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This quote says a lot to me:
"People are thinking twice about where they spend their money," he said. "When you eat out less frequently, you're careful about where you eat and you're not out to gamble."

If someone has never tried you, 10% is a gamble.
If someone is thinking twice, they're likely to go where they know they're comfortable (where they know the staff and feel welcome).

Marketing isn't about spreading the word far and wide. Especially now, bring people in no matter what it takes. Don't make them gamble. Give a freebie and build the lifetime value of that person.

Full article can be found here.

A restaurant chain started a promotion of Good News Tuesdays. On Tuesday, tell your server something good that is happening in your life, get 20% off.

Customer counts were up.
Sales were up.
Tips were up.

Too early to tell, but it looked like they were up throughout the week and not just on that day.

What a great way to build a relationship with your customers. The percentage is irrelevant, the goodwill and rapport are certainly worth it.

Sig Samuels is the best dry cleaner in Atlanta, bar none. Oh, I have no idea how good a job they do on my clothing. It comes back clean and well pressed, no complaints.

It's their customer service that makes them so special. It's a family place, run by brothers and now their sons are starting to become involved. Every time I'm in there they treat me as if I was their best customer. Every time they thank me with such genuine-warmth that you know they are sincere.

I had a problem once, the laundry marker was visible through the collar. I took it in and didn't have to say a word - before I could get the complaint out the shirt was taken from me and I was told that if it didn't come out they would purchase a new shirt (it came out).

Why am I posting this? Because it's not every day you find service so good that you feel great dropping your clothes off at the cleaner. And because, since I moved from the area 13 years ago, I only visit them once every couple of months when I know I'll be in that part of town. I tell everyone I know about Sig Samuels and everyone who knows them also feels like their best customer.

Two questions:
1. What business gives you such over the top customer service that you go back again and again, and tell everyone you know about it?

2. Do you have customers that will drive 20 minutes to experience your great customer service?

Make sure you start off the school year right. Here are a few suggestions:

• Make a list of all elementary, middle, and high schools in your area

• Include contact names, phone numbers, emails
• Include names of club leaders (booster, PTA)
• Become a Partner in Education for each school (might be able to do it at the district level

• Make a plan to meet with contacts; take them one audience at a time (elementary, then middle, then high school, for example); take them cookie trays, coffee, samples AND invite them in
• Build the relationship, ask how you can help and be involved
• Follow up. This is where most people lose out. They think they made a sufficient impression that the principal remembers who they are. They're wrong.

I've heard it so many times this year I almost started believing it myself. "I need more customers! How do I get more customers?!"

Sales people have jumped on that bandwagon. Many aren't telling you what you need, they're telling you what you want to hear. "We reach 50,000 people ready to buy. We'll get you more customers."

Here are the facts:

• The average American is dining out 4 fewer times per year
• Depending on the type of restaurant you have, you probably have around 4,000-6,000 unique customers
• 4 fewer visits per year x 4,000 customers = 16,000 fewer visits x $10 ticket average
  

Not all of your customers have taken all of their four visits from you, but maybe you lost 1.5 of those (times 4,000 = 6,000 x $10 ticket = $60,000). Sound familiar? Is this about how much you're down?

Now your ticket average is probably higher now than last year. Why? Because the customers who remain are your loyal ones, and loyal customers spend more and bring friends. So if you normally have a $10 ticket average, but now it's up to $11 or $12, you're missing your not-so-loyal (but very profitable) $8-$9 customers.

You need to focus on getting them back, focus on getting customer counts up.

New customers will come, but they cost more to get and take longer. Former customers, not visiting because of the market, are easier to get back more often (email, bounce-backs, promotions, LTO). Solidify your base.