Ask Permission First vs. the Yes Strategy

Posted on 01. Feb, 2012 by in Inside Hospitality, Mystery Shopping

Instead of being resistant when a request is made, say “Yes”.  Saying yes lowers turnover, lowers costs, improves sales and the score on your mystery shopper services report will improve.  With every guest there is a question but it may not be spoken aloud.  The unspoken thought may be: “Do you have… ?” or “Can you …..?”

You might have chosen to have an “ask permission first” culture where no one makes a move without asking a manager how to proceed for situations the rules do not already cover.   Once the “ask permission first” culture is the plan, those who must ask permission avoid doing so until it becomes absolutely necessary.  The first reaction to a request is “no” vs. “I will ask the supervisor”.

Once the staff begins to think in terms of “no” or “ask permission first”, their approach to the tasks at hand becomes more routine and mindless.  Once the body is in motion but the mind is absent, chances are the spirit sits dormant and the leadership is left wondering about why morale is low.

The priority of hiring only soldiers who can listen, learn and follow directions can get the job done.  If you believe that getting the job done will be all that is necessary for competing in the marketplace then there are no worries.  After all, the “ask permission first” culture can maintain status quo as long as the supervisors have high awareness of operations and three is an abundant number of applicants interested in working.

If you instead took the “Yes” attitude and found a way to say yes when asked, more smiles and appreciation on the guests become an automatic response.  The guest knows they are asking for something unusual and most of the time willing to “pay” for the special request.

If the staff understands it is up to them to create a win-win for each guest, they are able to be a part of the solution which empowers them to be more than an obedient soldier.  Over time each problem/solution gives them an opportunity to learn and there is no need to remind any leader than learning is one of the four essential needs everyone has (according the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey; Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy)

With more “yes” in the room, there is a lift in morale and while empowering staff to make decisions is a risk , the risk is short term as the team learns how to excel.

Functions and tasks can be measured with a checklist, service times with a stopwatch.  The heart and mind of the guest is reflected in a mystery shopper report  but when you try to improve functions and tasks to impact guest satisfaction, it could be the rules or the systems that are a part of the problem.

Systems and rules are necessary but the winners always have those on staff who are willing and able to go the extra mile.  Limiting the options with “ask permission first” does not empower.  Creating a YES culture where guests and staff have more choices is how positive reputations can be shaped.

About the Author:  Michael Hartzell – Certified Guerrilla Marketing Trainer & Coach, Inbound Marketing Certified Professional.  Read more at www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing

Faster.

Posted on 26. Jan, 2012 by in Daily Tip, Inside Hospitality

The objective for 30 days is to re-evaluate every process, system, activity, responsibility and ask:  “How can this be done faster?” You will find the team enthusiastically participating since this focus has an immediate impact on their work

Once a year at the very least, ask the question and get the team involved.   A contest is an option though you will find that most staff will enjoy suggesting how to get the job done faster, easier and simpler.  There are no rules, no bad suggestions; only ideas and more ideas.

Routine produces efficiencies, consistency brings productivity but “sameness” gives a team lack of awareness.  Are the tasks performed really necessary?  Are there alternatives?  Food preparation, cleaning and training are but a few areas to watch.  Think about every interaction with the guest and how the team communicates.  In the age of wireless, blue tooth ear pieces might provide communication around the restaurant; the iPad can offer a portable POS which then extends the dining room to events, the meeting room next door and the food fairs.  Old fashioned 3×5 index cards remain a priceless tool and we will never stop using post it notes.  Integrating new technology might be a benefit or might cause a training nightmare for each new staff member.  Feedback is important for every scenario.

Instead of assuming all is “OK”, setting up a 30 day review with a focus on “faster, simpler, easier” is a reminder to the team that the restaurant leadership is interested in new solutions which can make the job easier (and more fun).   This gives a boost for morale and offers those who like to gossip something more positive to chat about than silly talk.

Be sure to include marketing , mystery shopper services, better management processes, paperwork, how guest complaints are handled.  Making a list of topics in advance gives everyone a starting point.

To improve business, you need the cooperation of the team.  To improve production and efficiencies, you need to have new ideas.  Call it group think, call it a month of brain storming….   Take 30 days to inspire and lead the team to avoid the boring sameness of the past.

Dead Man Walking

Posted on 01. Jan, 2012 by in Daily Tip, Inside Hospitality

There have been at least four periods in the last 40 years when you would have called me a “Dead Man Walking.”  This was the direct result of 70+ hour weeks working in the food service industry.  The food service industry was not to blame, it was much more related to the commitment to create success.

When I was an older boy 24 years old was the first experience of taking on the world by using time and effort.  Being the “smartest person on the planet”, I had the burden of trying to fix anything in my path.

This led me to become a Dead Man Walking.  70 hours a week is not so tough.  10+ hours a day, 7 days a week can be done.  An extended period of doing this over many months results with bags under the eyes and a non-connection to people.  Reality becomes blurred where there is no sense of best or worst.  Real emotions fade away and words such as “love”, “hate”, “appreciate” or “inspiration” are left behind a wall.  Survival is the most important priority since there is a never ending movement.

For a Dead Man Walking, “I don’t care” is used as easily as “That doesn’t matter to me”.  A Dead Man Walking feels little pain, little joy and is focused on accomplishing the mission:  More sales, more profits, and a better business.  Stand in the way of a Dead Man Walking and prepare to lose a little blood for he has nothing to lose since he is already in survival mode.  Decisions by a Dead Man Walking begin to blur and right or wrong is misunderstood.  “Whatever it takes” is most important.  Risk?  What risk?  If there is a chance, that is enough for a Dead Man Walking.

There was a reward during the first time this occurred:  Accelerated learning and experience.  What can be learned in a year in this scenario would take others five years to learn.  Even so, I vowed to be more cautious with extreme commitment in the future.  Dale Carnegie reminded me:

 “Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success”. – Dale Carnegie

Armed with the quote above, a few years later, an opportunity was given to me to “temporarily” move to California with a promotion.  I said yes because “this is different, this isn’t the same as before” and I had flaming enthusiasm (I was missing the horse sense).  Sure enough with three locations and no management team, the Dead Man Walking returned.  Committing to the 70+ much more hours per week was supposed to be “temporary” after all.

Yes, there was an award, reward and trophy at the end.  “Most profitable location in the company”.  Even with the award, I afterward reminded myself:  “Caution.  No more.  It is not necessary to over commit to get the job done.”  Then the words of Henry Ward Beecher come to mind:

“In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.”  – Henry Ward Beecher

Not heeding the two previous warnings to myself, two additional opportunities became ones which I “had to pursue”.  In both scenarios, there was a demand which took me into a 70+ hour work week for an extended period of time.  I found myself again reaching beyond my limits to accomplish what I knew had to be done.  One was as a restaurant owner and the other was as a coach for nine locations spread over three states.

Yes, again there were awards and rewards at the end.  “Best in the USA”, winning big prizes, cash and checks along with trophies.  The recognition did not balance the equation for the other losses in regards to health, relationships and deeper understanding of the real issues.  Then Michael Jordan would be profound and I would keep going:

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.“ – Michael Jordan

In all cases, I had purposefully accepted roles in scenarios where a company had not paid attention to the leadership in place.  The reasons were different in every case.  For some there was a complacency, a disregard and/or distractions and in some cases “fate” which caused the operations to shrivel and begin to die.  For all, there was “no leadership team” which caused everything else to crumble.

There are many others in the restaurant businesses today who are following a similar path.

To overcome the higher minimum wages, the increase in government taxes and regulations and the new economy; you will see “Dead Men and Women Walking” as many try to achieve success from sheer “will power”.  Maybe you feel there is something here that might even relate to you?

With all the technology, books, consultants, software, video cameras, social media and automated systems such as a point of sale: A leadership team is still required for success.

There is a direct correlation between the ability to avoid becoming a Dead Man/Woman Walking and developing a skilled leadership team.  The sooner that is done, the more quickly success is achieved and the less likely to become numb and dumb to reality.

If you are a leader, can you recognize those who are already “Dead Men/Women Walking”?  Be careful before you answer.  One of their abilities is to appear sane, balanced, caring and logical even when they are not.  What management processes do you have in place to measure their development?  Does it matter?

If you are in the trenches as a restaurant owner and/or operator, do you need a place to turn in order to avoid the calamities?  Reach out to IHWorx and have an easy conversation about the future of your restaurant business.

One book which had an impact was “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl.   It is not about restaurants, hospitality or business.  It is a book about survival.  This book helped me to recognize there are prisons beyond those with bars and cement walls, even in a restaurant business.  I highly recommend it.

When it is all said and done, is Sophocles correct when he says:

“Success is dependent on effort.” -  Sophocles

If that is so, then I recommend you focus more effort on developing a highly skilled leadership team vs. cooking, analyzing reports, dishes, cooking and worrying and trying to save the day on your own.

 

About the Author:  Michael Hartzell – Certified Guerrilla Marketing Trainer & Coach, Inbound Marketing Certified Professional.  Read more at www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing

 

 

 

 

Tis’ the season to choose a new Mystery Shopping Partner.

Posted on 21. Dec, 2011 by in Inside Hospitality, Mystery Shopping

 

This is the time of year when big decisions are being made for the following year. Your Mystery Shopping solution provider choice for the new year should be based on industry industry experience, understanding and knowledge. We invite you to contact us for a free Mystery Shopping Trial shop today.

Thank You for Your Service.

Posted on 11. Nov, 2011 by in Inside Hospitality

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.

Joseph Campbell

Website Secure.

Posted on 07. Nov, 2011 by in Inside Hospitality

We have been sent several emails from people claiming they have received a virus from the Inside Hospitality main website.  We want to let you know that we have run tests for the last 2 days and have found absolutely no security issues.  Our website is hosted on a super secure platform and our evaluators, clients and visitors have absolutely nothing to worry about.  Please contact us directly (888-260-0380 ext 0) with any questions, comments or concerns.  As always- thank you for being a member of the Inside Hospitality Community.

Automatic Marketing

Posted on 06. Nov, 2011 by in Daily Tip, Inside Hospitality

Automatic marketing happens when one says to another: “I want to take you to lunch and I know just the place.”  This was not the result of a restaurant marketing campaign or mailer.  Restaurant marketing is unique because when people get together to celebrate, converse, study, ponder and even propose.  (If you don’t know when this happens in your restaurant, then I am sad for you.)

 
In order to create a marketing campaign which is perpetual and automatic, there must be believers in the community.  The believers must have friends, associates, team members, family or possibly students.  The believers must have as much confidence in the restaurant as they do in the chair in which they sit.
Someone once asked me if I was in the “restaurant business”.  I replied without hesitation:  “No.  I am in the business of faith.  When people have faith, when they believe that my team will climb mountains to serve which then results in faith.  When people have faith and truly believe, they will take action accordingly.”

Magic marketing was born.
It is referred to as such because there are days when the dining room is full and you are not quite sure why.  It is almost magic since there was no big marketing campaign.  When sales grow for no apparent reason and the growth contradicts the economic trends, it appears to be magic.  It seems almost to have happened automatically on its own.
When you are in the “faith business” and the past guests are sharing their experience, your specific restaurant becomes that place to “show off”.  Thus it seems a little bit magical as marketing happens beyond the campaign and beyond your immediate control.  You do realize that guests will invite others and then make the claim to have found your great restaurant?  They take all the credit for your team’s hard work.  Apparently the person who “finds” a restaurant that is outstanding is supposed to get all the glory.

Automatic marketing which is faith based and seem like magic is not easy to maintain.
Those on the team must have serious “heart and soul”.  Each team member must be passionate about service NOT because the boss tells them to be.  The passion of service must be hardwired into their hearts and minds.   The goal is not to motivate them to give great service; it is instead to remove the barriers which keep them from doing what they love.

Hello and goodbye.  Oddly, the moment of greeting is not a high priority and even more puzzling is the departure.  The departure is both a time to express happiness and sadness at the same time.  When someone leaves a party at your home it goes like this:  “Oh!  You have to leave already?  We did not get as much time as I would have like to talk with you.  When can we connect again?”  That same mindset and impression left on every guest who departs will weill leave them feeling like they have a new best friend.  As they depart, each guest will want to meet the commitment they just made: “Yes, of course.  We will come back next week to see you again.  Yes.  You can count on it.”  They will mean it too because they just had a very memorable experience.

The systems must be in place to the point where the bumps and surprises which happen are easily side-stepped.  Over and over … the repetition is a blessing and a curse.  It takes great leadership to keep the team focused on what will become routine.  This is seen in team sports where the goal is to execute at a level beyond consciousness.  This is accomplished by investing in training, role playing, excellent scheduling and positioning key leaders who know the restaurant game.

These are a few of the many pieces to the puzzle for creating an automated marketing system.  Beyond the four walls there is a conversation starting:  “Let’s go out to lunch.  Where should we go?”  Response: “YourRestaurant is where we should go.  I haven’t been for a week and I can already taste it.  I know the manager/owner and will tell them to make something special for you.”  —–  “Oh?  You can do that?  You know the owner?  That would be great!  Let’s go!”

Someone felt as if they knew the restaurant owner and had FAITH that when they walked into the  restaurant, they would be the priority over all else.  Yes.. that has always been a rule:  Everyone must feel like they are the friend of the owner (or manager).

Maybe it is time to think about how to build faith where the believers will become your ambassadors.  Marketing will seem automated and might even seem a bit like magic.

Making A Profit

Posted on 23. Oct, 2011 by in Daily Tip, Inside Hospitality

What does it take to make a profit in the restaurant business?  For many smaller restaurants, it is believed there is no such thing as a “free lunch” and every transaction must be profitable.  It is a stretch to believe that have a drawing where 300 win “the prize” of a free lunch will help business enough to make it pay and yet it has been done successfully.

Here comes the new boss (me) and I looked at and pointed to the very full fish bowl with business cards overflowing and asked:  “Who draws the business card and how is the winner notified?”  Even though the sign said: “Winner every week”, the team responded with a “We have never had a drawing and no one remembers ever seeing a procedure for notifying the winner.”

As I looked each day at the empty dining room during lunch and at the high food cost because of waste, it became very easy to make the next decision.

Every person who had dropped the card into the fish bowl with the hope of winning a free lunch was sent a letter.  “You have won a free lunch!” was at the top of the letter.  “Please bring in this letter” was included in the letter and of course I was sure to say; “Be sure to ask for me when you come in to claim your prize.  I would love to meet and connect with you.”

Not being too aggressive, I spread the 300 letters over 3 days.  I signed each one personally and when I recognized a name or business, I made a special note.

They began to come in one by one.  People who had dropped their card in six months before and never returned decided that the letter was inviting enough to accept the invitation.  75% of those returning with the “winner notification” did not dine alone.  They had invited a friend or business associate.

Knowing that many strangers would soon be arriving, I prepared the staff with a huddle each day and outlined how we would create a memorable experience.  It was important not to miss ANYONE.  I should every hand, made an introduction and expressed the big congratulations for being a winner.

I told no one that I had sent everyone who had dropped a business card in the fish bowl a winners notification.  It didn’t matter much.  They were the winner.

The restaurant went from being empty for lunch to a buzzing crowd.  Connecting with guests in the dining room was easy to do.  There were big smiles all around.  I met people during the two weeks following which became long term friends, collaborators, and forever customers.

The costs for the week were marginally higher as those who accompanied the winner paid full price and there was almost no waste from “old product”.  Labor costs improved with the added sales and since we were going from an empty restaurant, there was not a need to add staff.

Larger restaurant companies do not appreciate such a tactic.  When the guests respond to the letter, the management team must have nothing less than the very best execution and key leaders need to personally recognize the winners to make an invitation to return.  If there is any doubt that the management team will falter and not be able to keep up, what restaurant company will risk it?  The “win a free lunch” en masse will backfire as the costs do not turn into future sales.  It is imperative to have a personalized greeting as each winner arrives.  (Warning:  As they arrive, many will be thinking that something is up or that there is a catch.)

If you were in my shoes, would you have taken the risk and told every person with a business card in the fish bowl a letter saying “you are the winner”?   If you knew that the fish bowl had sat for a year without a single winner, would that have motivated you to “set things right” and do exactly as I did?

Thinking of creating a profit in the restaurant business by profiting from each transaction will limit the possibilities.  You need hundreds (thousands) of people talking about your restaurant on a daily basis.  What will you do to make that happen?  When was the last time you told somebody they were the winner, handed out a prize and made the guest feel as if they just won the lottery?

The Restaurant Blog

Posted on 08. Aug, 2011 by in Daily Tip, Inside Hospitality

Writing a blog is mind boggling for the restaurant owner who is already stretched for time. The daily schedule is already full and the challenge to “write a blog” has little or no appeal.

On the other hand, once it is understood that a restaurant blog can become a training tool, an information source, a way to recognize staff members and a place to celebrate with those in the community; the restaurant blog idea becomes much more valuable.

Instead of a full blown blogging course, we will highlight a few basic points.

The word “Blog” is short for the word “web-log” and many will describe as an online diary or log. The blog posts can be daily or even hourly. What a blog might be about is as varied as the grains of sand on a beach. Every business and writer has their own view and purpose.

If the restaurant blog is meant to enrich, empower, educate, celebrate and recognize then we need to think of a blog title for the restaurant blog.

Let’s choose “Best Dining in YourTown”

What the title of your blog will be based on how your business is conquering the world or changing the community.

Next you will think of the categories which are related to your business. If you think about how the blog can also become a training tool for future managers and staff persons, this may be the path you start with.

Menu Items

Desserts

Community Events

Employee of the month

Special (or best value)

Special Diets

Health Conscious

Celebrations

Restaurant Events

Fundraisers

About the Team

News

As you review the blog topics, these can also become a center hub for communicating with the restaurant staff. As a new restaurant menu item is created, it can have a short outline posted on the restaurant blog which then is required reading for the staff. If they are having a tough time remembering what the latest menu item is? They can quickly refer to it on the blog.

Have you ever heard someone exclaim: ‘I just had the best dessert ever!”

“Really?” is the response. “Where was that? What was the dessert? Can you describe it?”

Naturally a quick link which has a description and a photo in a restaurant blog article would allow the new ambassador to share more than words.

Social media users will love the opportunity to share the link.

If a restaurant business has 50 items on the menu, there is plenty to write about. The details of the item served, photos along with a personal testimonial by a staff person or guest would work 24/7 around the clock.

It will be interesting to see if you decide the menu items have boring names which are not “bloggable”. I would bet you may re-think the menu on occasion. This of course becomes part of the story and you will be sure to write about it.

If a new manager is hired and is told: “Read the operations manual”, what might be missing is the culture, attitude and passion of the team. By having a history of blog posts, the training time can be reduced and the new manager can pick up speed more quickly.

Having a reference to the many articles which give special recognition to the guests, the staff and the community expands on the memorable experiences and can be one to share beyond the moment.

Given the fact that the restaurant blog can be dry, boring, dull, unhelpful leaves many to fear that the effort will give little return on investment. If that is the case, then a quick conversation with an Inbound Marketing Professor will help you understand how to leverage the opportunity and do so without a deep investment of time or money.

If over the course of a year, your restaurant blog builds to 200 pages and in a couple years builds to 500+ pages; does this add value to your business? Will those who are looking for your restaurant online have a better chance of finding your business? Will the articles which celebrate people act as a connector? Will you have the opportunity to sit every staff person down and say: “read the blog for your homework”?

If the answer is “no”, then keep doing what you are doing.

If the answer is “yes”, then start with your menu. Each menu item has a story. Tell it. Is it healthy? Is it your favorite? Are the ingredients local or imported? Be sure to talk about desserts and which are so good that they should be ordered before the main course.

If you have no clue where to start, simply send an email to post@posterous.com. The first email you send will automatically become your first blog post and from that point on you will be able to blog via email. There will be a few steps beyond this but if you have been itching to get started and want to avoid the sales pitches and programming, this gets you started.

Remember that you are in control of what is on your website and blog. It can be changed at a moment’s notice. To write something which your staff must read, your guests may be interested in and the community will appreciate is worth…. 60 minutes a week?

There are two kinds of restaurant owners in the world:

Those who use the power of the 21st Century and the Internet

…or those who become a victim of it.

About the Author: Michael Hartzell – Certified Guerrilla Marketing Trainer & Coach, Inbound Marketing Certified Professional. Read more at www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing

Restaurant Evaluations – No Mystery Here

Posted on 28. Jun, 2011 by in Blog, Inside Hospitality

At some point, we begin to repeat ourselves.  Quality, service, cleanliness for restaurants turns into exceptional, hospitality and appearance.  The number of ways you can label or measure it will continue to grow as new leaders in the industry create their own mantra and triad to focus on.  Restaurant reputations rely heavily on how well the team stays inspired and motivated.  Measuring motivation may not be clearly expressed by mystery shopper services but is certainly shown in the results.

It is a shame we are unable to point a meter at the forehead of a restaurant staff member, look at the dial and see; “Does not care” or “Not motivated”.

Instead the guest watches the staff person who does just enough to be functional and then turns on the energy and charm when the boss in sight.

What is the critical piece for every restaurant leader in the past, present and future?

The Evaluation

In all cases, it is impossible to move forward without getting out the chalk and marking a starting point.  The lack of an evaluation indicates that motion is more important than progress.

The evaluation is what holds the team accountable.  The restaurant evaluation also can shine a poor light on EVERYONE who might be potentially responsible.  Ask the team if they would like to have a regular evaluation every week, and watch their body language scream no.  If the middle managers in a restaurant business are asked to make a decision regarding the number of evaluations to implement, the answer will not typically be an enthusiastic: “YES! Evaluate my job every day!”

Frequency and thoroughness of restaurant evaluations is an area restaurant leadership will need to establish standards and not allow the feedback of the team to affect their decision.  “That is too much” or “That is too picky” are in fact good words to hear.  Every day guests make judgment and evaluate the restaurant.  The checklist is small:  Remember or forget?  Return or move on?

The resistance to evaluation may be the result of “the stick” vs. “the compass” approach.  If the restaurant leader believes the best way to motivate and inspire is by threats, fear robust dialogue, the restaurant evaluation becomes a stick.  If the restaurant leadership believes the best way to motivate is to empower , educate and guide then the evaluations will be used as a compass.

Restaurants are already on the defense for inspections and evaluations.  They are required :

1.       Liquor Control Board

2.       Health Department

3.       Franchisor (if applicable)

4.       Fire Department

5.       OSHA

6.       FDA

7.       Tobacco & Firearms

8.       BMI and ASCAP (for music)

Marginal results for these can have serious consequences.

The public evaluates and reviews:

Restaurants are then evaluated and reviews shared on social media sites or restaurant review sites.  Fortunately most guests will not make the effort but those in the “very happy” or “very angry” modes are likely to release their deep feelings in public.  This quick evaluation is very subjective but real.

Given the above input from required evaluations side by side with the random feedback by the public, it is not a mystery as to why the restaurant staff does not want more evaluations.

If the restaurant team understood that the additional evaluations were tools to avoid the calamities from the before mentioned list, the team might be more cooperative.

If this is the case, there are evaluation tools to tighten the ship, find the answers for how to improve sales, analyze cash and inventory and pave the way for success by taking the offense with evaluations:

Restaurant leaders who use the evaluations as a stick can be effective but also need to be experts at recruiting.  Successful restaurants require a foundation of principles, a set of standards, and continuous evaluations to act as a compass.  Working hard without the understanding of how far you have come or where you are going is an indication that motion is more important than direction.

About the author:  Michael Hartzell – Certified Guerrilla Marketing Trainer & Coach, Inbound Marketing Certified Professional.  Member of the American Marketing Association.  Read more at www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing

 

 

 

Older Entries »