Coffee With Danny

"It's frustrating,Chuck," said Danny. "My client has been in business for roughly half a century, and does the same thing year after year." Danny Gilbert is a sales representative for his home-town radio station. He's worked there for the last seventeen years.

"What's he do?" I asked.

"Every time his business slows down, he cancels his advertising," Danny told me.

Ah. Good move," I said, sarcastically. "The train isn't moving fast enough, so let's unhook the engine."

Danny looked at me, and said, "It's even worse than that. He's admitting that he really doesn't believe that advertising works. Think about it: here's a man who spends over $100,000 a year to advertise his business, and he doesn't really believe it works."

For the next few minutes Danny and I sat and drank our coffee in silence. There really was nothing more to say.

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My Father's Example

Last Thursday I was sitting in an Austin seafood restaurant with Wizard of Ads ® partners John Cassidy-Rice (Wizard of Ads, England) and Dave Young (Why We Blog). I mentioned that my father is my hero. "He's the man I want to be when I grow up," I told them.

To the best of my knowledge my Dad has never said an unkind thing about another human being. The closest thing he's ever come to criticism of any one in my presence was "I don't think I'd have done it that way."

I'll come back to Dad in a moment. First, though, let's follow up on The Keg Steakhouse and Bar in Fort Worth, which I wrote about on February 4. You recall that my wife had become a customer evangelist for The Keg after just one visit. I shall now confess that I've become one, too.

After our first visit, I got a postcard in the mail. The postcard front had a collage of photos of folks eating and drinking and having a good time.

It had The Keg's address and the words, "Just a short note to thank you, Chuck!"

Flip it over and it said: "Thank you for joining our guest list. We take pride in serving great steaks and making our guests feel really comfortable. We look forward to seeing you again soon Chuck."

It was signed "Cheers, Aldo Boada, General Manager." I'm rather impressed. Nice follow-up.

Then, I got the birthday invitation. It opened with: "Happy Birthday Chuck!" and then promised a delicious present from The Keg Steakhouse & Bar.

On the flip side it reads "We invite you to come to The Keg Steakhouse & Bar during the month of March and enjoy a complementary Sirloin Steak (9oz) and Lobster Dinner. We look forward to helping you celebrate your birthday, Chuck."

This one didn't have Aldo's signature. It closed with The Keg's address and phone number.

Wow. Free steak and lobster dinner. No "only good between these hours" or "buy one, get one." Just a simple "celebrate your birthday with dinner on us." Pretty impressive.

Of course, we all know that I won't be celebrating my birthday alone. The Lovely Mrs. McKay will accompany me. Perhaps we'll invite our friends Kim and Roger to meet us there. So, they give away one dinner and sell three more. I know from a similar program that I set up for Richie's Diner in Victorville, California a few years ago that they're likely to make a modest profit on this promotion... even after giving away one of the more expensive items on the menu.

The Keg rocks!

Ok, back to dinner with John and Dave in the Austin seafood restaurant. As we were getting ready to leave, William the waiter handed me an envelope. On the front it says:

"Are you hooked yet? Just to make sure, we've stuffed this envelope with shameless ploys to reel you back in."

The back is sealed with a sticker which reads: "You've hooked a big one! But... to claim your catch you must open the envelope at the table on your next visit. Come in between March 20th and April 20th to celebrate your big catch."

The fine print at the bottom of the sticker states: "Envelopes that are not opened at the table are not valid. Contents of the envelope valid March 20-April 20, 2005. Not Valid on 3/27/05. May not be combined with any other offer. Limit one per table."

Humm. I'm somewhat skeptical. First, the envelope doesn't feel "stuffed" with shameless ploys. Second, I have to come back and make another purchase to see what's inside.

As you might guess, I didn't bring it back between March 20-April 20. I opened it when I got to the parking lot. The envelope contained a letter and a coupon.

First, the letter:

"Dear Guest,

"Congratulations on your big catch! The (restaurant) team wants to thank you for being a great guest! We hope you consider (restaurant) your very own fishing spot - a place where the surroundings are as comfy as your favorite flannel shirt.

"We're excited about our new menu selections. If you haven't had a chance yet, we recommend our savory new Campfire Ribs, flavorful Tilapia Ponchartrain, or tender NY Strip. Let us know what you think of the new items. And remember your Fish is our Command ®, so if there is anything you'd like we'll be happy to make it just for you.

"We're also working on a great happy hour.. So if you haven't had a chance to try our (restaurant)-Rita made with real citrus juices, your chance is coming.

"Again, thank you for being our guest! If there is anything that my self or the (restaurant) team can do to improve your (restaurant) experience, please let us know. We want your time with us to rock.

"Best Fishes, (name) Chef Manager."

Humm. A blatant sales pitch. Oh, well, let's see what I've won.

(In my best Ben Stein voice): Wow. A free appetizer.

Can't have the oysters, though. And it isn't good on March 27. That's Easter Sunday, I believe.

Interesting, isn't it. Here's a seafood restaurant that has a great atmosphere, friendly and helpful wait staff, and excellent food. Not expensive, but certainly not your neighborhood coffee shop. With tip, we dropped about $100, and all enjoyed the meal.

Had it not been for the envelope they handed me on the way out, I'd probably be writing to you about the seafood restaurant three Wizard of Ads ® partners enjoyed in Austin. Instead, I'm telling you that I'm miffed. They're trying to bribe me with an appetizer. I have to come back at a time of their choosing and purchase another dinner to get it. And even then I'm restricted in my choices... in case I'd pick one that costs too much.

This is a critical point: I am not upset that they didn't offer me a free meal as The Keg did. Not at all.

I'm upset that they'd assume I would sell my loyalty and my time for the price of a cheap appetizer.

And they cheapened my memory of that evening.

To quote my dad, "I don't think I'd have done it that way."

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Customer Service Equals Two Letter Grades

Have you ever heard of The Keg restaurant? How about the third season of The Apprentice? They will be forever linked in my mind.

I spent last weekend in Cincinnati, where my brother-in-law is responsible for my current case of projection TV envy. His is incredible! Crisp. Detailed. Over 100 inches wide. We watched The Apprentice in high definition. I will confess that there’s something fascinating about seeing The Donald larger-than-life when he says “You’re fired!”

Seems the two teams had been assigned to fixing up and running a couple of run-down motels on the Jersey shore. The each had $20,000 for renovation, and 48 hours in which to do so.

In my opinion both teams did a less than spectacular job of making those rooms acceptable. No one bothered to clean the carpets, for instance. The judging was done by guests who had spent the night. They were asked to rate the facility and its staff on a scale of 1 – 5.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The street smart team, Net Worth, may have actually produced better looking rooms. Net Worth was judged by the guests at an average 2.92 out of 5.0. The book smart team, Magna, with no better facility, managed a rather impressive 3.96 on that same scale.

The difference? As the guests checked in, the Magna team personally invited them to come out and join a party at about 8pm. They hung around the pool, drank a few beers, and made everyone feel as if they were part of the group. This sense of belonging added a full 1.04 to their score. Another way to score it was: Magna 79.2%, Net Worth 58.4%.

Humm. So, personal attention, treating customers as if they’re important, was the difference between a low “C” and an “F.”

Our weekend in Cincinnati ended. The Lovely Mrs. McKay and I packed our bags, kissed everyone goodbye, and with one last wistful look at the brother-in-law’s TV we flew back into DFW. Early flight… long layover in Detroit… we landed hungry. Pulled off Loop 820 on the way home for a quick stop at Best Buy, and noticed “The Keg” steakhouse on the other side of the parking lot.

I knew nothing about The Keg. I’ve never seen any advertising for the place. They had NO image in my mind. My first impression of The Keg was “This is a nice place for special occasions.” It’s not a restaurant I’d have chosen when I was hungry and in a hurry to get home. But, we were already there. We were definitely hungry. We opted to “spoil” ourselves and stay for the prime rib.

As the hostess seated us she asked if we’d ever visited them before. When we said “no,” she pulled out a couple of quick forms to add us to their mailing list, and to make us eligible for a free steak and lobster dinner on our respective birthdays. Our waiter, Chad, introduced himself and took our drink orders. Then the manager on duty, Brandon, came by with huge prawns in cocktail sauce. He introduced himself, and said that Chad had informed him that it was our first visit. Would we please accept this shrimp cocktail with his complements?

The food arrived, and was wonderful. Chad had recommended a three-cheese butter for my baked potato that moved my diet from “way of life” to “fond memory.”

Now, again, this would not have normally been a place I’d have taken the Lovely Mrs. McKay for anything short of a special occasion. But then, they treated us as if we were special. She’s now occupied identifying even more special occasions so that we can justify a quick return.

The moral? The same as the Apprentice episode. Customer service can raise your grade by at least 20%. When the product is marginal, but the service is good, customers will perceive your overall value to be fair. But when the product is good, and the customer service is even better, you turn your customers into evangelists. They’ll be winning people over for you. We hadn’t even left the parking lot before the Lovely Mrs. McKay was on the cell phone making the first of two calls in which she raved about the place.

Do people not do business with you because they don’t know about you? Or is it because they do? It’s what my partner Roy Williams calls the Personal Experience Factor.

My complements to Dustin Marshall, the General Manager of the Keg Restaurant, 5760 Southwest Loop 820, Ft. Worth. I’ve never met the man, but I’ve met his staff, and together they run an excellent facility.

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What makes people do the things they do? Can advertising really change how customers think and feel? The simple truth is that most advertising isn't working like it should. But why not?

BUSINESS OWNERS - You're invited to a free, all-day seminar to be held April 5 at the Wizard Academy in Austin, Texas, entitled, "Advertising: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why." This seminar will answer your questions about what to expect from the marketplace this year and beyond.

For more information, call 512-295-5700 or email Coordinator@WizardAcademy.com.

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