News and Articles
Build Customer Relationships in 3 Seconds
DISCLAIMER: The suggested language improvement covered here may (at first) seem way too simple to have a major, positive impact on your business. Trust me, it will... * * * If we agree that building [...]
The Art of the Menu
Allison recently did a seminar for area restaurant and hospitality professionals titled "The Art of the Menu." This two hour session covered menu mix, food cost, and design tips to help restaurants improve the guest [...]
Say My Name, Say My Name
It’s important to focus on the basics of customer service in the hospitality industry. One simple skill that should be part of every training structure is what I like to call Guest and Employee Name [...]
Stop Using This Common Phrase Immediately!
This seemingly harmless phrase ruins relationships, derails sales, and pours gasoline on already inflamed customer service situations: "Like I said..." Think about it for a moment -- you've just asked for something that's important to [...]
3 Essential Sales Skills — A Customer’s View
What's more fun than having your furnace conk out right in the middle of winter? Lots of things, like... going to the dentist, long division, or even watching curling on TV (actually, I do like [...]
Optimize Your Restaurant Layout for Safety & Success!
So you get invited to someone's home for a party. Not all of the guests have arrived yet and you already feel cramped. In fact, you practically have to start throwing elbows like an NHL [...]
“I’m sorry for helping you.”
I find it next to impossible to turn off my communication radar. It's like the Terminator's HUD, but instead of identifying threats and targets, it auto-analyzes communication structures and how challenges, situations, and relationships are [...]
The Art of the Smile
It's funny how the little things -- the simple, often-overlooked things -- can make or break a dining experience. More specifically, losing focus on the little things can risk permanently ruining guest relationships. Not only [...]
Welcome to the Re-Brand
Breathing life into our client's brands is what we love to do. So it feels kind of strange to do it with our own brand. Giving an 11-year-old company a fresh paint job has been [...]