You may not believe the incident I am about to tell you, but it is true.
Against her better judgment, a friend of mine made reservations for her family to enjoy Easter buffet lunch at a local restaurant. She was dubious about this from the start because holidays are very busy and this was a group of nineteen people. However, others in the group wanted to eat out rather than cook so she bowed to pressure and booked the reservation. She did this six weeks in advance and was assured by the restaurant manager that a table would be designated for her large party. “That will be your table,” he stated. “Nothing will change that.”
His statement was a foreshadowing of the events to come.
On Easter, all of the party arrived early. By the time my friend got there fifteen minutes before the reservation time, the restaurant was in turmoil. Sadly, a lady who was part of an earlier group had died while consuming her meal. Several of my friend’s family saw the lady taken out of the restaurant on a gurney by emergency personnel. When my friend arrived, those family members told her what had happened. She announced to the manager that her party was there and ready to be seated. “Haven’t you heard?” the manager replied in shock. “We have had a tragedy here today.”
“I heard the sad news,” my friend responded, “but that doesn’t affect us.”
“Yes, it does,” the manager returned, “because the lady’s party is seated at the table reserved for your group.”
“While I am sorry for their loss,” my friend said, “we have a reservation and are ready to be seated. I have children who did not eat breakfast in anticipation of this lunch and a diabetic who needs to eat soon.”
“Have some compassion,” the manager scolded. “We will give the lady’s party as long as they want with the table and let you know when it is ready.”
After waiting forty-five minutes, my friend approached another manager to voice her complaint. She was instructed to talk to the first manager. Her group had to wait an hour and a half for their table. During that time, no one from the restaurant offered the party a beverage, an appetizer, another table option, or an apology.
The restaurant did not have a plan B for situations such as this. While I realize that, fortunately, tragedies of this ilk are few, management ought to be prepared for them. I also know that management at most small companies is immersed in conducting business on a day-to-day basis. However, management of these companies has the responsibility to make contingency plans, particularly for the situations that directly affect customers. Contingency plans must be created outside of the situation. The middle of a crisis is not the time to decide what to do. That’s why fire and tornado drills are conducted. Practicing them gives participants an idea of what to do. If this restaurant had had a plan B, the manager would have known what to do and been able to implement the plan.
Instead, the restaurant has nineteen unhappy customers telling this story and spreading bad publicity about the place.
What does this have to do with marketing? Marketing is not simply getting the customer in the door. Marketing is satisfying customers and wanting them to return. Marketing is an endless process of keeping customers happy.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What plan B in dealing with customers have you encountered? E-mail me your answer.
Against her better judgment, a friend of mine made reservations for her family to enjoy Easter buffet lunch at a local restaurant. She was dubious about this from the start because holidays are very busy and this was a group of nineteen people. However, others in the group wanted to eat out rather than cook so she bowed to pressure and booked the reservation. She did this six weeks in advance and was assured by the restaurant manager that a table would be designated for her large party. “That will be your table,” he stated. “Nothing will change that.”
His statement was a foreshadowing of the events to come.
On Easter, all of the party arrived early. By the time my friend got there fifteen minutes before the reservation time, the restaurant was in turmoil. Sadly, a lady who was part of an earlier group had died while consuming her meal. Several of my friend’s family saw the lady taken out of the restaurant on a gurney by emergency personnel. When my friend arrived, those family members told her what had happened. She announced to the manager that her party was there and ready to be seated. “Haven’t you heard?” the manager replied in shock. “We have had a tragedy here today.”
“I heard the sad news,” my friend responded, “but that doesn’t affect us.”
“Yes, it does,” the manager returned, “because the lady’s party is seated at the table reserved for your group.”
“While I am sorry for their loss,” my friend said, “we have a reservation and are ready to be seated. I have children who did not eat breakfast in anticipation of this lunch and a diabetic who needs to eat soon.”
“Have some compassion,” the manager scolded. “We will give the lady’s party as long as they want with the table and let you know when it is ready.”
After waiting forty-five minutes, my friend approached another manager to voice her complaint. She was instructed to talk to the first manager. Her group had to wait an hour and a half for their table. During that time, no one from the restaurant offered the party a beverage, an appetizer, another table option, or an apology.
The restaurant did not have a plan B for situations such as this. While I realize that, fortunately, tragedies of this ilk are few, management ought to be prepared for them. I also know that management at most small companies is immersed in conducting business on a day-to-day basis. However, management of these companies has the responsibility to make contingency plans, particularly for the situations that directly affect customers. Contingency plans must be created outside of the situation. The middle of a crisis is not the time to decide what to do. That’s why fire and tornado drills are conducted. Practicing them gives participants an idea of what to do. If this restaurant had had a plan B, the manager would have known what to do and been able to implement the plan.
Instead, the restaurant has nineteen unhappy customers telling this story and spreading bad publicity about the place.
What does this have to do with marketing? Marketing is not simply getting the customer in the door. Marketing is satisfying customers and wanting them to return. Marketing is an endless process of keeping customers happy.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What plan B in dealing with customers have you encountered? E-mail me your answer.
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