In the Puddin'

Brand Champion - October 17, 2008

 

Steve - Barista

The Daily Grind - Phelps Dodge Building, Phoenix, AZ

Brand Champion Awards - Awarding individual team member's actions and how it delivers their organization's brand promise in an extraordinary way.

"A Warm & Inviting Coffee Emporium, Bakery & So Much More"

That is the brand promise of The Daily Grind in the heart of downtown Phoenix.

If you've been to the center of downtown Phoenix recently, you would agreed that most would not describe it as 'warm' (except in summer)and 'inviting'. With light rail construction, City Scape construction, building renovation construction and seemingly - construction for the sake of construction - the consistent, deafening sound of jack hammers and continual blowing dust can make for a very uninviting atmosphere these days. Not to mention, it is ground zero for human stress as office building inhabitants rush from one place to the other with every 5th word spoken being 'economy' and most words directly preceding, not appropriate for print. Is it really possible to create a warm, inviting atmosphere amongst all of that?

And as for where you can get a cup of coffee or a pastry downtown, there are plenty of options on most blocks it seems. Does it really matter if you market yourself as 'A Coffee Emporium & So Much More?'

It does if you want to be treated like the most important person in the world.

Like many business people, there are three things that are extraordinarily valuable to me when I am on the move in the morning: Time, Communications and Coffee. If those needs and values are met and respected, I will always be grateful for the excellent service and positive impact it lends to my work day.

Recently, I found myself downtown with less than an hour to get some crucial work done before my next appointment on the other side of town. Desperate for both coffee and an internet connection, I considered my options. In walking distance, there was Starbucks, but I was hassled with charges and complicated connection procedures that last couple of times I attempted a working coffee break with them. Then, there was this little independent place, 'The Daily Grind' with a sign in the window: Free Internet Access. With brightly colored walls, original art hanging and comfortable club chairs, I decided to give it a try.

It was cold, cloudy and I was under the weather. I wanted my usual comfort of a vanilla latte and ordered it with the friendly gentleman behind the counter, explaining I needed to warm up on the inside.

Unexpectedly, Steve, the barista, inquires if I have ever had a Himalayan Hammer. I was surprised by his question at first (I already knew what I wanted) and was very anxious to get to work. Steve went on to explain that if I was looking for some warm comfort that was 'the drink' to have. Upon reading my doubtful expression, Steve went onto to say, "I will use my 24 years of coffee making experience to make you one of the best drinks you've ever had. If you don't like it, I'll be happy to make you a vanilla latte."

I was stunned. Confidence, Experience, Pride and a Guarantee was just promised to me in a cardboard cup with thermal sleeve. His delivery was perfect. Smiling into my eyes the entire time he spoke, I believed he would do everything in his power to make a fabulous cup of comfort...just for me.

Agreeing to try his creation, his face looked like a 10 year old who was just given permission to ride their brand new bike for the first time. He asked me my name and while he endeavored, a co-worker came out from the kitchen. Steve effortlessly said, "Dolores, this is Christina - she's terrific. Christina's been making coffee for 12 years. Christina, this is Dolores. I'm making her one of my Himalayan Hammers."

Christina greeted me as if meeting a new friend from her hometown and reinforced my selection. "Oh, you are going to love it," she said.

I inquired about internet and Christina gladly gave me the complimentary access code while Steve finished creating my coffee. I was up and running in no time at all.

Sitting next to the glass wall looking out onto the street, I could see the anxious life of downtown continuing on. It seemed like I was peering into another world as I sat in a comfortable leather club chair with perfect internet connectivity sipping what truly was one of the best coffee drinks I'd ever had. Every few minutes I noticed Steve would unobtrusively glance in my direction to see if I was doing alright and give me a smile if I happened to look up. Thank goodness for the alarm setting on my phone to remind me of the time or who knows how long I might have lingered.

A warm & inviting coffee emporium? You bet. Like any great experience, I was transported from my current reality and transformed into a state of being that I preferred. Despite my GPS location, I was no longer experiencing the crazed environment of downtown but instead, had a little haven carved out for myself for the better part of an hour.

All because of the confident, experienced and proud barista that greeted and watched over me during my experience. And yes - While being confident, experienced and proud in your organization and product would be more than enough to have you considered a potential brand champion, there was one more impressive thing that Steve used to make the brand promise true: Passion.

Steve's genuine passion for the three 'C's in his world: His Coffee, His Craftsmanship & His Customers was what turned an excellent experience into an extraordinary one. It is what transformed The Daily Grind from being a place to plug in and get some coffee to becoming a perfect niche of comfort. His passion is what allows their brand promise to read "...& So Much More"

It is a genuine passion for your product, service and customers that is the very vehicle to transport consumers into a great experience and ultimately gives them the extraordinary value of more. More appreciation for the product they are buying. More satisfaction from the service they are receiving. More of a relationship and connection to the brand team members and establishing a 'place' where they comfortably belong which translates ultimately into more devotion.

Bottom line: only pure passion creates More 'WOW'.

Thank you, Steve, for being the perfect example of how a team member's passion can create a transformational experience and memories that inspire consumer devotion.--Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Champion Award Guidelines

• Each Friday, beginning 8/08/08, an individual team member selected by ZAG Group and In the Puddin' will be awarded as a 'Brand Champion"
• Brand Champions will be featured in In the Puddin and receive an honorary certificate
• A Brand Champion's direct supervisor and corporate office will also be officially notified
• Each weekly Brand Champion is then eligible for the ZAG Grand Champion Prize at the end of the year.
• On September 1, 2009, the ZAG Grand Champion will be announced. More details on the prize coming soon, but will include airfare, hotel room and a very cool experience, of course.

 

Chaos in McKayville

 

It's the day before Thanksgiving once more; I've got my game face on and am psyched up.

For the past 18 years, Thanksgiving in McKayville has been an annual display of holiday plans gone sideways with circumstances much stranger than fiction. Most years are instant classics - Here are a few examples:

1. Snow Day: Trapped at home in a record-breaking snow storm, we were unable to attend Thanksgiving dinner at my in-laws. Totally buried in snow - no one was going anywhere. Anticipating being hosted, there was no "Thanksgiving" food in the house. With two devastated small children crying in disappointment about no turkey on "Turkey Day", I got desperate. In the cupboards were a pack of Jet-Puffed marshmallows and a box of toothpicks. We then spent the afternoon carefully carving out sections of marshmallow and attaching them together to create "turkeys" then got out some pillar candles and "roasted our turkeys" over the flame (as well as other such food fabrications). With sticky fingers and moderate stomach aches, the mini-McKays went to bed that night telling us it was the best Thanksgiving ever.

2. The Lobster Hunt: I love lobster bisque and enjoy the drawn-out, 24 hour experience of making it from scratch with my loved ones. One year, however, I was preparing for a large number of guests at my sister-in-law's house. This required many lobsters which had been severed (head from tail) and laid out on the counter for later preparation. Apparently, just like chickens without their heads, lobsters can continue to motate without their upper halves. When I re-entered the kitchen, 4 of the 6 lobsters were missing altogether. Thus, began the APB hunt for headless lobsters. Ultimately, the crustacean fugitives were apprehended. The kids now request to go on a lobster hunt every Thanksgiving (for stuffed animal lobsters) before eating.

3. Hungry Like the Wolf: During my time in the luxury resort world, I was often asked to create experiences for others on Thanksgiving like for British rock band, Duran Duran while in town for their concert. Upon observing the holiday excitement, they requested their own personal feast for their entourage (with one band member being a strict vegetarian). After working through the impromptu execution and the "some assembly required" for Tofurkey, I was asked to join them. For the rest of the afternoon, the band enjoyed peppering me with questions about "this American holiday", what the purpose was for associated traditions & how did we honor the Native Americans that kept us from perishing (Just for the sheer fun of putting me in the hot seat, I'm sure). If you want to gain a personal, deeper appreciation for the ritual of Thanksgiving, try explaining it to an impish British rock band.

Eighteen years of Thanksgiving fiascos have made me quite sure of two things that we already know but seem to need constant reminding:

1.     There is always an abundance of things to be grateful for, and

2.     No matter how carefully you plan and craft an experience, your ability to honestly live in the moment is what will truly take the experience over the top.

 

 

Chaos can be wonderful. The unplanned event, the x-factor and the uninvited guests known as "the Murphy's" force you to wake up, fully engage and get really creative, really fast.

 

The presence of an unexpected enemy transcends the temptation to "go through the motions" and gives your community (family, business or whatever) a higher cause to preserve the intention of the experience while the details of the "how" are falling apart.

It's focusing on the importance of the end result of the experience. It's a wakeup call to why you are going through the trouble of providing the experience in the first place. It forces you to stay true to your cause (or not).

SO I SAY BRING IT ON - Let the moment out-design my finely-crafted plan. I welcome the challenge for the moment to bend my brain and make me a better provider of experience.

That said, here's last year's plan which, of course, did not occur as designed:

• I hosted / cooked
• Set loose in Whole Foods, each of my immediate family members selected 2 ingredients to incorporate into Thanksgiving dinner (completely their choice)
• I then created a 7 course menu including each of the chosen ingredients to be romanced throughout the afternoon and evening

Here's the menu (in Freytag form just for fun...)

• Exposition: Pan-Seared Diver Sea Scallops with Meyer lemon reduction, chive oil and heirloom teardrop tomatoes
• Inciting Incident: Lobster Bisque finished with chanterelle mushrooms, crème fraiche and American caviar
• Rising Action: Duck Confit Salad on a bed of organic baby mixed greens and port wine vinaigrette with Kentucky black apple, spiced pecans and gorgonzola
• Crisis: Duet of Blood Orange & Hibiscus Sorbet
• Climax: Brined Roast Turkey with rosemary sage dressing, roasted elephant garlic Yukon mashed potatoes, haricot verts sautéed in pancetta & thyme with pan gravy
• Falling Action: Savory Cheese Course of Amadeus, Sini Fulvi Ubriacone, Emmi Don Olivo, Mitica Mahon Aged and Mitica Leyenda Brandy (& Boursin for the kids)
• Denouement: Spiced Apple Napoleons with pomegranate caramel sauce. (I'm borrowing this recipe from Nashville's own Restaurant Zola...) Traditional Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato Pie & Chocolate Toffee Pecan Pie

Accompanying Libations:

• Aperitif: Ginger-infused vodka & Limoncello martinis
• Early Courses: 1990 Duval Leroy, Femme Champagne
• Later Courses: 2004 Chateau La Nerthe, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
• Dessert: Nivole, Muscato d'Asti
• Digestif: Elijah Craig 18 year single barrel (#1893) bourbon

Gotta run - The kitchen and the promise of unexpected adventure awaits. Now that the day's experience is designed, something will undoubtedly "fail" to go as planned. I plan on failing gloriously where necessary by living out the moment true to its genuine purpose - in gratitude and honor of my beautiful family and blessings.

My warmest wishes to all of you and your loved ones. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

 

Brand Champion Award - October 10, 2008

 

Colton - Barista

Starbucks - 21050 N Tatum Phoenix, AZ

Brand Champion Awards - Awarding individual team member's actions and how it delivers their organization's brand promise in an extraordinary way.

We've received several emails lately inquiring on the whereabouts of Lola (for those of you new to The Puddin' - Lola is my alter ego that I allow to rant as she pleases) and why she hasn't been contributing to The Puddin' lately. A few of you were even concerned that one of the brands of which Lola gave constructive criticism may have gone to extreme measures to keep her quiet.

Well, I assure you that no ill fate has befallen Lola and providing evidence to that, it has been decided - or rather, Lola insisted - on awarding this week's Brand Champion. So, without further delay:

Lola:

It is absolutely no secret that sometime ago, I grew disenchanted with the Starbucks experience (see Lola's Advice to Starbucks). And with the numerous other options to grab a cup of coffee or meet for conversation in the marketplace, there has been no need for me to revisit Starbucks for quite some time now. My criticism regarding the current state of their brand was not that the creation of the brand experience was less than brilliant. Indeed it was absolutely that. Rather, the loss of my loyalty to the Starbucks brand was a result of Starbucks letting go of the most valuable components in their brand experience. It was heartbreaking and disappointing to see a brand execute an experience so well for years across a wide marketplace and then abandon those tactics to prioritize the lower economic offerings of basic service and goods.

And while I am pointing out what I find to be the most offensive infractions of keeping brand promises in my posts, it is always my sincere hope that the brand and its team member's endeavor to create valuable change and turn the ship around. Of all the brands I have featured, it is my pleasure to report that Starbucks is the first to provide me with an experience that demonstrated a genuine effort to change the execution of their brand promise for the better.  That is, at least the Starbucks location closest to my office.

So, why would I even give Starbucks another chance? Simple. I was wearing a sticker.

There is something irresistible about the concept of 'free'. Not 'free with minimum purchase'. Not 'buy one get one free'. Not 'free if you give up 90 minutes of your valuable time that you will never get back to sit through our presentation'. I mean, 'just show up, ask for it and we'll give it to you honestly, for free'.

And there is also something very attractive about the concept of 'reward'. I get something truly free because I'm just really that great and I do amazing things. I earned it - Therefore I deserve it - Therefore I want it - And that makes me happy, proud & special.

So, why was I at Starbucks? Because on Election Day Starbucks was offering a 'free' cup of coffee as a 'reward' to all of those who voted that day. I was so there. Not because I'm that cheap, but partially because I was caught up in the euphoria of the day's events and mostly, because by 5:00 in the evening, I wanted to see how true to intention brands would honor their customer's patriotism. How were they behaving at 5:00pm after being barraged all day by moochers? Would it feel like I was truly being honored for performing my civic duty or, most likely, would they be wearing their emotions on their sleeves that they wished whoever it was in Marketing and PR had never thought of this operational nightmare of a promotion?

And, without purposeful intention, we added a twist to our experiment. My husband and I, proudly donning our 'I Voted' stickers brought along our 2 youngest children (8 & 12) who had also voted that day in school (the school district provided a mock voting experience at all levels - including city positions and propositions - very cool). They had indeed 'voted' that day and were wearing their red, white and blue stickers. It was clear that from my children's perspectives, they felt the importance of their own voting experiences as they argued politics in the back seat of the car all the way to Starbucks. Would their perspective as 'voters' be honored?

The four of us walked up to the counter and inquired if they were indeed giving away free coffees to voters. Our question was met by the very gracious smile of Colton, the Barista, who happened to be working at the counter. Colton assured us that was true. We then explained that our daughters had voted at school that day and inquired if that counted. Were they eligible for free coffees? Without flinching, Colton smiled generously and said, "Sure". My children beamed. With one confident word attached to the instinctive value of honoring the Starbucks promise to their customers and voters - my children reaped value of 'reward' - They were happy, proud and special. I was pleasantly surprised.

We then ordered 2 regular and 2 decaf coffees (and a pound of Thanksgiving Blend beans for home...too tempting).

After a couple of minutes, Colton returned to the counter with our 2 regular coffees. But where were the promised decafs? Colton explained that they had just run out of decaf and it would take several minutes for the brewing cycle to complete. I started to let myself think, "I knew this was too good to be true...", but Colton interrupted my thoughts with his next comment.

Colton suggested that perhaps the girls might like decaf Americanos (espresso with hot water - for you non-coffee types) - on the house, of course. What was this? Going out of the way to solve the problem of delivering on a free promotion...for children who it was not designed for? Being pro-active to please the 1 millionth customer that is trying to mooch free stuff off you at the end of a very long day?(with low tips, likely). Trying to please me without my prompting or even a frown? I could not repress the largest smile. "That would be perfect - Thank you." I said.

And perfect it was. Colton demonstrated one of the finest traits of a true Brand Champion - Brand Instinct. Delivering on the brand promise in an unscripted, not-in-the-manual situation without hesitation. Preserving the intention of the brand promise as the most important idea and then using his instinct and brand resources to deliver the experience as it was expected by the customer. 

It was the perfect use of empowerment. Colton didn't check with his manager. He acted with a sense of urgency to take care of our needs. And I bet he was confident he didn't need to check. His reflexive action suggested that in his store's culture, the values were well instructed and team members were trusted to uphold them without the need for authorization. What a wonderful thing: Colton viewing my problem being more important than permission. A rare thing of beauty in customer experiences today.

Perhaps you are thinking, "What's the big deal? One reflexive action that took place in less than a minute. So what?"

Let me remind you that it is those split-second reflexive actions that: decides the winner of a duel with one quick draw, sweeps the girl off her feet before she disappears into the sunset, and leaps in front of another to take the bullet to save a life. And yes - creates a memorable moment that earns loyalty and builds brand devotion.

And let me also remind you that in a perfect world, Colton's actions would not be an exception. But the world is still less than perfect and Colton's decision and reflexes in a quick-paced fast service environment are rare.

Later that evening, we went to both Chik-Fil-A and Krispy Kreme - both of which brands promised 'freebies' for voters. Neither of which honored my children as 'voters' with one of the brands' team members getting downright nasty in temperament with the multitude of customers they were 'required to honor'. Those experiences could not have been a bigger contrast to the one Colton created for us.

Congratulations to Colton for creating a memorable experience on a momentous day for a well-documented 'former customer' of Starbucks. Your efforts in honoring your customers' experience and authentic instinct to keep the brand promise of Starbucks are a great value to your store and the organization. And who knows - perhaps you have recaptured a lost customer and brand fan. -- Lola for Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Champion Awards Guidelines

• Each Friday, beginning 8/08/08, an individual team member selected by ZAG Group and In the Puddin' will be selected and awarded as 'Brand Champion'
• Brand Champions will be featured in In the Puddin' and receive an honorary certificate
• A Brand Champion's direct supervisor and corporate office will also be officially notified
• Each weekly Brand Champion is then eligible for the ZAG Grand Champion prize at the end of the year
• On September 1, 2009, the ZAG Grand Champion will be announced. More details on the prize coming soon, but will include airfare, hotel room and a very cool experience, of course.

Brand Champion Award - October 3, 2008

 

Lydia Simcox - Lead Host

LON's at The Hermosa Inn

Brand Champion Awards: Awarding Individual Team Member's actions and how it delivers their organization's promise in an extraordinary way.

"Artful American Cuisine"

That is the brand promise of LON's restaurant at The Hermosa Inn.

Once the home and studio of Southwestern artist Alonzo (Lon) Megargee fondly named 'Casa Hermosa' (Beautiful House), this historic hand-built ranch house is today the site of LON's at Hermosa Inn.

Here's what LON's says about the experience they offer on their website:

Today the artistry is carried on by the renowned Chef Michael Rusconi at LON's restaurant in Phoenix. It is because of Rusconi's 'edible art' that many restaurant reviews and national publications have named LON's one of the Best Restaurants in Phoenix and Scottsdale. LON's has received accolades from USA Today, Zagat, Phoenix Magazine, Gourmet Magazine and the Wine Spectator, just to name a few.

Tantalizing to the eye and palate, LON's elegance serves the Phoenix and Scottsdale business community and visitors of greater Phoenix alike to the highest levels of restaurant service and quality. Rusconi's Artful American Cuisine captures the spirit, creativity and warmth that have evolved into today's Hermosa Inn in Phoenix.

First of all, I agree with the critics. Chef Rusconi's food is 'edible art'. And the setting due to the authentic charm of the historic hacienda, especially at sunset, cannot be duplicated. There is no question that the LON's brand is deeply entrenched into the local Phoenix culture utilizing Megargee's story as an effective anchor. The Inn is even located in a residential neighborhood clinching that genuine feeling of dining in a private residence as patrons avoid the driveways of current homes to enter Hermosa Inn.

But I'd like to focus on that last line again. "Captures the spirit, creativity and warmth that have evolved into today's Hermosa Inn."

LON's is calling out a brand promise of experiences reflecting artistry with a personality of: spirit, creativity and warmth. Clearly, they have worked very hard in ensuring this is true of the food and ambiance, but what about the rest of the points of contact? What about the idea of promising 'warmth'? Yes - there are fireplaces and chimmineas all about. Yes -they even burn a blend of wood: one for the marvelous crackling sound and yet another (mesquite) for an authentic southwestern aroma. But in a restaurant, one of the biggest experience design errors is the in-congruency between the physical design (decor, staging, tableware, uniforms, etc.) and the performance delivered by the human points of contact.

The way LON's describes their experience requires touch points of personalization, caring, a sense of knowing (you don't go to a house for dinner where the host treats you like a complete stranger...) and execution that resembles artistry. And these are brand personality traits that cannot be faked. In fact, these attributes themselves claim authenticity - that the brand strength comes from LON's ability to be real - the ultimate brand strength - if you can live up to it.

And that is where Lydia Simcox, Lead Host comes into the picture. Lydia is not just a valuable brand asset to LON's because of her vast restaurant experience in a number of roles including management. Her worth is not simply in her several years with LON's. Those definitely raise her stock, but what makes her the perfect brand champion for LON's is that she is real. As the first and last human point of contact for all patrons of the brand experience, Lydia conveys the sense of a personalized, artful experience so incredibly well because she herself is an artist. Really. Lydia has an undeniable passion for art and has applied her talents to a variety of mediums including murals and intriguing glass mosaics.  Who better to deliver the spirit of brand story, who could portray it more genuinely than a true artist? It's genius and she's fabulous at living out the brand story.

And although there are many appreciators of art and a countless number of individuals who claim to be artists, Lydia differentiates herself. She possesses the same gift as some of the most talented artists: The desire to make a masterpiece. With every reservation, she is focused on creating an individual masterpiece that each LON's patron can frame as a fond memory. And although she does this in a number of ways that demonstrate her commitment to creativity and warmth, perhaps the most compelling way she keeps LON's brand promise is practically invisible.

 Lydia has spent the past several years taking ownership of LON's table management and CRM system, Open Table. For those of you who eat out a lot and are computer savvy, you already know about Open Table and are no doubt racking up loyalty points from your favorite dining establishments. For the rest of you, I will briefly explain that Open Table allows patrons and restaurant team members alike to make reservations online or via telephone - very convenient. Either way, Open Table not only records the reservation, but creates a history and virtual memory of the patrons. As with any technology, the value is all in how a the team chooses to use it. And Lydia is committed to leveraging every possible megabyte out of it.

It is remarkable to watch how Lydia dedicates herself to caring for each valuable piece of guest information possible. Every table preference, every special request, every critical date - every relevant fact that could possibly be of any importance is carefully added to Lydia's Open Table palette.

But knowledge itself does not create a valuable experience - And knowing is not doing. Lydia then maxes out her empowerment by sharing all of her valuable information with the kitchen, the bar, the waitstaff and management so that seamless, well-orchestrated experiences are provided for each patron - Creating a personal, beautiful, seemingly effortless experience - a virtual masterpiece.

And the result? A LON's experience with touchpoints that live up to the promise of being artful, with a spirit of creativity and warmth, when added to the ambiance and cuisine, can turn an experience into legendary loyalty.

Lydia's passion for creating artful experiences is incredibly well-delivered with her ongoing dedication to applying great technique with her tools. Much like a great painter, Lydia never tires of finding new ways to improve her technique and learning new strokes. It is that extraordinary commitment to discovering new applications to keep the LON's brand promise and setting her team up for success that makes Lydia an extraordinary brand champion. Congratulations, Lydia. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO.

Championship Awards Guidelines:

• Each Friday, beginning 8/08/08, an individual team member selected by ZAG Group and In the Puddin' will be awarded 'Brand Champion'
• Brand Champions will be featured in "In the Puddin" and receive an honorary certificate
• A Brand Champion's direct supervisor and corporate office will also be officially notified
• Each weekly Brand Champion is then eligible for the ZAG Grand Champion prize at the end of the year.
• On September 1, 2009, the ZAG Grand Champion will be announced. More details on the prize coming soon, but will include: airfare, hotel room and a very cool experience, of course.

 

Keep Me With Romance

In the Puddin - Brand Devotion

That's right. It's my birthday and I'm unavoidably a year older but enjoyably a year wiser. For you Puddin' readers that I have the pIeasure of knowing from the thinkAbout network, I acknowledge this piece was originally posted for our small band of experience renegades, and has not been shared outside of our think tank up until now. Upon opening my mail this week, this blog post came flooding back into relevance for me. So thank you in advance for the birthday gift of allowing me to post this article to the world at large. Here we go:

I forget how special I am until this time of year. Checking mailboxes between my October 9th birthday and the end of the year, I could almost believe that stores, restaurants & hotels would cease to exist without me. That is, if I actually bought into all the contrived customer relationship tactics directed toward me. Here’s a few:

· “Dear Ms. McKay, I would like to take a moment to personally thank you for your patronage this past year…it is your ongoing loyalty that means so much to all of us at ____...”

o I haven’t shopped there for over 3 years! Mostly, due to the lack of personalized service.

· “Dear Dolores, ‘Tis the season to gather with friends, family and those we cherish most…This holiday season would not be the same if you did not join us…We’ve reserved a spot especially for you…”

o The last few times I tried to get a reservation, I was told they were “Completely committed” with no attempt at alternatives or accommodation. Cherish? Really?

· “Happy Birthday, Dolores – On behalf of the entire staff at ____, we’d like to thank you for the pleasure of hosting your birthday celebration last year…We invite you to experience it with us once again… and begin a tradition of festive memories with us.”

o OK – so now I know they have a Guest History database. Yes, I stayed at that hotel for my birthday last year, but it was such a complete fiasco that they comped the entire stay plus a certificate for a future free stay (it was bad). Apparently, someone forgot to add those minor details into my profile…

I’ve got pounds of disingenuous form letters, standardized gifts and marketing event invitations poorly masquerading as personalized Customer Appreciation - simply because my name came up in their little black book of repeat Guest History data. Do they really believe such false flattery is capable of creating consumer loyalty? This is as effective as the lounge lizard who asks “Did it hurt?…When you fell from heaven…” Oh, please… get real. No really – PLEASE GET REAL.

It’s brazen FLIRTING - Insincerely telling me (and everyone else) how special I am in hopes of selfish gain, without true personal consideration. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for appreciation…who isn’t? But if you want me to experience a sense of loyalty and devotion to your brand, flirting will not get me there. Rather, such tactics stand a good chance of exposing the fact you don’t really know me and that you are a fake by highlighting your inabilities to deliver the personal service you say you have/will.

For high-touch, service & lifestyle brands, you will have to do better than flirt. Show me that you honestly know me and I’m important to you as an individual. Let me know you haven’t delivered the same phony lines and flattery to all of your other customers. Sweep me off my feet. Then don’t stop. If you want me to be a raving fan, loyal and impervious to your competitors’ advances and flirting, you will have to keep the love going. You will have to ROMANCE me. Let me know you sincerely enjoy taking care of my needs. Don’t acknowledge me out of obligation – Show me you are continually looking for unique reasons to delight me. Keep surprising me with new ones. Develop and maintain a memory of all you know about me and what I’ve experienced. Let me know my presence is genuinely missed if I haven’t been around. Never lose me to insincere flirting or indifference. Keep me with romance.

Just for fun: Over time I’ve done a little ghost writing. I was once asked to compose a guide for romance written from the perspective of a wiser, older European gentleman who had counseled many would-be-grooms and orchestrated hundreds of romantic experiences (for couples, not businesses). Below is a condensed list of “his main tips” (the most swoon-worthy and least blush-worthy ones). Although written from a man’s perspective, I believe ladies are on the hook just as much to create romance & loyalty. So, whether you are romantically challenged or could add your own novel to the list, enjoy some romantic notions…

Incidentally, I did have one extraordinary “love letter” from an organization looking for my repeat business. Due to their genuine acknowledgement, they won my business and executed an outstanding experience. I will detail it out in a future posting. In reviewing the list below, they were actually successful in romancing me as a loyal customer in every way with the exceptions of #7, #8, #19 & #28 (those would have been awkward, anyway…)

1. Treat your love like royalty.

2. Conspire to have the pianist play her favorite song when she enters the restaurant.

3. Stand when she enters the room – The love of your life just walked in.

4. Smile across the room at her – Let her know you cannot wait to be at her side.

5. Introduce her with undeniable pride.

6. Tell others why she is so beautiful.

7. Love her with your eyes.

8. Caress her hand, her shoulder, her cheek to remind her how lovely she is.

9. Never wait for nightfall – Romance should live at all hours.

10. Allow yourself to be a servant.

11. Lead with her best interest in your heart.

12. Learn some of her desires – Then make them realities.

13. Know what she finds irresistible – Then indulge her.

14. Never overlook the obvious – Do not hesitate to give her life’s smallest pleasures.

15. Compliment her in front of her mother, sisters, friends and co-workers.

16. Give her only the most sincere and genuine of compliments.

17. Never wait for an occasion to shower her with affection – Love her this instant.

18. Live in the moment – Spontaneity is the breath of romance.

19. Take her in your arms and dance with her – in the kitchen, the parking lot – anywhere.

20. Never hold back – True romance cannot be rationed.

21. Celebrate her victories, successes and discoveries.

22. Celebrate the girl within her – Push her in a swing - Fly a kite with her – Wish on stars.

23. Put your watch, cell phone and remote control in a drawer – Then lock the drawer.

24. Apologize – Pride has no place in matters of the heart.

25. Kiss her good-bye – Always.

26. Let yourself miss her – Then tell her.

27. Dare to take big risks.

28. Ask her to fly away with you – Let her know you have already bought the tickets.

29. Plan a rendezvous to take place a year from now – Let her know this romance is here to stay.

30. Remember that all great love stories do not have endings. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Lola's - Tableside Values - Final Edition

  In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

First and foremost - Let me apologize for some drafts accidentally being emailed out of the Puddin' Factory. For those of you subscribing by email, we are aware that a couple of these got out the door without being fully cooked. I believe we have identified the issue and can prevent it from happening in the future. You have my most humble apologies for our error and any confusion it may have caused.

Which brings me to my next point and the final installation of Lola's Tableside Values: Recovering from mistakes.

Today, it is time to let my alter ego come out to play - we'll call her 'Lola' - and I will let her rant as she pleases:

Lola: In restaurants, the consumer knows they are paying for the experience of dining. You are not just paying for the food, you are paying for:

• the convenience of having someone else prepare the food
• the convenience of someone else setting and clearing the table, dealing with the dishes, etc.
• the service of someone else for you and your guests
• the entertainment of menu choices and culinary discovery
• the entertainment of the atmosphere and all of the touchpoints
• the pleasure of having your needs and wants attended to

And if all of those elements come together, consumers are pleased with their restaurant experience and will consider returning or recommending. Often, though - unexpected problems occur throughout the course of the experience that interfere with enjoyment.

And that is OK, too - Nobody's perfect. As long as the restaurant and its brand representatives take responsibility for the mistakes and the impact on the experience. Once it has been established that a guest has the right to feel inconvenienced, disappointed, etc. and the restaurant takes responsibility - then an adequate solution can be found and the guest can go back to enjoying their experience.

Sounds simple, right? Amazingly enough, the most difficult aspect of that super simple formula seems to be apologizing and taking responsibility for the guest's disappointment. Instead of a simple mea culpa, many restaurants have gotten in the poor habit of sending a manager over to the table to 'explain' what went wrong and then attempt to convince the guest that there is a very good reason why their experience does not have to match the guest's disappointed expectations...why it is not as 'bad' as it seems.

Here are a few recent personal examples:

• When at Yard House and toward the bottom of my fresh fruit cup, I find a black bug. My guest then finds a dark foreign object in her fruit cup several minutes later. The server sends a manager over to the table that first says, "How are you doing?" Silly question. Then his next words were "I understand you didn't like the fruit." Was he suggesting our dissatisfaction with having bugs in our food is a matter of personal preference? Why not just apologize?
• When at Islands Restaurant, there seemed to be some sort of fuzzy-stringy items stuck to the fries. Not just one fry - I stopped counting after a dozen. They sort of looked like fine hairs and definitely were not potato, so we questioned the server on her check back (which by the way did not happen until we were half-way finished with our meals). Before we could finish explaining the problem, our server interrupted us and told us "It's not hair if that is what you are thinking." She went onto to tell us she gets that complaint all of the time, but we shouldn't worry - it's not hair. We asked for the manager who then assured us it was "only burlap" from the potato sacks (they cut their fries in-house). Only burlap? Why down-play their chronic issue with multiple foreign objects in one of their most popular menu items? Wouldn't it be simpler to take responsibility and solve the chronic issue? 
• At Thai Elephant, I was finishing my lunch with another guest while the third person in our party was still waiting to receive their lunch. We called the server over and inquired on the missing lunch. He stated that the third person would need to wait because the dish they ordered took longer to cook. When we asked if that made sense to have parties dining together for a business lunch receive their food over 20 minutes apart from one another, his reply was, "If you order the BBQ chicken, that is how it comes out." Absolutely no concern for our experience. I didn't even bother trying to explain that normally restaurants would time the cooking of their dishes so that the experience of having lunch together is actually that for their guests. 
• At Wally's American Pub and Grill, my guest expressed dissatisfaction of poor service to our server and got up to use the restroom. The server, walking behind him, began mocking him behind his back as he walked. Outrageous. Upon relaying our experience to the manager on duty, he flat out told us that was not possible. When we clarified that he was suggesting we were lying about our experience, his response was "Yes". When we then suggested that we felt the need to let the owner know what had transpired, the manager confidently told us "to go right ahead - he was sure the owner would 'back them up'." And I believed him. Chances were that no one in his organization would take responsibility for our experience. So we didn't call the owner - We've just never gone back.

Yes - These are extreme examples of restaurant mistakes and very poor management responses. Most often, restaurant errors are more minor, but the principle is the same.

A restaurant is a dining experience and creates a specific expectation and brand promise. There are a million things in and out of the control of the restaurant that threaten to break their promise. The question is, despite challenges that occur in restaurants, big and small, how important is the promise of a great dining experience to the establishment? Is it more important to take responsibility and create a great experience even when a guest is disappointed or is it more important to convince the guest that they should be satisfied and/or attempt to downplay the guests' personal experience?

The irony is, studies have proved for decades that consumer loyalty is 10 times more likely in a situation where a brand takes the responsibility to recover well from a moment of dissatisfaction. What an opportunity to create powerful fans by simply taking responsibility every time something goes wrong.

And things will go wrong - every single day - countless times a day. If you want to build value into your restaurant brand and powerful devotion from your guests, then please make sure you take genuine responsibility for the experiences you provide with sincere empathy and without excuses. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Lola's Tableside Values - Part II

In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

First of all, thank you to the readers who took the time to email me and let me know the last edition of Lola's Turn satisfied your need for brand experience carnage. From this point forward, you have my word that she will make it a point to serve a satisfying portion of graphic details. We are now back on track from where we left off.

With that said...I’m letting my alter ego come out to play today - we’ll call her Lola – and I’ll let her rant a bit:

Lola: First, a refresher of where we were a couple of weeks ago:

I am amazed that the concept of value for price paid is not honored nearly as well on the service side of restaurants as it should be. I find myself sitting in restaurants wondering how in the world it is possible for me to be paying twice or three times as much in some 'finer' establishments versus their more casual counterparts and yet, the service is frighteningly similar.

· Pricing: Don't forget how the consumer looks at it. Take your menu price and automatically add on twenty percent. Because the minute I sit at one of your tables, that is the REAL price I'm going to pay. Naturally, the more expensive the menu price, the more expensive the twenty percent mark-up of my overall bill for gratuity due to service. And that's fine. If it is worth it.

·  Are the steps and sequence of service and attention to detail equitable to the respective price points (more refined for more expensive restaurants)?

·  Is the service more personalized at the higher price points?

·  Is the overall showmanship and entertainment value greater when you pay a higher price point?

The answer to the three questions above is: Not nearly enough to justify the price point in many cases.

If service, personalization and overall showmanship value is supposed to be greater for the larger amount of money I am paying to the restaurant and the team's gratuity - Then someone please explain to me why so many service people say exactly the same thing - regardless of the level of dining and respective price point?

In fact, the moment some team members deliver certain 'lines' to me, I am unavoidably aware that they are simply going through the motions and it will be nearly impossible for me to have a truly extraordinary, personalized experience. Technically proficient and well-timed, perhaps, but from an experience stand point - mediocre at best.

Here is a sampling of phrases that, when they are said to me in a restaurant, make me feel like I am chewing on a sandwich of tin foil and Styrofoam:

·         “Reservation tonight?”

o    Welcoming me and my guests first would be a thought. Then learning my name. This impersonal 2-word common greeting makes it clear that you view my party as just another potential name on the list or a potential problem to fit in if I don’t have a reservation.

·         “Hi. How many?”

o    In four syllables you just let me know that I am personally irrelevant. This greeting makes it clear your values are counting derrières in seats and my party is considered as covers to be ‘fit in’ …once we’ve been processed for counting. Incidentally, my name is usually taken for the wait list in these circumstances and never used again (once in a while when receiving my credit card back upon paying)…

·         “Hi, My name is ____ and I’ll be taking care of you tonight…”

o    This is my all-time dreaded ‘bad line’ mistake. Servers who open with this statement are highlighting the fact that the experience is about them and their presumptuous great service, not getting to know the needs of their individual guests.

o    I am glad to know the name of my server if they took any interest in learning mine. This greeting has a strong failure rate for name recognition execution.

o    Setting the bar kind of high aren’t you? ‘Taking care of me’? Really? How is that possible when you don’t even care to learn my name or any other details about what I enjoy, I’m in the mood for or whatever. Chances are, when a server leads with this statement, they are there to take my order, not to take care of me.

·         “Is everything to your satisfaction this evening?”

o    Satisfaction is a “C”. You want to know if my experience is living up to the goal grade of a “C”? This makes it clear you want to make sure I am not displeased to the point of complaining about anything and equally clear that the focus is not on creating an exceptional experience with memorable wow factors that exceed my expectations.

·         “How is everything?”

o    ‘Everything?’ That’s not a real question. That’s like when most people pass you in the hall and say, “How’s everything going, Joey?” It is a pleasantry – not a real, empowering question that prompts a genuine response. Most that are ‘taking care of me’ are satisfied with an ear-candy response of “Fine”. Ask me a real question about a specific aspect of my experience and then listen for a genuine answer if you wish to take care of me.

·         “I’ll just leave this here for your convenience (the check). I’ll be your cashier whenever you are ready. No rush.”

o    That is like handing someone their coat and hat toward the end of a cocktail party ‘for their convenience’. It’s a silly, disingenuous thing to say. Don’t present the check at a point where it could be perceived as rushing me. And then have it immediately ready to present if it is requested (fine dining). Yes- that requires reading your guest, but that is what it means to ‘take care of someone' at a table.

How is it conceivable to say such generic things to guests and then expect a distinctive, memorable experience will be created? Team members need to see how their words are so powerfully capable of either creating a phenomenal experience or how they can make it perfectly clear the team is only there to be order-takers. Regardless of which experience they offer, strangely, it is still their expectation to make a similar percentage in gratuity.

With that said, there are some incredible service professionals out there who see their work as art and every guest experience as a new canvas waiting to be masterfully crafted into a great memory. These experience creators are not who I am referring to in this article. These experience experts are the ideal and what the public is hoping for every time they set foot in a restaurant.

Words are incredibly important in service. And just as you would be the laughing stock at the company Christmas party for having the exact same conversation with each person you talked to, or throwing out the same ‘line’ to each person down the row of bar stools in a lounge, your impression holds no more value when you do the same with your restaurant guests.—Lola for Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Applying Obsession

In the Puddin' - Brand You Series

Like most powerful things, having great passion for your personal brand strength is both a blessing and a curse.

Due to the fact that your personal brand strength is both something that draws your interest in a compelling way and is something you probably have a fairly high aptitude for, you are apt to develop an obsession for the subject. Because of your interest and talent in that particular area, you are drawn to learn more and more about the subject - perhaps even developing an insatiable appetite for garnishing every possible tangent of information regarding the matter.

Your blessing: You are on your way, if not already there, to becoming a specialized expert. That's great. And it can certainly become a powerful advantage to your brand and / or how you represent your organization's brand assuming one thing: That anybody cares about what you know.

And therein lies the curse: It is highly unlikely, that most people will appreciate the meticulous way in which you seek and dissect information regarding your particular brand strength. In fact, the more you are obsessive about a subject, the more of a chance there is that you may be annoying people by regaling detailed pieces of information that they 'don't get'. Most talented people are highly knowledgeable at something - a 'superpower' that their teammates or customers cannot quite understand.

So, the brand strength question becomes, "How do I use my superpowers for good?"  By finding a way to make your obsession tangible to others.

Your superpower knowledge on a subject is probably not digestible to the general public. Therefore, you need to find the best way to glean the most useful pieces of your vast knowledge into appetizing, bite-size pieces. A great example of this is Matthew Weston, Resort Beverage Manager for Royal Palms Resort and Spa & T.Cook's restaurant.

Working his way up in the industry, Matthew was a fine dining food server for a number of years. His passion for pairing wine with food made him a popular experience provider with guests and Matthew had a strong following of repeat guests requesting to be in his service. Understanding that his wine knowledge was a large part of his personal brand strength and professional success, he used his obsession to learn more about wine to further his career. Matthew chose to endure the rigorous studying and testing to become a professional sommelier. Here's a quick summarization of a sommelier's role:

Their principal work is in the area of wine procurement, storage, and wine cellar rotation. They are also responsible for the development of wine lists, the overall delivery of wine service and training for the restaurant staff. Working along with the culinary team, they pair and suggest wines that will best complement each particular food menu item. This entails the necessity for a deep knowledge of how food and wine, beer, spirits, etc. work in harmony. They also work on the floor of the restaurant and are in direct contact with patrons. The sommelier has a responsibility to work within the taste preference and budget parameters of each patron. Bottom line: They are super-powered brand experience agents.

Leveraging his passion and knowledge, Matthew was promoted into management. Although, this would be a fine enough example of how to leverage your personal obsessions into brand strength, Matthew took it further. You see, in Matthew's quest to quench his thirst for more knowledge about everything related to wine, he became more of an 'expert' about wine than the current job parameters had use for.

• There is only so much about the history of wine that a service team member can digest without their eyes rolling into the back of their head.
• There are only so many anecdotes he could tell a a restaurant patron about what famous historical figure drank which wine and why.
• There was way too much 'wine knowledge stuff' in Matthew's head than could currently be used on a daily basis.
• And, as it goes with obsessions, Matthew sought even more information on a daily basis. It was only going to stock-pile higher.

There was, however, another distinctive way for Matthew to apply his ever-growing wine knowledge on a continual basis for the benefit of his personal brand and that of T.Cook's brand: He was the caretaker of the T.Cook's wine list.

T.Cook's has an unusual brand promise in which it is the intention of the restaurant to provide an experience that likens that of "home away from home". To be more specific, that your home away from home is your very rich uncle's mansion in the Mediterranean - complete with an entire staff of estate caretakers to cater to your every whim. (I, for one, would love to find that uncle in my family...)

For the past several years, Matthew has been responsible for the content of the wine list that is the only one of it's kind I've ever experienced. Yes - it lists all of the wines by varietal and shows patrons the price. But it's unique quality is everything interspersed between the items.

• Tasting notes that not only talk about fruit, oak, butter and the like - but refer to the poetic qualities of that particular wine, as one would describe a dear friend
• Tasting notes that describe the personal preferences of specific patrons and team members
• Tasting notes that evoke excitement and seem to capture what Matthew was thinking when he first tasted it
• Pieces of relativity: How wines compare in profile & value to well-known brand names
• Excitement alerts: Wines you don't want to miss considering and why
• Quotes from famous wine advocates and wine makers throughout history

The end result: Matthew takes his vault of wine knowledge and continually sprinkles delightful pieces of it into the wine list that has more of the flavor of a wine journal than an obligatory wine list. Patrons have the wonderful opportunity to experience the profiles of the wines in a very personal, tangible way before committing to which one to buy that night. And, chances are, they have noted which one they will have to come back for. Brilliant.

By the way, apparently I'm not the only one who thinks the list is extraordinary. The T.Cook's wine list , under Matthew's watch, has earned Wine Spectator Magazine's Award of Excellence every year since 2001.

And here's the beauty of it for Matthew as well as his guests: Because wine lists change frequently, Matthew has a never-ending responsibility to update the list and draw from his plethora of wine knowledge in a delightful way that adds incredible brand value to the T.Cook's dining experience.

Congratulations to Matthew for being a perfect example of finding an important, tangible way to showcase your obsession and add value. Cheers to you --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Lola's Tableside Manners

In the Puddin' - Lola's Turn

I realize that many of you were expecting Part II of Lola's Tableside Values today as promised in last Tuesday's blog. My apologies in advance if this caused any disappointment - we will get back on that track next week. There are a couple of reasons why I am deviating from the original plan:

1.     Apparently, many of you have very specific expectations of Lola and how she handles her blogs. After receiving a number of emails missing Lola's style of shedding light on specific instances of brand experience carnage, (which were absent from last week's post) it was clear that taking a step back to let Lola share all of the gory details regarding 'wine knowledge gone wrong' was the right thing to do. We aim to please.

2.     Lola thought it was a good idea and as you can imagine, she's a bit difficult to convince otherwise. Go ahead. You try to talk her out of something she wants to say.

With that said...It's Tuesday, so I’m letting my alter ego come out to play - we’ll call her Lola – and I’ll let her rant a bit:

Lola: First, a refresher of where we were last week:

I am amazed that the concept of value for price paid is not honored nearly as well on the service side of restaurants as it should be. Restaurateurs: I know I'm paying more just to sit in one of your chairs:

·  Wine pricing: We all know we are paying double (or more) of what we would pay for a bottle of wine if we bought it retail. We willingly pay this restaurant profitable mark-up for the service of the wine: the knowledgeable guidance, selection and simply for sitting at the table.

·  Bottom-line: There is no excuse for a server not to have good knowledge of anything on your menus in order to guide me through a great dining experience.

The impact of wine service in restaurants is powerful and the experience expectation pattern is simple:

·  The higher quality of the food, the higher quality of wines are needed to pair

·  The higher the quality of the wine, the more expensive the wine

·  The more expensive a bottle of wine, the more I need to pay in gratuity to have it served

·  The more I pay in gratuity, the greater expectation I have for the service experience

In years past, you needed to dine in restaurants to experience a great, unusual bottle of wine. Today, you need only visit your local wine shop and most will happily special order whatever you would like or recommend something new for you to discover - at a fraction of the restaurant price. On-line wine clubs and other electronic sources make wine exploration and purchasing even simpler.

For restaurant patrons, wine in restaurants is no longer focused on the product itself. And poor wine service often prevents the enjoyable experience of well-paired wine artfully selected and presented with great food and ambiance.

Wine is typically the most expensive aspect of a restaurant experience (with the exception of outlandish after-dinner cognacs and such) and yields the best profit margins. It confuses me to no end, as a business decision, why many restaurant managers do not focus on this profitable consumer investment. Does the execution of the most expensive element of an experience impact the perception of the experience's value? Of course it does. Does it matter if the experience component where I invest the most is met with a lack of awareness and concern? Absolutely. Then why are so many restaurant service teams apathetically ignoring this impact?

The most common responses I get when inquiring about wines in restaurants are those coming from unprepared order-takers of products that lack the understanding that they should be delivering an experience (such as):

·  "I don't know" (and I don't care)

·  "Let me get my manager / bartender" And then I wait. And my experience is put on hold. And typically the next person doesn't know much either. I then wonder - if you don't know and your establishment does not care if you learn how to guide my experience, why am I tipping you so much? Is it to open and pour? Really?

·  "I'm not familiar with those...I typically drink..." Why is the experience I'm paying for being limited to what you enjoy?

·  Or they just plain ad lib some stuff that is not correct - Not good. Guest loyalty and brand strength are built on trust. Misinforming me and / or letting me know you'd rather "fake it" then help me will never earn my trust.

Then there are some more colorful responses responsible for frustrating experiences:

·  At the restaurant of an award-winning chef in response to asking what Pinot Noirs they recommended: "They are all pretty much the same except for the prices..." 

·  At a ZAGAT listed bistro in response to asking how they would pair my entree selection: "The sommelier has the night off, so I guess we'll have to wing it." 

·  At a Travel + Leisure award-winning restaurant in response to asking for a recommendation: "I'm a recovering alcoholic so I don't touch the stuff...I can tell you what other people order, but that’s about it."

But actions speak loudest. These wine service errors are not simply guilty of failing to add value to the experience, but due to a total lack of knowledge, destroyed the experience (all the following were in restaurants with entrees averaging $30 or more):

·  At an Italian restaurant, a bottle of wine was ordered minutes after being sat. Bread came. First course salads came – no wine. When the server came to inquire about our enjoyment of the first course, we asked about the wine. “Oh, you want that now?” was the response. Apparently, the server felt the bottle should be served with the entrée and we should enjoy our water until then.

·  At a pricey steak house chain out of Chicago, red wine was dripped all down the back of my white silk blazer due to the server lifting the bottle over my shoulder without using a wine service napkin. Sure – accidents happen all the time – but nobody tripped, slipped or hiccuped at an inopportune time. This was simply a total lack of training.

·  At a French bistro, a nice bottle of champagne was poured into wine goblets instead of flutes. When I brought this to the attention of the server, they promptly transferred the champagne from the goblets directly into flutes…spilling a little…killing all of those precious bubbles. Talk about an experience killer – What is champagne without the fizz?

·  At an Italian restaurant, in the side station, I watched my server ‘marry’ two bottles of wine together (pouring one into the other). Who does that? Since when do you handle bottles of wine like ketchup dispensers?

·  This one is a doozy. At the signature restaurant of a 4 diamond resort, I order a bottle of champagne:

• The server brought the bottle to the table and attempted to open it with a corkscrew. Scary.
• Having no success, she grumbles and exits the table without comment to us.
• She then interrupts another server who is speaking with her table and discusses her frustration to her co-worker in front of the other table. Unbelievable.
• Her co-worker comes to the table and opens the bottle for her and hands the bottle back to our server while the abandoned table looks on in amazement
• Our server then pours into our glasses but does not account for the bubbling action and spills a fair amount onto the table.
• She mops up the table and inquires whether she can lay down a fresh cloth. Fresh cloth? What about the value of our experience that just got mopped up?
• We assumed she decided she had no confidence in her ability to pour due to the fact she never refilled. We took it upon ourselves to refill for the rest of the evening.

How is it possible for these things to happen? It is inevitable if you eat out enough. The fact is, many establishments do not acknowledge the importance of wine as the most expensive aspect of the dining experience and are not committed accordingly to ensuring their brand representatives are capable of leveraging this service into opportunities to create extraordinary experiences and ultimately – enhanced value.

A toast to those who are currently ensuring their service team is utilizing their guest’s wine investments to consistently create valuable dining experiences. For the others who still view wine knowledge and service training as an ‘extra product’, be thankful I didn’t mention any establishment names this time. Cheers ---Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO.

Fun Rocks

In the Puddin' - Brand New Series

A review of New Experiences in the Marketplace

I don't know about you, but I've been busy this week. Really busy. Take yesterday for example. I had six separate appointments in six different locations. My calendar  scheduled just enough time to travel from one destination to another. This was a no nonsense work day.

Then appointment number five ended earlier than expected leaving me with an unplanned hour in the heart of downtown Phoenix. "Perfect. " I thought, "This will give me time to make file notes." It's a million degrees outside at 5:00pm as I head toward a local, independent watering hole only to find it closed. The closest substitute is the Hard Rock Cafe. A little 'touristy' for my preference (I'm thinking), but I'm really thirsty now. Hard Rock it is.

I found a high-boy table in the bar and pulled out my notebook to get started. I had a whole hour to get a head start on some work - Fantastic. The problem was, I got no work done whatsoever during that hour. Instead, I had some completely unexpected fun.

How could it be possible to think about fun on such a hectic, pressured work day? Sitting in the Hard Rock Cafe, I came to the realization that it would be impossible not to have fun. Not when all of the bartenders and cocktail servers were having such a blast around me. It was totally contagious. I was completely taken off guard and amazed.

For my regular readers and all that know me well enough, you already know I am critical of service - especially in hospitality. To get me to the point of amazement is not an everyday occurrence. Something - some distracting flaw, will inevitably stop me in my tracks just a few feet short of amazed. But not yesterday. Hard Rock's espirit de corps put me in a great place and their smooth team work kept the enjoyment coming. Really. Here is some of what I experienced:

• Beyond 'smiling at the customer', Playfulness: And tons of it
  • Hard Rock plays cool tunes. The stuff you would find yourself singing along to if you were in the car or shower. And the staff sings their hearts out with the songs for all to enjoy - breaking out whenever inspiration strikes.
  • The music is appropriately loud. Your feet start tapping to the music. But the Hard Rock staff is completely dancing - in and out of the kitchen, down the aisle ways of the bar and behind the bar )I'm so glad the bartenders realize that is the closest thing to the stage in the establishment and act accordingly)
• Teamwork:
  • Most staffs refer to themselves as a 'team', but as a consumer, you don't usually feel the love between co-workers. Not at Hard Rock. I can't count how many times they "High-Fived" each other coming in and out of the kitchen. Nice and high & with some style, too.
  • I can hear them talking amongst each other. What was that? A compliment? Another compliment? Could it be these guys really like working with one another? Wow.
  • A former team member comes in and sits at the bar. (First of all, that says something when you no longer work somewhere and still choose to patronize that establishment) More high fives and he is treated like a returning dignitary. Standing behind me, I can hear the former team member talking to a current one. The current one goes on and on about why he loves working at Hard Rock and how much fun it is. I pull a compact mirror out of my purse to make sure the words, "I am an Experience Expert who writes reviews on service establishments" are not emblazoned on my forehead. Unbelievable and totally genuine. How cool.
• Service:
  • Nothing went wrong. Seriously - nothing. All sequence of service steps followed perfectly well and in appropriate timing - Down to marking the table with silverware prior to food delivery which often gets missed in bars.
  • Nice training - The bartender attempted to upsell me both on the drink and appetizer order. Actually, twice on the appetizer order. I didn't really want the upsell items, but I was so impressed, I had to say yes for the effort (that's a good thing).
  • Excellent training - They carded me. Never mind how old I am, just know that I don't usually get carded...ever. It's a good practice and I must admit, any woman somewhere around my age would be happy to be in that circumstance.
  • Team Service - I did not 'belong' to a server or bartender regarding service. Within 60 seconds of me taking my last sip, 3 different team members asked if another was on its way. Wow. That is service
• Personalization:
  • Here's where it gets extra-cool: The staff didn't just engage playfully with one another, they engaged the guests as well - like me. The bartenders noted when certain music videos turned my head, and acknowledged my enjoyment of the artist, with a little extra song and dance added in for good measure.
  • My drink re-order took a couple of extra minutes. They pro-actively advised me that it would - they had to pull another bottle of something to make it..."special for me". I think the next line was "A special drink for a special lady". Said playfully so it was fun and not cheesy or creepy...
  • I was thanked by 4 different team members for coming in and the door was opened for me on the way out. Nice.

The bottom line is that having fun at work rocks. Not only do the guests enjoy the interplay and great energy that comes from the positive, playful nature of the team members, they find it completely contagious. And I bet the internal loyalty and team member satisfaction is higher, too.

And here's what I find interesting. So many organizations are afraid to have play as a part of work in fear of productivity and attention to detail suffering. My experience, yesterday included, has been the opposite: When team members add play to their responsibilities (coupled with great leadership), they stay more engaged and focused on a regular basis - and truly great experiences are created minute by minute.

"To spread the spirit of rock 'n roll by creating authentic experiences that rock" That is the Hard Rock Mission Statement. Mission Accomplished. --Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO

Here's the review stats of the downtown Phoenix Hard Rock Bar:

Esthetic (5 stars)

Entertainment (5 stars)

*Note - this review is for the bar experience only. The restaurant experience level of engagement and entertainment did not seem to be the same

Education (3 stars)

Escapist (4 stars)

Customer Service & Internal Commitment to Brand Promise (5 stars)

Overall Experience Rating: 4 1/2 stars

5 stars: exceptional, 4 stars: excellent, 3 stars - good, 2 stars: below expectations, 1 star: needs work

Hard Rock Cafe

3 South 2nd Street, Suite 117

Phoenix, AZ 85004

602-261-7625

www.hardrock.com