The big question: How’s business going?

March 14, 2012

I make it a point to pose the following question to an unsuspecting waiter, hostess, cook, or ‘owner-looking’ person:

How’s business going?

The question freezes most in their tracks.  I guess they are so accustomed to hearing complaints and groans from customers that a genuine question is startling.  This is a departure from the standard fare: “The weather sure is warm today.”

When 'THE' question is asked, how will you respond?

Typical responses:

“Oh, fine. I guess.”

“We’ve been fairly steady. I think it’ll pick up later.”

“It’s a little slow now, but I am hopeful.”

“Great. We’ve been steady all day.”

“Oh, I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the manager.”

If you’re a manager, owner of an establishment, what’s your coaching to employees about how to answer this question?

Should you lie and say “everything’s rosy” all the time?

Should you give your honest assessment?

Should you gently smile and say the first thing that comes to mind?

I believe an employee should be honest, but sprinkle in some optimism.

For example, if the first person to walk into your establishment for the day asks the question: “How’s business?”

Don’t respond: “It’s been very slow. You are the first person to visit us today.”

Try: “We expect great things today; we have some great specials available on some of our most popular products. What brought you in our store today?”

Immediately, the employee has engaged with the customer and starts to understand his needs while introducing some of the fantastic offers available. This friendly tone won’t seem fake or pushy. The customer ‘should’ see this as warm, genuine conversation from someone who has his best interests at heart. In a world that’s sometimes too cynical and sarcastic, you’ll stand out with a fresh dose of optimism and enthusiasm.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Leave a Comment » | advertising, community, convenience stores, customer experience, Customer Service, marketing, shopping, user experience, welcome | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dan Naden

@Disney: 3 ways to turn your wait in line into a world of wonderment

February 1, 2012

Waiting in line for something thrilling is sometimes difficult.

Your mind races with excitement in anticipation of what’s next.

  • The movie premiere that you’ve been longing to see is now just 30 minutes away.
  • The newest version of the iPhone that you can’t live without just went on-sale and you are nearly to the front of the line.
  • The clock on your oven counts down 5,4,3,2,1 signaling that your juicy, succulent Thanksgiving turkey is about ready.

As I recently stood in line to ride the much-hyped Disney World coaster, Expedition Everest, “The Waiting”, a familiar song from a Florida native son, Tom Petty bounced through my head:

“The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part.”

Waiting in line is time-consuming at Disney, although not nearly as bad as expected when I saw the immense group of visitors. The crowds were heavy during our stay, yet, surprisingly, we never waited for more than 30 minutes for a ride – sometimes even without a Fast Pass.

The Alphabet of Fun should start with D for Disney.

The wait for Expedition Everest was one of the longer ones, yet once immersed within the world of Yeti footprints, Himalayan explorers and snow-capped peaks time seems to melt away. You find yourself pondering the existence of the Yeti instead of searching for a clock, which you’ll be hard-pressed to find at Disney World.

@Disney: Why not try these ideas to make wait times seem even shorter and thrill the customer in the process?

  1. Can characters entertain the guests as they wait in line? The youngsters might want to frolic with Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, but I am thinking more characters that are true to the theme. How about a pirate mingling with the line as they wait for the Pirates of the Caribbean? Or a bearded explorer in search of the Yeti for the masses waiting for Expedition Everest?
  2. I realize I am biased living in Austin, Texas, the live musical capital of the world, but can Disney World weave music into the experience of waiting? The Pirates of the Caribbean already has an entire movie soundtrack guaranteed to make everyone say, “AARRRGGGGHHH.” Music over the loudspeaker could add ambiance, but imagine the impact of a live band playing imposing ‘pirate music.’
  3. Surprise customers that had to wait the longest for a ride on Space Mountain with a Fast Pass to another great ride at the resort. You’ll turn a happy customer into a Disney evangelist.

The customer service of Disney is legendary in concept and execution. Despite the lines, I’ll still wait for the rides and shows at Disney World. The thrills that await are unforgettable. Perhaps trying a few new customer experience angles will even enhance its excellence.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Leave a Comment » | community, Connection, customer experience, Customer Service, Disney, family, Kid-friendly | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dan Naden

Sea World presents a charming day…with a catch

January 4, 2012

I am surrounded by Cookie Monster, Elmo and Bert, as they dance to a catchy tune about letters and numbers. For a moment, I think about throwing caution to the wind and join in the two step. The furry creatures that taught me the ABCs are now paving the path for the next generation and I can’t really control myself.

The smiles on our children’s faces are as wide as Texas.

The live shows were a dazzling display of beauty and strength.

Recently, the family spent a spectacular day at Sea World San Antonio on a mild late summer day. The sun beat loud and proud on that day.

This treasured day, however, almost didn’t happen.

Our plan was simple:

-Open the doors to the park at 10am.

-Stay until exhaustion beat us down.

 The skies on that particular Saturday morning, however, were hostile. Drizzle and fog dampened all spirits. The previous night’s rain, thunder and lightning displays were legendary.

After a few hours of wishing, hoping, praying that the rain would stop, we caught a break.

The skies lightened just enough to let us into the park around noon.

Despite our late start, we were ambitious about our pursuit of trying every ride, coaster, game that was available at Sea World San Antonio. With the park featuring Halloween hours and events (until 10pm), we believed that we had plenty of time to ‘give it a go’.

We petted the sting rays, bobbed and weaved on the Shamu Express roller coaster, laughed on the merry-go-round, and marveled at the artistry and acrobatics of Azul. Azul was a major departure from your typical dolphin show. Talented professionals swam, dove, climbed, soared against a majestic backdrop of light, color, sound.  Unbelievable.

Even I tested his nerves on the jaw-dropping Steel Eel. As I made the slow, methodical incline prior to the ride’s steepest drop, I wondered, “Why am I doing this?” When it was over, I was ready to do it again!

Then, unexpectedly at 5pm, we heard this over the park’s loudspeaker:

“Attention please; because of inclement weather earlier in the day, the park will be closing at 6pm today. All Hallowscream activities are cancelled for tonight.”

The words: “What?”, “Huh?” could be heard reverberating around the park.

This was a surprise in the worst way.

I realize weather plays a significant role in the unpredictable schedules of most of these amusements parks, yet we wouldn’t have made the decision to enter the park around noon (at full price!) if we knew the day was only six hours long instead of ten hours. With the sky clearing, it didn’t cross our mind that the park would close early.

Most likely, we’ll return to Six Flags San Antonio for some stupendous fun. This bout of unfortunate, nearly unfathomable, news probably put a frown on the furry faces of Cookie Monster, Elmo and Bert as well as on the faces of the Austin visitors.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

1 Comment | advertising, Atmosphere. Customer Service, Communication, community, customer experience, Customer Service, knowing your customers, marketing to kids, Texas | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dan Naden

Get personal and watch a person light up

October 3, 2011

The scene: Two workers decompress over a beer at a local conference’s happy hour.

When this conversation ends, what will anyone remember?

“So, what do you do?” says the bespectacled middle manager #1. The grey in his hair is slight, yet his face’s wrinkles signify many years of hard work.

“Oh, I am an engineer,” responds middle manager #2. His hip backpack with electronic gadgets and artsy glasses hint that he’s new to the working world.

“Where do you work?” says manager #1, sipping slowly from his ice cold green bottle of Heineken.

“ICE Wonder Corporation,” responds the engineer. “I just started there after I finished school last fall.”

The conversation drags slowly along, finally crashing to a halt with the inevitable exchange of business cards; two people with so much potential and opportunity never to cross paths again. There’s a ‘chance’ that new business was generated, a referral was brokered, career advice was shared. More than likely, however, there’s very little that managers #1 and #2 will remember about one another when the happy hour ends.

Ask these types of questions and watch a person grow:

  • What do you like to do on the weekends?
  • What’s been your favorite vacation spot?
  • When have you felt most alive?

It’s fine to talk ‘work’. After all, it’s what’s pays the bills. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll meet a person and you ’just click’. You laugh, swap stories, enjoying the company the entire time.

If not, crack into authenticity by using the above questions to find out if that engineer is:

–the world’s greatest Nascar fan
–a season ticket holder for your favorite football team, Chicago Bears
–a die hard 30 Rock viewer (he’s never missed an episode!)

Not everyone will feel comfortable getting personal. That’s ok; it’s their choice. Keep at it. Find connection points even if they are far away from the 9-to-5. If it works, you’ll forge a strong professional connection while uncovering the uniqueness that lives inside each of us.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

2 Comments | attitude, Communication, communications, community, Conversation, Conversing, Friendliness, group communication, improvement, knowing your customers | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dan Naden

Learning from Central Market: Sights, sounds and smells that make you spend

September 12, 2011

Watermelon juice

High-quality, corn-fed Angus beef

Fluffy, moist Blackberry muffins

Hungry?

Central Market in Austin, Texas makes shopping a dazzling carnival for the senses.

Who can say no to this sensational spread of veggies?

It’s not shopping; it’s experiencing. The idea of ‘how much does that cost?’ is quickly replaced by thoughts of:

  • Look at all those kinds of salsa.
  • Can you believe they have Green Chile gelato?
  • I’ve never seen such fresh-looking fruits and vegetables.
  • Look at the impressive seafood selection.

Before you know it, your cart is full and your belly growls in anticipation of some delicious treats.

You may glance at prices, yet once it’s in your cart, it’s a done deal.

This freshness, selection, variety comes at a premium; you may sense a ping of buyer’s remorse as you exit the stunning grocery layout. But how did Central Market do it? How did they get me to spend generously for many ‘run of the mill’ grocery items?

They got you, the buyer, to move beyond the basic, caveman question:

  •  How much does it cost?

Instead, you were thinking:

  • That’s the freshest swordfish I’ve ever seen. I always wanted to grill swordfish. Let’s do it.
  • Wow. There are like 20 different salsas there. There has to be one that I like. Look at how vibrant they look. I already have a few bags of chips at home. Sold.

Central Market, like other smart grocers, brought emotion into the sometimes mundane, routine world of grocery shopping. Many a shopper has ditched his list in favor of splurging on pastries, gelato, fresh pizza, gourmet beer. This wasn’t just clever end-cap positioning, but a comprehensive store and concept layout to tickle the senses.

Let’s step away from the grocery store for a minute. Can you bring emotion into play with your unique selling proposition? Can you get your buyers away from the fickle world of price comparison and into the world of problem-solving and pain reduction?

Think before and after. Before: I have catastrophic, costly network issues that could cause my business to crater. After: I lead without stress because I have a valuable system in place to keep my assets secure.

  • How much does the problem that you are trying to solve cost a business? (example: without network monitoring software your company’s network will seriously underperform, penalizing your business by about $XXXXXX/year)

You may not be selling delectable blueberry muffins, yet you can vividly experience the problems that your customers face and be there to guide them to safety.

Back to the grill; our Central Market pork tenderloin is ready to be turned.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

1 Comment | Austin food, community, groceries, marketing, shopping, store design, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dan Naden

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