| Scene 1. A quick-serve restaurant, Anywhere, | | | | quick-serve with a fairly low check average? All it |
| USA. | | | | takes is moving the benefit to the guest. Here's |
| Cashier (no eye contact with guest): For here or | | | | how.Shift communication: Spend 30 seconds per |
| to go? | | | | employee prior to and after each shift. Let them |
| Guest: Here. I'll have a Burger Deal #1. [Wow. | | | | practice on you--versus the guest--and review |
| What a nice greeting.] | | | | their shift numbers, their best highlights, and |
| Cashier: Okay. What kind of drink? | | | | opportunities they have.Guarantee message: On |
| Guest: Diet cola. [Why don't they just let me do | | | | table tents, counter mats, register toppers, or |
| this myself? The cashier isn't doing anything but | | | | buttons/stickers on the cashier, allow the guest to |
| pressing buttons.] | | | | manage the employee while you are not around. |
| Cashier: Want dessert? | | | | (See "The Training Manual" in the March 2003 |
| Guest: No thanks. [I don't even know what they | | | | issue of QSR for more details.)First-timer |
| serve for dessert.] | | | | identification: Add a button on the register for |
| Cashier: $4.29 | | | | "first-time guests." The cashier can find out if the |
| Guest: Thanks. [For letting me give you my | | | | guest is a first-time visitor to your concept, press |
| money.]Scene 2. A quick-serve restaurant, | | | | the button, and it prints on the ticket. The kitchen |
| Anywhere, USA. | | | | can ensure it's outstanding and the manager can |
| Cashier (smiling and looking guest in the eye): | | | | stop by their table if they are dining in. It really |
| Welcome! Have you ever been here before? | | | | creates a wow!Grow your skills: If you don't know |
| Guest: Every week! | | | | what you don't know, you can't be an effective |
| Cashier (pointing to a countertop mat): Thanks | | | | leader. Constantly learn something new and teach |
| for coming back! So you know about our new | | | | it to your staff. A few books every manager |
| Deluxe special? | | | | should read:First, Break All the Rules, by Marcus |
| Guest: No, I don't. I'll try one of those. | | | | Buckingham. Challenges the norms and teaches |
| Cashier: The meals come in two sizes--regular | | | | you how to move your leadership style |
| and value-sized. Which do you prefer? | | | | significantly forward.MYOB, by Jim Sullivan. Plenty |
| Guest: I'll try the value-sized. | | | | of easy-to-implement ideas (and laughs) for any |
| Cashier: Great choice! We get lots of | | | | restaurant.Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, |
| compliments on it! Your total is $4.99. Have a | | | | Customer Loyalty is Priceless, by Jeffrey Gitomer. |
| great meal and let me know if you need anything | | | | Clearly illustrates the point outlined in the scenes |
| else. | | | | above. Okay is not okay.Service That Sells, |
| Guest: I will!In Scene 1, the cashier offers | | | | Pencom Publishing. Full of selling ideas.Send Flowers |
| service, which leads to a satisfied guest. That's | | | | to the Living! Rewards, Contests and Incentives |
| okay. But in Scene 2, the cashier offers | | | | to Build Employee Loyalty, by TJ Schier. If you |
| hospitality, which leads to a loyal guest. That's | | | | want the employee to treat the guest better, |
| better.All too often, we are guilty of forcing our | | | | you need to treat the employee better. This |
| cashiers to follow a series of service steps in an | | | | book has plenty of restaurant examples.Reading |
| effort to standardize our delivery system. To | | | | articles and books or watching videos is a start |
| that end, we simply process people through a line. | | | | but cannot replace practice and repetition. It |
| As guests, if we wanted that, we could simply | | | | starts with you, then your managers and |
| have a terminal where we enter our own order. | | | | employees. Watching Tiger Woods gives us |
| That idea would be as successful as the failed | | | | motivation but doesn't make us a better golfer |
| full-serve restaurants where you had to cook | | | | without practice and dedication. Begin moving the |
| your own steak!As Bruce Tulgan, founder of | | | | hospitality needle and see your sales increase!T.J. |
| Rainmaker Thinking, says, "Do you want your | | | | Schier is service professional, consultant and |
| spouse satisfied or loyal?" Therefore, our cashiers | | | | speaker with over 20 years experience in |
| need to stop acting like service robots and start | | | | operations and training. Founder and president of |
| providing a better experience. The scenarios | | | | Incentivize Solutions and podTraining, T.J. has |
| above take the same amount of time for the | | | | helped numerous clients enhance their service and |
| guest but provide a totally different tone for their | | | | training programs and spoken to tens of |
| meal. Consistent performance at this level will | | | | thousands of managers, franchisees and |
| enhance the benefit for the guest, distance | | | | operators in various fields. Visit for more info |
| yourself from the competitors, and drive | | | | motivating today's employees, training today's |
| frequency--the only true way to build long-term | | | | generation and delivering outstanding guest |
| sales.Guests want value. As you know, value | | | | service; or a unique new system and the |
| equals the benefit received divided by the money | | | | foundation of 'i-learning' - using the device of |
| spent. How can any other type of restaurant | | | | today's generation, the iPod - to train your |
| provide a better value for the dollar than a | | | | workforce. |