Posted by David McHattie on Tuesday, October 23, 2012,
In :
Marketing
Great marketing and clever advertising cannot paint over a poor experience
In fact it can make it worse. Your marketing and advertising is designed to create demand - to offer a promise of something appealing. But Beware..... Don't set an expectation that you cannot deliver on.
Whenever you build high expectations through your web site, your advertising or any piece of PR or marketing ensure you do not establish expectations that you cannot live up to.
Why? Because guest measure satisfaction as: Th... Continue reading ...
Actually in many ways it has never been this good and opportunity knocks for those who focus on what matters.
In 1978 there were only 3 TV channels. If we wanted to eat out our family choice was a Berni Inn or an independent Italian.
We had just purchased our first video recorder - for about £750! Hardly anyone travelled abroad and the proportion of people eating out of home was very small and largely to celebrate.I got my first computer in 1982 - a Dragon 32 - yes 32K - and my first mobile in... Continue reading ...
A Gastro Pub I visited recently charges £19.95 for a wine that is available from Amazon for £7.49
Is it worth it?
Let's simplify the thought process.
£12.26 for a rude and uncaring waitress to deliver it from point A to point B. Delivery is free from Amazon and 1st class in every way.
OK, I know I am stretching the point but when prices are set at such levels then there is a serious challenge : the experience on offer had better be worth it. In this case, it was most certainly not. Every ... Continue reading ...
I visited a restaurant last night, a relative new comer no doubt hoping to make an impression and grow from its existing 4 sites. Sadly I don't hold out much hope for a bright future.Why? The vacuous space had no ambiance, no music, wooden floors and no soft furnishings so with so few guests all there was were the hushed tones of guests trying to chat without sharing their conversation with everyone else. The issue was the team's insistence that arriving guests be seated in the same section ... Continue reading ...
Posted by David McHattie on Thursday, May 17, 2012,
In :
Marketing
At your peril! Visiting a hospitality business the other day it struck me how cynical and to be blunt - stupid, some people can be. I overheard the host proudly declaring they have no time for the Olympics - believing there is no benefit or legacy heading their way - that the costs were ludicrous - the ticket allocation flawed - there would be no legacy - that it was just a London thing. They are not wrong - with such an attitude that they are only too happy to wield to any who will listen i ... Continue reading ...
The hospitality industry spends £4,242 million on training each year according to the National Employment Survey The hospitality industry benchmark is 75.42% - thats 14.58% below the level required to gain recommendationsAccording to a recent Square Meal survey 45% of complaints are due to bad service87% of guests are unwilling to recommend - Customer Service Benchmarking report65% of employers report a need to improve customer service skills - National Employer Skills Survey again.So doesn't... Continue reading ...
Let me introduce the genius of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
In simple terms Maslow identified 5 levels of human needs - the ladder we all try to climb despite the many challenges cast in our way:
- Basic Needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep and yes sex.
- Safety Needs - protection, order, law, limits, stability
- Emotional Needs - family, affection, relationships
- Esteem Needs - achievement, status, responsibility, reputation
- Self Actualisation - personal growth and fulfillment
That thi... Continue reading ...
Satisfaction is derived when what the customer expects to get is at least matched by what the customer perceives they got
In a supermarket the label and appearance suggest what quality of beef burger the customer will get when they have cooked it. In a restaurant the menu, dish description, price and and environment suggest not only the quality but the service the guest can expect. Expectations are established. When these are met - when what the guest expects to get, is at least matched by wha... Continue reading ...
Only 13% of hospitality businesses are delivering experiences that cause guests to recommend and act as advocates but the latest insight offers hope for a further 30%.
While:
- Net Promoter research proves that 90% is the target score
- 87% of businesses are not delivering experiences worthy of recommendation
- 34% of businesses scored less than 60% - a level of dissatisfaction causing those guests to act as detractors - sharing the negative experience with friends and colleagues
The good news; a... Continue reading ...
While the laying down of processes and systems is essential be clear why you are doing so.You are doing so to stage the opportunities for team members to interact with and engage guests! Not because these are what the guests came for! The steps you outline are choreographed opportunities to sell the experience.
But Beware….. In identifying the customer service steps that will best service guests it is important to bear in mind that the delivery of the process can be easily ruined by scriptin... Continue reading ...
Hospitality Sector Benchmark rises to 75.42%
Hospitality businesses are in the business of delivering experiences, they are not in the beer, bed, burger or pizza business, these just happen to be products they offer. It is the emotional connection that is made with guests that causes them to become fans and provides competitive advantage. Delivering food, drink and / or accommodation to the standards demanded by guests in a clean and safe environment are simply minimum requirements.
Our rese... Continue reading ...
Part 1 of the our NEW Research Report is available today and reveals the true state of "The Customer Experience in the Hospitality Industry":
Some of the headlines include: - The Hospitality Sector Benchmark is 75.42% - 14.58% below the 90% target level.
- 13% of businesses act as sector assassins - creating “hospitality detractors”
- 34% of all experiences diminish future sales!
- 30% of businesses have competitive advantage within their grasp.
- Personality is the weakest performing area for the H...
Continue reading ...
During sessions with many operators and in my own personal experiences it is fair to say: "All too often the wheels fall off when its busy."Indeed I remember our first Mothering Sunday at The White Hart - the first of what became 200+ Vintage Inns. Late at night my wife and I sat down in front of the fire; bruised and battered after a tortuous day; and declared "it can never be like that again!"
The wheels had fallen off - the guests had not had the experience we had wanted to provide and th... Continue reading ...
Based on my personal experience as a guest and an operator, as well as having sight of 000's of mystery guest reports it seems clear to me that the approach to complaints needs to change.I believe the problem lies is in the base assumption of the team which is compounded by managements mistrust of the team.
The prevalent assumption or starting point when a complaint rears its ugly head often seems to be along the lines... OMG - another guest moaning. We did not get that wrong! Fixing this is go...
When was the last time you reviewed the experience in one of your businesses as a guest rather than as an infatuated owner or a super critical operator?Operators are typically the latter and I know my wife and children have said to me on more than one occasion: "Can you just be quiet please - we are having a really nice time - apart from you and criticisms" I also know as a result I am never allowed to sit facing the action. That's my penalty for failing to simply be a guest and focus on my ex... Continue reading ...
The Service Profit Chain is just simple good sense! Leading companies stay on top by managing their service profit chain. In simple terms:- It is about developing a working environment in which the team - carefully selected, highly capable and engaged - interact with guests to create massive value and competitive advantage.
- As a result guests remain loyal, they buy more, they visit more frequently, they tell others about your WOW experiences and are willing to share ideas for improvement includ...
Emotions drive value. “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
It's not the systems, processes and brand standards you adopt that create value, it's the emotional connection that the team develop which builds brands, advocacy and long term sales and profits. It's how you make guests feel - its being different - surprising them.
Systems and processes are developed to improve effic... Continue reading ...
We are in the hospitality industry & our role is to deliver experiences.
Safe, clean, a smile and a greeting are base requirements as are good food & drink or a comfy bed - they are all just the table stakes! Without personality hospitality businesses are simply expensive vending machines.
All too often, I and the majority of guests are faced with - "Yes - what can I get for you?" or Yes followed by a pause as they wait to be told the order. Unfortunately this occurs in the majority of guest ... Continue reading ...
Stephen Fry eloquently and simply captured the essence of pleasure when asked why he like ABBA. "Abba are very different and very special - the thing about them and one of the things you enjoy most in anything is when anything is better than it needs to be. He went on to explain that while they could have got away with so much less, "their songs have a quality that is far beyond what is needed to make good pop."
This notion is an excellent description of what marks excellent hospitality from a... Continue reading ...
Jim Collins was absolutely right when in the very first line of his excellent book "Good to Great" he asserted that "good is the enemy of great".
As a frequent and long-time operator and consumer of "hospitality"businesses, I have to declare that not only do I agree with the eminent Mr Collins but that my frustration almost gets the better of me every time I am asked "Is everything OK?" or "Was everything OK with your food?" Never far from the tip of my tongue is the following retort: "Yes, ... Continue reading ...
As I walk up the path, I am spotted and she's there opening the door - the biggest smile and open welcoming demeanour.Tea, coffee, a beer or a glass of wine? The offers start to flow even before I am settled into an extremely comfy chair. The fire is roaring, the kitchen is a hive of activity and ohhh the smells. No menu necessary I am having the usual - the days special. The aroma of freshly baked bread and scones is driving me wild, the stove is laden with pots of fresh veg, unctuous sauces... Continue reading ...
Posted by David McHattie on Saturday, February 11, 2012,
In :
Marketing
Standing at a concert one person soon realises they can see better by standing on their tip toes. In response the person behind stands on tip toes to be swiftly followed by everyone else, just to revert to the view they had to start with. Benefit over! For everyone!
Now think vouchers..... The first discounter gains an initial advantage but soon their activity encourages competitors to do the same (they feel they have to) - the net effect is soon no competitive volume advantage for anyone just ... Continue reading ...
I wait and wait. People join the queue behind me. The team seem to be moving at a snails pace today - unusual I think - my coffee is usually delivered swiftly. People behind and in front of me in the queue are sighing, becoming agitated and frustrated. Watches are being glanced at. As I get closer I realise the girl serving is a trainee, on her own. Now, I have no issue with people learning on the job, but some guidance and support is key. As I look around mentally willing someone to come and... Continue reading ...
A recent visit to a Mall offered an instructive "ugly experience" that illustrated the type of experience that could give any owner a headache.
'Oh great no queue' I thought so I approached the counter - no welcome or hello-how-are-you. The lady serving at the counter had her back to me and was engaged in a discussion with another team member who was facing me but he said not a thing. I was obviously invisible. They continued their little chat despite the fact I was less than 5ft away and st... Continue reading ...
A grey post-Christmas day in my local town returning unwanted presents amidst other equally fed-up looking shoppers - my usual pick-me in these situations is a tall skinny latte to go ( always with a straw ) from Costa or Starbucks or Nero or Pret.
I happened on the new Costa in the Parkway - was immediately faced with quite a queue and felt even more deflated.Never one to let a queue come between me and a latte I took up my place and was immediately drawn to the cheery Matthew behind the cou... Continue reading ...
Posted by David McHattie on Thursday, January 12, 2012,
In :
Social Media
Don't let the same happen to you or your business To all those organisations who have no social media strategy, are not embracing Facebook, twitter, You tube, LinkedIn or blogs or are, but think it's another channel on which they can simply pump out company or product propaganda - think again.
Just because I am old (or so my kids tell me) it does not mean I cannot embrace change. Not because I am an early adopter, rather .... some things are just no-brainers!
Blockbuster and Kodak missed what ... Continue reading ...
Posted by David McHattie on Friday, January 6, 2012,
In :
Marketing
The simple answer is I wouldn't have waited for 45 minutes in a disorganised shambles of a queue, in a grotty area with nothing to do but concern myself whether I am standing in the right area to get out of this as quickly as possible. I also wouldn't be reading notices which try and convince me that the reason for the long queues is because we have tightened security by asking more questions - a notion blown out of the water when the only words shared (when I finally made it to the desk) wer... Continue reading ...
Posted by David McHattie on Sunday, December 11, 2011,
In :
Marketing
Discounting is as insidious as a drug habit - if you are not careful.
When you are feeling low it's normal to seek a lift but choose the solution wisely - a shoulder to cry on or a wise head to talk to - not a line of cocaine that will eventually lead to addiction and ruination. I am told a drug provides a high - a short-term solution, but how long before you seek it out again? How long before the time between each high diminishes and you become an addict, a junkie with a drug problem?
Time... Continue reading ...
Any operator - particularly anyone who has been in the industry for any time will appreciate customers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are easily pleased some see themselves as budding Jay Rayner's - and everything in between. It has always been thus.
But social media has changed the rules or the dimensions of the playing field if not the game itself. There are some home truths that should be remembered in the midst of all the furore:
.....it enriches the customer experience and meets their inner motivations for deciding to sample your services in the first place.
We do not sell a commodity. I can buy a Budweiser for 61p at Asda or a Sirloin steak at Tesco for £4.07 - they do commodities very well.
We sell experiences and that’s why guests choose our industry. We satisfy human, emotional needs - to relax, to socialise and to explore.
Upselling is a critical component of fulfilling that obligation! Every team member shou... Continue reading ...
In Sept 2010 we published the top performing brands based on the first 1000 visits conducted around the country:Living Ventures John Lewis Wagamama Premier Inn Maison Blanc
Back then only Living Ventures had a company average above 90% now we can see that a range of businesses focussed on delivering excellent experiences exist. Not every company needs customer service, far from it, a number of companies are delivering service which compares favourably with those we think of as excellent. Things ha... Continue reading ...
There are five pillars of customer service excellence - Know your customers and what they think - are you delivering a valued experience?
- Engage your team in your service vision and recognise those who deliver
- Develop Managers who know, coach, enthuse and focus on delivering the vision
- Develop the knowledge, skills and professionalism of the team - to be shared with customers
- Set the business up for success - ensure the systems, processes, offer, design and team are aligned to enable successful deli...
Continue reading ...
As an operator I prefer a no reservations policy - it can maximise sales and allow a greater number of guests to enjoy the experience we are offering - growing sales long term. But if not executed well it can present many problems which can accelerate your sales decline. From experience this decision can be taken based on spreadsheet calculations but please consider the implications before cutting the cost of managing reservations and hoping for cover growth: - If a guest calls ahead don't tell ...
Continue reading ...
Posted by David McHattie on Tuesday, April 5, 2011,
In :
Social Media
Social Media – The Value
The best source of marketing is word of mouth. Especially when 76% of customers believe companies are untruthful in their advertising .
Social Media is the new word of mouth with positive or negative comments growing exponentially - before social media, 1 person might tell 4-10 people - now they can tell 000's with just a tweet or a facebook post.
Some will tell you that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the prime driver of traffic – this is true – but is i... Continue reading ...
I often get asked the question “Is everything OK?” whether with me, my meal, my room whatever…. What I really want to answer is “Yes, if OK is the extent of your aspiration!” The human psyche often appears to operate on the basic premise that as long as one does not find oneself in the lower quartile its safe – safe from the pressures exerted on those languishing in the lower reaches. When this contentment with average relates to businesses that exist to deliver customer experienc... Continue reading ...
Excellent customer service provides differentiation and competitive advantage. The accessibility of cheap travel and pressures on disposable income is causing customers to be ever more discerning. In a climate of plentiful vouchers an even greater risk is the newly laid price value expectations of the consumer and the question - can you get out of vouchering with brand value and prices intact.
World class customer service is not the sole domain of 5* Hotels and Michelin Starred Restaurants ... Continue reading ...
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