Barry Chandler - The Bar Blogger » customer service

4 simple ways to educate your customers about what you sell

barblog — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:29:50 +0000

2-3 times a week I make the trip a few hundred feet from my office to Katzingers Deli for my lunch. The deli is an Ohio Landmark steeped in history and for my two cents serves up the best sandwiches in town.

What sets Katzingers apart from the competition (aside from their great food) is how they market the business internally. Here are just a few things they do that you could perhaps replicate in your business:

- While waiting to order in line, we are brought along shelves selling amazing Italian and artisan goodies that we could pick up on our way to checkout.

- There are samples of all their breads on shelves as you enter the deli so that you can purchase a loaf as well as just the sandwich.

- All the tables have tent cards with upcoming events.

- While waiting in line, a staff member never fails to appear with a tray of something else to taste. Today was butter pecan ice cream, yesterday was artisan chocolate and the day before was a goats cheese. Every time they do this I see somebody buy a full version of the sample.

Do you have any opportunities to replicate these simple-to-execute tasks?

I’m not the only fan of Katzingers. Check out what my neighbor Nate Riggs had to say about their amazing customer service here

There are always opportunities to sell more and diversify what your customers seek out. It’s just a matter of opening your eyes sometimes.

How Sticky Is Your Bar?

barblog — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:18:41 +0000

We got a great comment on our post about the iphone app that allows you to settle your bar tab directly from your phone and it got me thinking about what makes a bar sticky:

I Am Your Guest. Don’t Forget That

barblog — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:43:34 +0000

This Guest Charter is worth reading and remembering. As business owners and managers we need to remember the reason for being in business: The Guest

You often accuse me of carrying a chip on my shoulder, but I suspect this is because you do not entirely understand me. Isn’t it normal to expect satisfaction for one’s money spent? Ignore my wants and I will no longer appear in your restaurant. Satisfy those wants and I will become increasingly loyal. Add a little extra personal attention and a friendly touch and I will become a walking advertisement for you.

When I criticize your food and service to anyone who will listen, which I may do whenever I am displeased, take heed. I am not dreaming up displeasure. It lies in something I perceive you have failed to do to make my eating experience as enjoyable as I have anticipated. Eliminate that perception or you will lose my friends and me as well. I insist on the right to dine leisurely or eat in haste according to my mood.

I refuse to be rushed as much as I abhor waiting. This is an important privilege that my money buys. If I am not spending big money this particular time, just remember, if you treat me right I will return with a larger appetite, more money and probably with my friends.

I am much more sophisticated these days than I was just a few years ago. I’ve grown accustomed to better things and my needs are more complex. I’m perfectly willing to spend, but I insist on quality to match prices. I am above all, a human being. I am especially sensitive when I am spending money. I can’t stand to be snubbed, ignored or looked down upon.

Whatever my personal habits may be, you can be sure that I’m a real nut on cleanliness in restaurants. Where food is concerned I demand the strictest sanitation measures. I want my meals handled and served by the neatest of people and in sparkling clean dishes. If I see dirty fingernails, cracked dishes or soiled table clothes you won’t see me again.

You must prove to me again and again that I have made a wise choice in selecting your restaurant above others. You must convince me repeatedly that being a restaurant guest is a desirable thing in the first place. I can, after all, eat at home. So, you must provide something extra in food and service. Something so superior it will beckon me from my own table to yours. Do we understand each other?”

Help your customers find your power outlets!

barblog — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:49:27 +0000

Every time I walk into a bar or cafe with my laptop, you’ll find me walking around staring at the floor looking for a power outlet (“socket” for my European friends).

I’m not the only one. If you offer Wi-Fi (and any regular reader of this blog will know that I think you should), then five minutes spent observing the to-ing and fro-ing will show you countless other customers doing the same. It’s not a big problem until you start tripping over things you haven’t been watching out for and get accused of staring at people’s legs when all you want to do is get to a power supply before the twenty open windows on your computer that you’ve been meaning to save crash and disappear.

The Cafe I used as my office today have decided to make life that little bit easier for their customers by putting a little sign over each table that has a power supply beneath it. Simple and clever. No more staring at legs for me.