As a committee member, PerformanceScope will promote the benefits and services of the MRA and encourage membership. PerformanceScope’s industry expertise will help identify new services and member benefits to maximize member value.

PerformanceScope provides organizational performance solutions including customer and employee satisfaction measurement for independents and chains throughout North America. “What gets measured gets managed”. PerformanceScope’s clients are among the top performers in the hospitality industry.

For more information contact mclark@performancescope.com or visit our website www.PerformanceScope.com

GQC – Section 1 of 7: Table Observation Skills

The overall goal of the guest quality checkback is to guarantee that your guests are pleased with the quality and timing of the food and beverages that you serve them in the sequence of service. It’s advantageous to get in sync with your guests. During your first trips to the table be observant and a detective of sorts as you “get a read” on your guests. Here are some points to identify and learn about your guests:

The knowledge you gain before and during your first table visit will assist you during the meal. It is critical to be alert and a good listener while on the floor. Take time and turn on your Restaurant Eyes™ and notice every detail about your guests, the table and everything in the surrounding station. Remember… every guest in the restaurant is your guest, not just those people in your section.

Build your PerformanceSkills™ to deliver an Amazing Experience to every guest.

For most people, the number one thing that brings them back to a business is customer service. Take customer service out of the equation and it’s just another coffee shop, high-end restaurant or bakery cafe. As operators, our job is cultivating customer loyalty – driving a new customer base and bringing current customers back more frequently. Will a Groupon promotion expand your customer base? Maybe.

I recently took advantage of a Groupon offer for a new neighborhood wine bar. Unfortunately, my excitement was short-lived. The server did not know what wines were included in the happy hour specials. A member of our party ordered a drink that was delivered to our table incorrectly. A vegetarian in our party took the server’s suggestion to order an entrée without the chicken; the entree arrived with chicken. To top off the experience, our server did not once ask if our meal was to our liking. In the end, the service reflected poorly upon the establishment and was counterproductive to using a Groupon to drive new customers.

“Successfull restaurant marketing — those tactics that actually increase guest counts and line up first-time guests — may actually ruin your business and your brand,” said William H. Bender, founder of W.H. Bender & Associates “Restaurants must be what we call guest-ready: Ready to wow each and every guest that walks through the door. Unless the restaurant is guest-ready to deliver on all marketing promises and the brand’s ServPoints, you will undermine your mission.”

Groupon and similar services are indeed a good way to bring in new customers. But before you Groupon ask yourself if you and your team are ready. Here are a few questions to consider:

1. Are you ready for a new crop of potential customers to try your restaurant for the very first time?
2. Are the goals of the promotion communicated to your staff?
3. Will there be a large response and will we be ready for the additional business?
4. What is the strategy for social media impact?

Over the last couple of years, I have heard many restaurants blame the slow economy for a significant drop in their business. While some restaurants have shut their doors, at the same time, others have thrived and even expanded. Operators in-tune with their strengths and weaknesses are always successful, regardless of economic conditions. For those operators, Groupon may translate into new long-term customers and a profitable business.

Look at your business from a guest’s perspective before considering services such as Groupon. Make sure your staff is ready to execute your points of differentiation with every guest. If you’re a fast casual concept serving gourmet salads, prepare your staff to speak with guests about what makes them unique. If you own a wine bar, help your staff understand that knowing what wines are part of the happy hour special is an expected part of their work. Redeeming 3,000 Groupons at 50 percent off is not the objective, converting those trials to loyal customers is.

Well, this is exactly what Zappos.com does.  Haven’t heard of Zappos? They are an Internet retailer that sells shoes.  They are known for their customer service.  They pay shipping costs – both ways if necessary.  Internally they have a saying.  “We are a SERVICE company that happens to sell shoes.  And apparel.  And handbags.  And Accessories.  And eventually anything and everything.”

I think the first line of their “mantra” sums it up; a service company that just happens to sell shoes.  They get it! And, not only for their customers, but also for the employees!

According to an article by Barbara Rose, writing for ChicagoTribure.com, Zappos offers $1,500 to anyone who wants to quit.  They actually offer to buy their new employees out of their jobs!  (Between 2-3% of the people accept the offer.)

You see, Zappos only wants people working there who want to be there. They have an incredibly successful company, and realize that it is not about selling “stuff,” but creating an experience that people love.  No matter how great their website is, or how great their products are, their people back up the entire customer experience.  

According to Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, “…in addition to trying to WOW our customers, we also try to WOW our employees, and the vendors and business partners…”  And, they do!

Zappos has created a culture that has employees saying, “I love working here.”  How do they do it?  First, everyone knows the “mantra.”  Second, Zappos trains well.  Third, there are really cool perks that WOW the employees.  No, not the usual corporate perks.  They have pot-luck lunches, bowling parties, haunted houses at Halloween, holiday decorating, karaoke, picnics, go-carting and much more.  The culture is fun.  Most important, they have an environment where people can just be themselves.

All of this is a lesson on taking care of your internal customers so you can better serve your outside customers. Zappos is a role model in this area.

So, what do you do to create an environment in your organization, or in your department that has people saying, “I love working here?” Think about what Zappos does.  Just Google Zappos and you will not only get a link to their website, but many links to articles and accolades that just might teach you something about creating an environment that says WOW to customers AND employees!

Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees.  For more information on Shep’s speaking presentations, including his customer service speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com Web: www.hyken.com

The above quote is simply a line taken from one of my speeches.  It is my customer service slant to the familiar Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would do unto yourself.”  Telling people how to treat customers is one thing.  Showing how you want them treated is completely different – especially if you are modeling the behavior. 

I recently received a case study written by Andrew Thomas, a freelance writer from Ohio.  He wrote about global leadership and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel chain.  There was something in the case study that jumped out at me, and it applies to the concept in the above quotation.  

The Ritz-Carlton was hired to manage an existing hotel in Shanghai.  They brought in many of their experts and determined that major renovations were needed.  Their first phase of the renovation was the Employee Entrance.  This may seem strange to most, but is the norm for the Ritz-Carlton.  While the renovation was relatively inexpensive, it sent an important message to the employees (who were employed by the previous management company).  It demonstrated that a new standard (higher) of quality and service was expected and that the employees were incredibly important to the process.

The Ritz-Carlton is recognized worldwide for being a quality organization.  They understand the importance of outstanding customer service.  Just as important, if not more so, is that they also understand the value of their employees, the internal customers.