GUESTS: How to Encourage Your Guests to Write the Perfect Review
There’s no doubt that reviews are an important part of the restaurant industry. The majority of American consumers look for online reviews, meaning those five-star ratings can affect whether a potential guest visits your restaurant or the bar & grill down the road. But how do we get them? How do restaurants influence guests to leave rave reviews on websites like Yelp, Facebook, and Google? The answer is as simple as it is not-easy – encourage your guests to leave reviews. Simple solution, right? Alas, it may not always feel so easy.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Beer Boycott?
Another example of what can happen when companies dive head first into the current political pool. A swath of beer drinks are boycotting Yuengling after its owner endorses Donald Trump for a second term. It resulted in a blowback from Yuengling fans as well as local lawmakers, and some bars have take the popular beer off tap. Anyways, depending on the general political populace of your area, you may see a decline in Yuengling sales.
Hair Anti-Discrimination Law
California lawmakers have voted unanimously to pass a bill banning discrimination against natural hair. The bill makes it illegal for CA employers to tell employees they can’t wear their hair as it exists naturally, including “afros, braids, twists, and locks” – traditional representations of Black hair. New York City passed a similar bill earlier this year.
America’s Post 9/11 Medal of Honors
23 American servicemen have received the Medal of Honor since 9/11 -- nine of them posthumously. Earlier this week, former Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia became the first living veteran of the war in Iraq to receive the prestigious medal -- the five others all received it posthumously.
UNDERSTANDING FACEBOOK ADS FROM THE HEAD (LINE) ON DOWN
Why it matters to you: Facebook Ads are an important vehicle for promoting your business, but you have to understand them to use them.
In the coming weeks we will be featuring a new regular contributor to The Daily Rail, Nick Fosberg of Bar Restaurant Success. Nick is expert in Facebook advertising for restaurants and bars and will provide his insights on best practices for our industry. Of course, until then, Facebook advertising sounds like a good idea, but how many of you actually know how to execute an effective campaign on the social media giant? The folks at Entrepreneur know your pain and that is why they offer this seven step guide to getting started with Facebook Ads. This blog breaks down into simple steps the basics of Facebook Ads from both a technical level and some simple strategies as well.
One key take away is setting your advertising goals before you start. This can be as basic as whether you want to make an offer, inform them about an event, or boost your current content. Additionally, the author focuses issues from understanding how to set a budget to identifying your target audience. Our favorite, however, is acknowledgement of the importance of your headline. At The Daily Rail, we deal in headlines a lot and we can tell you from experience a good one makes all the difference in the world. So, we will be covering in significant detail the value of Facebook Ads in the coming week, but you can start here to get a little early studying on the subject done.
[Source: Entrepreneur]
IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR [Song]
Why it matters to you: Hiring family is fraught with risk
If you currently employ family members then you are familiar and comfortable with nepotism. For some that term will conjure images of Jared Kushner, but the original term is from Catholic Popes hiring their nephews to important positions in the church. While your restaurant is no house of worship, it is a place that both your staff and community rely on for some level of service. As a credible leader, you need to think long and hard about whether hiring family is the thoughtful choice for staffing your business. Sometimes there are positives, because these folks feel a familial connection to your business. Unfortunately, it can equally go wrong when someone you expect to take a dedicated approach does the polar opposite.
My own experience veered more toward the negative with one cousin I hired blowing off a Friday shift to catch a concert after we had blacked out the date for time-off requests. Our staff looked at us like we didn’t have a clue and that was an unpleasant realization. That’s why we beseech you to consider a few things before bringing on a family member. Start with the potential personal costs of giving professional direction to a family member. They are also going to expect more flexibility and understanding (just ask my cousin who was flabbergasted when we fired her). It can also lead to a relative taking the job, because they feel an obligation to you as a family member, which might be a terrible choice for them. Either way, it’s just not worth hurting your non-family staff or your relatives by hiring family. This one should be a hard pass.
[Source: Nightclub & Bar]
