long gone for years, yet many managers still try to operate this way. When their turnover rate goes through the roof, they explain it by saying that the labor market is poor or today's kids have no work ethic. Garbage!

True, the younger workers of today think differently than we do, but that just means that we have to deal with them differently than our first bosses dealt with us. (That's probably a very good thing!) If anything, they are a lot smarter than we were and will work hard as long as they know why they are doing it ... and have some control over how they get the work done.

Treat them fairly, pay them well, get them involved, listen to them, get to know them. Don't lecture them about the right way to do things -- rather reach an agreement with them about what the guest experience is intended to be. Make sure they understand that "you don't have to be sick to get better."

Acknowledge them when they make progress -- any progress -- in the direction that you want them to go. Set clear standards and hold to them. Solicit their opinions ... and really listen to what they tell you. When they have a good idea, implement it and make sure they get the credit. If you can do all this, you will become the employer of choice.

Yes, retention is simple ... it's just not very easy.

KEEPING YOUR HEAD ABOVE WATER
Grocery prices have increased substantially over the past several months and many areas have seen increases in minimum wage. This forces operators to face some tough decisions. Do you absorb the extra cost? Do you raise prices? Can you tighten up your cost controls enough to compensate? What to do?

This month we look at how operators are responding to this double-whammy ... and how their changes are working for them.

As usual, I will send copies of the survey results to everyone who participates. In the meantime, you can download copies of all past EHC surveys -- including the massive WOW Ideas collections.

Add your thoughts to this month’s survey.

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

Our waitress, Dawn, told me today how she sells desserts. Early in the meal when the entrees are down and she is checking to see if everything is the way they want it, she suggests that they should leave room for a piece of Fresh Strawberry Pie (or whatever).

If they say they are too full, she will suggest Cappuccino with a biscotti and perhaps a shot of liqueur. This will be a good topic at our next pre-shift meeting. -- Robert Abruzzi, Abruzzi's Cafe 422, Warren, OH

I like that Robert asked Dawn how she was selling desserts, listened to what she had to say and realized that others needed to know what she did. All too often, managers just conduct the sales lecture without taking the time to find out a) if it is needed and wanted or b) what specific information would be most helpful to the staff.

Last week I mentioned that people will give you information in direct proportion to how well they feel you are listening to what they have to say. I also find that the staff will learn from you in direct proportion to how well they feel you are learning from them ... and you have to go first!

Listening is best approached with an open mind and a willingness to change your position. Only when you can get your ego out of the way and be willing to entertain all options -- particularly the ones that never occurred to you before -- will you receive new information. Otherwise, the crew will just tell you what they think you want to hear and walk away muttering.

The best answer is the one that gets the best results ... and -- if you are honest -- more often than not, it won't come from you. Do you have the courage to let it be that easy?

Never doubt that the most important (and profitable!) skill you can develop is your ability to truly listen.

What did you learn from YOUR staff today?

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question until they put me in the ground. Just click on the link above and contribute your insights for the common good ... and your own as well!

LIGHTEN UP!
The Noble Experiment Continues

Here is the weekly report on my personal project to lighten up:
Goal: -50 Last Week: -4 Total: -11

I'm pleasantly surprised. We had house guests all week, which means more socializing and fewer walks in the woods. Maybe I am just eating less these days ... or perhaps it's the Bazi.

Several people have agreed to join me in this audacious venture and I applaud their courage in "going public" like this ...
Cindy Casady -- Goal: -30 Last Week: -2 Total: -5
Trice Micheals -- Goal: -50 Last Week: +1 Total +1

What do you say? Do you have the courage to put yourself on record? We all work better when there is someone or something to hold us accountable.

If you are interested in how it's going, scroll down to the bottom of the EHC each week and check out the progress. If you could care less, don't!

 


© 2007 Restaurant Doctor