ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - October 19, 2007

I am off to San Jose, California for the weekend to attend a rare public program with Sydney Banks. Syd's unique perspective pointed me in a direction that totally changed my life, both personally and professionally almost thirty years ago.

By the time I get back on Sunday night, the rains should have stopped (this IS the Pacific Northwest, after all -- we have a stereotype to maintain!) and we'll get back to more hospitable weather. That means I can look forward to a few more long walks in the woods this fall.

THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS
Little Things Make All The Difference

Margene and I went out for lunch this afternoon. It was after 2pm by the time we got into the restaurant so we decided just to split a Reuben sandwich and an order of fries. (Hey, I've got this weight challenge to think about, you know!)

Granted, we were there at a very slow time of the day (why is it that service always seems to be the worst when the staff has nothing much to do?) but I really noticed an amazing lack of urgency when it came to serving the hot food while it was still hot.

We had been sitting for awhile when I saw a plate of fries come up in the kitchen window with two empty plates beside it. That had to be our order -- there weren't many other people in the place. It sat there for three minutes (I timed it) and I finally asked the waitress what was going on. She assured me that it was just a side of french fries, not our order, because she could still see the Reuben on the grill and besides, the kitchen would page her when the order was ready.

OK, maybe it wasn't our order ... but they had to be somebody's fries ... and they continued to sit there. Five more minutes and our sandwich came up. Of course, the sandwich went on the previously noted plate of fries.

When the waitress brought it to the table, the sandwich was nice and hot. The fries, of course, were barely warm! She seemed put out when I asked her to bring us some hot french fries. So not only did they have to put out twice the french fries but they made more work for themselves and irritated a guest in the process. Brilliant!

Before you start feeling superior, I'll bet that something similar is probably happening in your place every day unless you create (and monitor) that sense of urgency in your staff.

Hot food hot and cold food cold. If there is a cardinal culinary rule in the foodservice business, this is it. Still, restaurant cooks put hot food on cold plates or portion cold food onto plates hot from the dish machine every day. If you can prepare food at the proper temperature, how do you get it to the guest that way? It is simple physics -- if the plate is hotter than the food, it will raise the food's temperature. If it is colder, it will cool the food.

To serve hot food hot, it must be close to 200°F. Food cooked to order is usually at least that hot ... provided that it gets to the guest immediately. Plates that are hot enough to keep food from cooling on the way to the table are too hot to hold in your bare hand.

If you are serious about hot food, heat plates in the oven to around 250°F. Your staff must use a towel with 250° plates, of course, but your guests will get hot food. If you are serious about serving hot food hot -- and you should be -- remove your heat lamps. They don't really keep waiting food hot, they just cause it to cool a little slower. Without heat lamps, there is a real sense of urgency when hot food is up.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? - PART 1
Crafting Promotions That Work

My thanks to those who took the time to share their ideas on the fatal flaws in this piece and offered suggestions on how it could be improved. When I first put this up I was thinking I could capsulize my suggestions in one brief article. Silly me.

Doing justice to this is going to take more space than that ... and I know your time is limited ... so I will deal with the salient points over the next several issues. Let's start with a few major flaws that everybody seemed to miss:

Unclear Target Market
When it comes to effective promotions, one size definitely does not fit all. Various groups have various "hot buttons" and the more you can segment your list, the closer you can tailor your promotions to draw in specific groups. Can you see that if you were trying to appeal to couples the wording would be different than if your target was members of your wine club? In this case the copy doesn't tell me who the promotion was trying to attract so it dilutes its impact on everyone.

No Compelling Headline
Every piece you put out MUST have a compelling headline -- something that will grab your prospect by the throat and compel them to read farther. Blow the headline (or omit it) and the odds are that nobody will read what you have to say. In this case, "Something Different" doesn't make me want to wade into the copy-- particularly when it is in small type with no follow-up explanation about what is different or why I should care.

No Explanatory Subhead
People don't read your copy, they tend to skim it. Catch their attention and they may actually read it. Once you grab them with the headline you should flesh the major benefit out a bit with a good subhead. The purpose of the headline is to get them to read the subhead. The purpose of the subhead is to get them to read the first paragraph. The purpose of the first paragraph is to get them to read the second paragraph ... and so it goes.

When we finally finish with the autopsy of this piece, I'll give you my suggestions on how I would re-write it to really kick butt! Oh yeah, and I'll also declare a winner in our little marketing contest. If you are serious about improving your marketing skills -- without resorting to discounting -- you need to grab one of the last four seats for the Birthday Bash!

JUST FOUR SEATS LEFT!
Meaning That You Need to Register For the Birthday Bash TODAY or Lose Out Forever!

There are just over three weeks until Bill & Joel's Most Excellent Restaurant Marketing Birthday Bash at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. We only had 56 seats available to begin with and now there are just four ... due, in part, to some last-minute cancellations.

Joel Cohen and I take this to mean the content of Birthday Bash 2007 is striking a responsive chord with independent operators ... as it should. We are looking forward to a very different -- and a very rewarding -- experience at the Mall ... and there is just barely time for you to be part of it.

If you have been thinking about joining us for this never-to-be-repeated event, it is time to stop thinking about it and just do it!

Find out more about the Birthday Bash and REGISTER NOW ... before those last few seats are gone!

KEEPING YOUR SHIFTS FILLED
Everything in life has its cycles and I am starting to sense that the labor shortage we lived through several years ago is coming back. This month let's take the pulse of the current labor market and see what smart operators are doing to keep their shifts filled ... with the right people.


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?"

Since it appears that nobody talked with their crew this week -- at least I can't prove it by the mail -- I am left to recycle a previous answer to my Perpetual Question:

What we have learned from our staff this week is that many of them are very dedicated to their job and want to learn new ideas, but a few are only there to do a job and receive a paycheck. Good help is so very special and we as owners need to be aware of who these special people are and really take good care of them and reward them for their dedication.

We believe that beside their paycheck, we need to compliment them by words and deeds that show them how much we appreciate them! -- Robert & Judith Styles, Chuckwagon Restaurant, Olean, NY

What I like most about this note is the obvious respect that they have for their staff regardless of whether the individuals are "lifers" or just passing through on their way to another career. The nicest part of this is that they don't have to try hard to treat people nicely -- it will flow naturally from their attitude of respect.

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: 0 Total: -7

I'm not sure if I have hit a plateau or am just doggin' it ... but at least I am not losing ground. A few more days of rain and I'll be back in the daily walking routine.

A growing number of folks have joined me in this audacious venture. I applaud their courage in "going public." Do you have a goal regarding your weight? Do you have the guts to put yourself on record? We all seem to get better results when there is someone or something to hold us accountable.

Mary Jo Beniger -- Goal: -25 Last Week: +1 Total: -10
Cindy Casady -- Goal: -30 Last Week: 5 Total: -12 (no report)
Tom Combs -- Goal: -65 Last Week: -1 Total -13 (no report)
Chris Corrigan -- Goal: -25 Last Week: -2 Total: -4
Trice Micheals -- Goal: -50 Last Week: +2 Total -5
Steve Ulrey -- Goal: -12 Last Week: -1 Total: -5 (no report)
Bill Breslo -- Goal: +5 Last Week: +1 Total: +2 (no report)

If you are interested in how it's going for us, 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