This Letter Will Show You Would You Like To ...
It's no secret that the economy has made life difficult for many restaurant owners and managers. People in general are eating out less often and spending less when they do. Now it will get better eventually -- it always does. But with the current uncertainties around terrorism, the aftermath of war and the like, the odds are that it is not going to get any better for awhile ... and if (when?) something catastrophic occurs, business will probably get a whole lot worse. This in itself would be enough to make the average operator turn prematurely gray, but there are other factors that are going to make your life even more difficult. Increased competition in many markets means that more restaurants are competing for fewer guests, surely a recipe for high stress ... if not an outright return to sheer survival strategies. Another call-up of military reservists is going to hit the labor market hard, making good workers even more scarce and putting upward pressure on wages. If we have another major terrorist attack, air travel will tank again, business travel will drop, conventions business will fall off and people will be staying closer to home. As oil prices rise, deliveries become more expensive and operating expenses go up. No matter what happens, physical plants are worn out, staff members are under-trained, owners are fried by years of fighting the labor crunch and many restaurants have just plain become boring. Many owners we know would sell out if they could, but nobody's buying. In the middle of all this, independent operators (and, in truth, many chains) are just trying to hang on and save the business that represents their life's work ... and their financial future. It is not a pretty picture ... and there will surely be casualties. The question is whether you will be one of them. Blinding flashes of the obvious Looking at these dark clouds on the industry's horizon, two of the country's leading restaurant and hospitality marketers, Joel Cohen, President of the Cohen Restaurant Marketing Group and Bill Marvin, The Restaurant Doctor (that's us!) struggled with what we could do to help the industry we love to not only survive these difficult times, but actually prosper. The questions were basic: Q: What will it take to keep business up through tough times? Q: What will it take to get more guests? Q: Why don't operators do this already? Without guests, you are out of business In our experience, managers spend too much time in the office, too little time on the floor and too much money on advertising schemes that don't produce results. In short, they do not focus enough on their guests ... but feel that because they are busy doing something, nobody can fault them. This is a sure formula for extinction. As business declines, they start to panic. When they panic they spend even more time in the office and waste even more money on advertising. They stop training, their restaurants become boring and even more guests decide to stay home or -- worse yet -- take their loyalty elsewhere. It is a vicious circle and it must be broken. Something has to change ... and we have an answer. We have declared every year from here on as The Official Year of the Guest When things are uncertain, people look for something they can hang on to -- a focus that will keep them on course when their natural compasses are confused. I suspect this may be true for most managers ... and it is certainly true for the hourly staff. The Year of the Guest program can provide that focus by keeping everyone in the restaurant aware of the most important element of your success -- your guests. It is perfectly normal that, in the day-to-day routine of the restaurant, one guest starts to look like another. Then, before you know it, WHAT you are doing starts to become more important to you than WHY you are doing it, and you start taking them for granted. You may even have flashes where you see your guests as distractions that are keeping you from getting your "real" work done. Ouch! |
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"The Year of the Guest program ... helped us put together pre-shift meetings and discuss topics that really make
a difference. You will never have to worry about what you are going to talk about with your staff every week. It is
well worth the money."
-- Wasfi Samaan, J.D. Legends, Nicholasville, KY
"My staff looks forward to each YOGA Exercise and we have implemented several WOW ideas that had an
immediate positive impact on our guests. Bill and Joel bring the details home in a way that makes you want to
implement every idea they present."
-- Tom Boucher, Cactus Jack's, Bedford, NH
"The Year of the Guest e-mails are concise and right on target. I actually look forward to receiving them and
promptly forward the insights along to my fellow managers. They always spark interesting and productive
conversations on how we can better serve our guests."
-- Paul Cunningham, Schreiner's Restaurant, Fond du Lac, WI
"The Year of the Guest provides owners, managers and other key staff with a fresh perspective on their daily
routine and a re-energized dedication to the art of hospitality. The stories, ideas, and tips help you to sharpen
your focus [on] the little things that make up the dining experience."
-- Siobhan Reidy, The Irish Rover, Louisville, KY
"We received some great ideas and motivators for a small cost. What more could you ask for?"
-- Charlie Mallar, The 1785 Inn, North Conway, NH
"Year of the Guest is a great deal. Not every idea applies to my business but the number and quality of ideas is
spectacular. From simple things that can be implemented immediately to long term projects for the entire staff,
just one of the ideas can easily pay for the whole program."
-- David Bookstaff, J.T. Whitney's Pub, Madison, WI