Wednesday, November 16. 2016
READ: How to Use Online Reviews to Create the Ultimate Guest Experience
A restaurant’s success depends on the guest experience. In order to create the ideal guest experience, however, restaurants must engage with their guests by using a customer feedback strategy that includes online reviews.
WATCH: The History of the Hamburger
Hamburgers, they’re on every menu at restaurants to a backyard cookout. But how did they become so popular? Find out in less than sixty seconds.
DOWNLOAD: FOOTBALL PREVIEW NOVEMBER 19-20
Week 12 in NCAA and Week 11 in the NFL promise to be defining for post season play. From hot match-ups to games that matter to you locally, this week’s football preview is ready for you to download. Just click here to get ready for some football! Click your timezone below to view.
EASTERN | CENTRAL | MOUNTAIN | PACIFIC
DID YOU KNOWS…
Food Science!
Watch Alton Brown & Stephen Colbert make pumpkin spice latte ice cream in 10 seconds. Seriously. Watch it. It’s amazing.
INFOGRAPHIC: What Happens in the Smartphone After Life?
Do you plan on upgrading your smartphone this holiday season? Across the world, many people purchase the latest and hottest smartphone without giving the fate of their old model a second thought. That results in countless older devices languishing in corners collecting dust. According to a report from Blanco, however, most smartphones do actually get a new lease of life after their owners move onto the latest and snappiest gadget.
Unified (At Last)
Facebook us launching a new feature that combines your Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram messages all into one inbox. This is great news for restaurants that get a lot of work in with their social media efforts.
NOT SO FAST!
Why it matters to you: Be the change.
Remember Morgan Spurlock? Well, the man made famous by eating McDonald’s every day for 30 days is starting his own fast food joint! The spot will be called Holy Chicken and will debut this weekend in Columbus, Ohio. They’ll be raising their own chickens that are free of antibiotics and raised humanely and sustainably. Bucking the standard seems to be the trend du jour. We’re curious to see how well this sustainable vertically integrated endeavor will do.
CHILI’S-GATE: DAY TWO
Why it matters to you: Chili’s shows their best side in managing this bad situation
Yesterday, we referred you to the experience that Ernest Walker had this past Friday as he visited a Dallas-area Chili’s to claim his complimentary meal as an armed forces veteran. You may remember the manager who ripped the carryout meal from Mr. Walker because another guest questioned the veracity of his claiming to be a veteran. Chili’s corporate office has responded, after their investigation, by putting the manager on leave and delivering a personal apology to Mr. Walker. Kelli Valade said, “We took swift action and immediately removed our manager from the restaurant. We are now in the process of working with Mr. Walker on a resolution that promotes trust and healing.” Well done Chili’s and thank you for getting this right for all of us to see.
IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD
Why it matters to you: New President, new rules. How are you handling post-election discord in your restaurant?
In the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump’s election, there have been widely reported incidences of racism, homophobia, and misogyny. To date, our industry hadn’t produced any stories that were worthy of reporting…until now! Given it’s been just a week since the election, it didn’t take very long; which makes it no less disheartening. Start with the restaurant in Brooklyn New York, where a diner incensed by what he perceived to be an anti-Trump discussion by a neighboring table, eventually got angry enough to punch a woman in the face. In fact, the operator of this restaurant did an admirable job trying to separate the gentleman’s (description applied loosely) party from the two women who were offending him. He left the restaurant only to return and attack one of the women.
Couple that with the TGI Friday’s Michigan server in Kalamazoo Michigan that received a hate-filled note in lieu of a gratuity. TGI Friday’s offered this thought, “Now is the time for everyone to come together. We're focused on making sure every guest and team member feels cared for, valued and respected.” Great sentiment, but it’s going to take more than that to manage the vitriol this election has left. We can only do the things the manager in Brooklyn did, such as separating disagreeing parties and trying to diffuse volatile conversations where they appear. In the end, you are subject to whatever mood a person is in when they appear for service. Let’s hope that mood lightens a bit or this won’t be the last of these stories we cover.
GUESTS, THEIR OWN WORST ENEMY
Why it matters to you: Sometimes long waits just aren’t your fault.
Recently a New York restaurant was experiencing negative reviews from long waits and other complaints about service. This occurred despite increased staff, a simplified menu and the number of customers remaining unchanged. In order to figure out the cause, the restaurant compared security footage from 10 years prior to current footage.
What they found was astonishing. Ten years ago the average time at the table was 65 minutes. Today, it’s almost double that, but why? Smartphones. A comparison of security footage showed that guests today take twice as long to order their food, waste server’s time with questions about the Wi-Fi password and send food back to be reheated because of food photography. Technology is a double-edged sword. Despite food prices dropping, perhaps prices should go up to account for the time guests are wasting at the table.