That one thing…The silent trainer…

That one thing…They all want

So is there a single thing that 99% of all restaurateurs want?  We spend a lot of time cogitating on the benefits that we can offer to address all manner of needs. Things like sparkling stemware, gleaming flatware, less slippery kitchen floors. That list of possible needs is pretty endless. But as it turns out there is that one need and desire they universally want.

It’s simply more repeat diners and to have them come back even more frequently.

So what can we offer to assist in that nearly universal need? First, we can make that a part of our favorable attention getting opening statement in our cold calls and reinforce it as we progress in the sales process.

Now, obviously, we can’t directly impact all (or even most) of the things that go into that complex equation. Presentation, taste, value, service, décor, etc., are outside of our influence. But by tying a normal benefit – like gleaming flatware to increased customer satisfaction and in turn that outcome to increasing the chances for more repeat diners, we’re off to a great start.

By thinking and looking at things from our customer’s perspective we can elevate what we’ve traditionally offered to a higher level – one that may just surpass the sanitation benefits we  provide. And by doing that we raise the value of that benefit to a level that your prospect might just better appreciate.

Next up: Aligning with our customers even more.

 

The silent trainer…And insuring he’s there

As a companion thought to the article on the left, we can’t always blame an inattentive or uncaring operator for that unemptied wash tank, the bar rag blocking the pump intake or any other manner of dishroom mayhem that we see. Because if that wall chart isn’t hung in a place where it’s easily visible to the operator, maybe it’s us that failed.

We certainly know about food service worker turnover – especially in those low skill areas like the dishroom. And even if the same operator is still on the payroll, that doesn’t mean he never misses a day or is never shanghaied to some other duty only to be temporarily replaced by a clueless dishwashing newbie.

And that’s where that wall chart can really save your bacon. Assuming that fill-in operator can read and has even a modicum of desire to do a decent job, but that chart’s missing, he may have no way to know what’s important to do, or when.

So as you do your service rounds it might be a good time to include a look-see to make certain that every account has those instructional wall charts in plain view. Their placement might just save you an afterhours run to address something that it could have headed off at the pass – if only.