" You are who your people are."
-Anonymous

"Guests define 'value' by the totality of the restaurant experience: its ambience, flavor, hospitality, décor, presentation and quality and by the memory it creates. These memories generate 'word-of-mouth' that get shared and can make you king or kill you slowly. Memorable experiences do not 'just happen'. They are not the products of special effects. They get defined, created, orchestrated, rehearsed and communicated as a single, unique and structured theatrical performance. They are built note by note, scene by scene and act by act. Done right, they create loyal guests and very profitable restaurants. In the last year, the average restaurant consumer went out to eat 3% less often, spending their money elsewhere. They are telling us something, folks. We're beginning to bore them.

For many restaurateurs, that idea represents the embodiment of full-flavored doom. I once heard a Director of Operations of a growing casual dining company describe his staff as "Waitron Units", proud that he had removed pesky gender and humanity from the difficult world of labor relations. I thought if that represents the future of restaurants, just kill me now. I do not doubt that the 'Waitrons' rose up and smote him but good. But the causes of such dehumanized thinking lie in the same underlying reductive mindset. Ponder the bleak assessments you read about or the difficulties with labor that you have. Hiring is tough. Targeted selection criteria usually stops with "Are you breathing?" Kids do not care. Immigrants cannot communicate. No one wants to work. The government is killing me. Minimum wage, 'I 9s', sexual harassment, food born illness, crumbling economy YAK, YAK, YAK. No wonder managers are tempted to reduce people to 'Waitrons'. No wonder guests are coming less often.

It does not have to be that way. As with most important things, it starts with an attitude shift. Barbara Kaplan of Yankelovitch Partners has spoken on the consumer backlash against "sameness" and the craving for "the personal touch". Well established trends in dining out show that concepts which create authentic, engaging experiences are winning the battle for the guest's dollar and loyalty. These very same attitudes and needs hold true for your associates. Assume you have lived by the first three of The Five Golden Rules of Method Marketing. Even if you have not, ask yourself these questions.

• Does your 'cast' of associates know your operational values, those passionate few principles that drive you?
• Does your 'cast' of associates know and understand your story, the creative foundation of you concept?
• Does each associate have a clearly defined role to support the story? Do they understand how they contribute to making the guest's experience an 'Experience'?
• Do you have a method that permits your 'cast' of associates to share new ideas on better ways to do old tricks or discuss disconnects between your intent and its execution?
• Do you have a daily routine to reinforce your key values and share learning face-to-face with your entire 'cast' of associates without being interrupted?
• Do you ever eat together with your 'cast'?
• Do you have job descriptions that emphasize your story and the 'cast' member's role in communicating it?
• Do you recognize and reward behavior that exemplifies your values? On the spot?
• Do you incentivize and honor performances that "deliver on your story's promise"?

The answers may be as varied as the people who read the questions, except that every right answer incorporates two key behaviors for you to exhibit:

• Be personal
• Recognize the right behavior often

As you may have noticed, the word 'cast' has appeared in the text. It is not a mistake, but another step toward changing your mindset. The engaging experience is an act of theater, and that is where we are going. The next several issues will take us through a successful process that covers casting, rehearsal and applause (hiring, training and rewards).

Next newsletter : Part III

 

[Send Page To a Friend]

---

Part I - Deliver on Your Promise
Part II - Deliver on Your Promise
Part III - Deliver on Your Promise
Part IV - Deliver on Your Promise
Part IV - Deliver on Your Promise