by John McCabe

Ask any business owner what they do. You’ll get a pretty predictable answer…

I’m in the restaurant business.

I own a car dealership.

I sell my digital books on the Internet.

I’m a consultant.

And so on…

While those answers may be technically correct, they miss the mark I’m aiming for. You, along with all of the above, are in the SAME business.

You provide customer experiences for a price. The quality of the experience you provide is what will tell the tale of your long term success.

Here’s an example…

A local steakhouse offered me a free appetizer if I would purchase a meal. Good offer, and one I took them up on. Last night, I cashed in the coupon I printed out and called in a take-out order.

When I arrived at the restaurant, the parking lot was jammed. Fortunately for me, they reserve on spot by the door for picking up takeaway orders. I parked and went inside.

I told the hostess I was there to pick up my order to go. She smiled and said, “You must be John.” I admitted that it was indeed me. As she took my coupon, I noticed a bag sitting on the bench near the hostess stand. Could that be my dinner, sitting there getting cold?

To complicate matters, I was using a gift card to pay part of my tab. The hostess checked my balance, told me how much remained, and collected some cash. Then she disappeared.

Several minutes later, the hostess returned. Apparently, only the manager on site had authority to accept these coupons and ring up gift cards. I was told that the manager would be back in a moment with my change. I confirmed that the bag on the bench was, indeed, my order and had been sitting on the bench since it came out of the kitchen.

The hostess left to seat a party that came in while I waited. When she returned this time, I was told that the manager was busy at the bar, and would appear with my change as soon as she could.

Returning to her station to yet again find me standing there, she asked if the manager had brought me my change yet. When I told her no, she ran down the manager (who I never actually laid eyes on) and brought my change herself.

Almost 20 minutes after arriving, I was finally on my way…

My point in telling this story isn’t just to moan about the service I received. The restaurant did some things right, and fell down on others.

My point is that the experience they provided on this one occasion is probably not the one the owners would have preferred I have. If I didn’t know from past visits that they are capable of better, I would not return. They also didn’t know how big a forum I might have, nor how many people I might tell about my experience. For all they knew, my tale might have appeared in the local paper the next day.

In this particular instance, just providing good food wasn’t enough.

So what did they do right?

1. They have an email club, so they can provide special offers and rewards not available to the general public. This fosters a sense of membership and privilege.

2. They have a reserved space for take-out customers. A little touch that says the takeaway customer is important.

3. The hostess was friendly and knowledgable. She was aware of the offer, and gladly accepted it. Big corporations fall down on this one all the time. The marketing department runs a promotion, and neglects to tell the people who have to redeem thoe offer.

4. The order was packed in a way to preserve as much food quality as possible. And the food itself was tasty.

Where did they blow it?

1. Leaving the food out on a public bench, often unattended as the hostess went about her job seating people. Much better to have kept the order someplace safe and warm, back in the kitchen.

2. They didn’t give the person serving the order the authority to process the payment. In my mind, this is like making all the wait staff stand in line so the manager can operate the register.

3. The manager placed a very low priority on my order. She ignored me to tend to something else while I stood in the entry area. Had I been a little more vindictive, I could have stirred up a lot of trouble by telling every party that came in behind me how I was treated.

4. The manager herself never did make an appearance, nor did she offer anything by way of apology. She left that chore to the hostess.

With all the things this steakhouse did right, I should have had an experience I’d want to brag about. Instead, I’m using this business as the example of what not to do, and posting it for the world.

So how do you avoid the same fate in your business?

First, decide that customer experience is a high priority. That includes all of your customers. The guy with the single dinner take-out order could be an important reviewer or blogger with the power to send you lots of business, or ruin you.

Second, give your front line staff the ability to handle the things they will encounter. Had the hostess simply had the authority to ring me up and send me on my way, this article may never have been written.

Third, when you screw up, cowboy up and opologize. Make an appearance and say you’re sorry. Don’t hide behind a front line employee and let them take the verbal bullet you deserve.

In an era where there are more competitors than ever, and people are watching their dollars closely, having a decent product isn’t enough anymore. It’s the cost of entry into the game. To win, you have to delight your customers. Preferably over and over and over and…

Get John’s free report “A Ridiculously Easy Way to Add Profits and Multiply the Return on Your Advertising Dollar in Only 10 Days” at http://bobbermarketing.com/free-report-by-email . John helps small businesses increase sales and profits while reducing expenses by integrating online marketing techniques with offline guerilla marketing.

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