It’s Not My Job

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“It’s not my job.” I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this. Thirty years of hearing this.

“I am a bartender, I don’t have to clear tables. I am a chef, I don’t want to work the floor and carve beef. I am a salesperson, I don’t go out on deliveries. It’s not my job.”

The best employees are those with can-do attitudes. They recognize that providing excellent hospitality means going above and beyond to take care of the customer. No matter what the task is. They don’t let a title stop them. The best employees just jump in and do.

I have plated up, bussed, expedited, cleared, set up buffets, delivered, waited, bartended, carved, and washed dishes throughout my career as a salesperson. I also learned the more I jumped in, the better I was at my job.

Inspire.

I am sitting in an airport lounge at Heathrow right now. My flight is delayed so I have lots of time to observe people and things. A woman sitting next to me just departed for her gate. She left behind her coffee cup, a plate of crumbs, and a stack of used paper napkins. One of the napkins just hit the floor as she grabbed her bags to go.

Okay, I know, I could’ve picked up the napkin myself because it’s the right thing to do. Instead, I decided to make a hospitality experiment of this and see how long it takes for someone to pick it up.

It’s been ten minutes since the “drop”. I have watched a minimum of eight employees walk by this dirty napkin on the floor. One guy just cleaned up her dirty cup and plate and still left the napkin on the floor.

At first, I assumed these employees just didn’t see it, but now I think this is more of a case of, “it’s not my job”.  The floor sweeper with her broom and dustpan hasn’t walked by yet.

It took about twelve minutes, but the lounge manager just walked by and picked it up. This wasn’t his job, but it was the hospitable thing to do.

Test Drive

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Clients are not always decisive. They want to feel like they are in control of the buying situation. Sometimes the client’s buying cycle doesn’t fit into your “ideal schedule” as a salesperson. That’s sales folks. You need to manage the process. Recognize the client wants “it” to be on their timetable rather than yours. Knowing this, smart salespeople need to try creative techniques for their customers to book sooner rather than later. Educate the customer about realistic deadlines and keep them engaged through the process so you can close the deal.

Seven Sales Ideas to Book that Business:

1. Use Your Event Calendar
Post-covid, customers are still trained to think there are limited dates for your venue and catering services. Understand yield management and that hot dates will go if they do not commit sooner rather than later. Make them have to have you.

2. Use Supply Chain Scarcity
Products and services are scarce and will continue to be. In order to lock in their desired menu or date, make it clear that deadlines are established for a reason and deposits are required to guarantee client-specific wants.

3. Meet the Client in Person
It’s easier for a customer to stall with their decision when communicating via email if they are not as familiar with you. Put in the effort to meet them and develop a connection.

4. Ask for a Minimal Deposit/Retainer to Lock in Your Services
Be flexible with your contract payment terms if it means getting the commitment earlier in the buying cycle. Make the deposit payment process easy for the customer.

5. Listen to Your Client and What is Important to Them
Write down your clients hot buttons and remember them. Think of creative reasons to touch base so they know you are still responsive and “on it”. Reach out just because you can.

6. Ask Your Client When They Plan on Making a Decision
Address any potential hurdles and non-guarantees if the date is later than anticipated.

7. Most Importantly, Ask What Will Make Their Decision
What are the hesitations to commit now? Develop creative ways to tackle and solve those issues now so you can get the sale and move forward.

Inspire.

If you have been reading my blogs the past couple of years, you now know I buy all my jewelry from a fabulous artist and designer in Mexico named Luis Flores (see past blog: “What do you want next”). I met Luis several years ago on the beach in Puerto Vallarta and every year he creates new masterpieces for my lucky fingers.

Luis and I have a routine at this point. He usually knows my arrival date and how long I will be in town. He is an excellent salesperson in that he keeps a mental note of what stones I already have in my inventory. He also knows what I may be “lacking”. Luis loads up his jewelry case in anticipation of selling me new, custom-designed rings he knows I will like. Smart.

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We now have a dance. It starts with me saying “Only two rings this year Luis.” He smirks and shows me a minimum of four. Rascal. He then moves in for the kill. “Amiga, take all these home for a test drive. Just see what you like and you can decide. No pressure. Just bring them back once you have decided.” He lets me take all four home to try and wear for a couple of days. He doesn’t ask for a deposit or money upfront. He sells on trust. He also sells knowing I am going to get comments on the beauty of “my” new rings. He knows I am going to want them all. Genius.  

That rascal has sold me a minimum of four rings every year. I can’t wait to see what he has made for me this year. I love him for it and I keep coming back.

Snag That Sale!

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Businesses need to snag every sale they can as soon as the opportunity arises. This means ensuring every resource is available to assist with client communication in order to instantly lock in a customer’s decision to buy. These resources include responsive, educated team members as well as an informative website that is easy to find and navigate.

Responsive, Educated Team Members

Make sure all employees know the client buying cycle process. This includes all department employees that interact with customers, not just the sales team. Quite often the first touch with a new client is a customer service representative, delivery driver or receptionist. Provide resources for these employees to be able to direct the client to a seamless and efficient purchase. For example, if a guest asks your delivery driver about placing another order, provide that driver with business cards with a QR code to your drop off menu for easy, online ordering.

Accessible Website

It is so important to make sure your website is easy for customers to use to make a purchase. Provide contact information with options for the customer to choose based on their communication preference (phone, chat, email, order directly online). Highlight menus, products, deadlines and fees with descriptions or photos of available services. This information prequalifies the customer before they even pick up the phone or click their mouse. Recognize at times we have our own catering “language” so remember to use words that are familiar to a buyer that may be new to ordering catering.

Inspire.

I was traveling this month and arrived earlier than planned at the airport in Sarasota, Florida (area code 941). Rather than hanging out there, I headed outside to find a nearby restaurant or hotel to linger in for the hour or so until my scheduled ride was able to pick me up.

I found a new Hampton Inn about a mile away so I walked in and grabbed a seat in the lobby.  I watched a soccer team of 10 year olds load out with exhausted parents. I watched other guests load their plates with free breakfast buffet items before it closed for the day. I grabbed a cup of coffee myself from the breakfast bar and paid at the front desk. There was a nice, normal buzz of a typical morning in the hotel lobby.

Then the front desk phone rang. I had nothing else to do, so I listened to the conversation. “Hi. Ok. You are trying to block rooms for your wedding? You need to hang up and call Judy. She doesn’t work here at the hotel. Her number is area code 315-xxx-xxxx.”  This entire client interaction took 20 seconds.

Darn it! Why did I have to hear such a bad sales experience on my morning off? This front desk clerk immediately threw the work back to the customer. She was not a solution provider to the guest on the other end of the phone. She lost a great sales booking.

She should’ve grabbed the sale right then, but didn’t. She should’ve offered to put the guest on hold and transfer the call. She should’ve asked the phone caller if they would like Judy to call back within the hour. She should’ve directed the client to the website where they could find information about booking a group online. But she didn’t. I am sure this pleasant Hampton Inn lost an easy sale.

¡Felicidad!

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Do you like what you do every day? Are you fulfilled in your job? Are you happy at work? Guess what? Your customers can tell you if you are.

We are in the hospitality business. Every employee representing your company should enjoy what they do. If they are happy, your customers should receive a positive and memorable service experience and always want to come back.

Now more than ever, team members have myriads of job opportunities to explore. It is way more expensive to recruit, hire and train new employees than to retain existing employees. Determine what makes each individual on your team tick. Every person has different wants and needs to keep them engaged and happy at your business. Step away from your desk today and have a conversation with each team player.

As my previous employer, Blue Plate Catering used to say, “we are happy people making people happy”. Was I happy at Blue Plate, absolutely. Was it time for me to explore new opportunities for my own growth? Yes, I wanted to learn, travel and start a new business on my own. I left Blue Plate happy and continue to keep in touch. As a matter of fact, I was a customer of Blue Plate this past week and really enjoyed working with the team. It made my experience as a customer feel really good. It made me happy.

Inspire.

Everyone always asks me why I love Mexico so much.

When I am living in Puerto Vallarta, I take a quick morning stroll before getting on zoom calls with clients. It gets my energy going as well as allows me to get a few errands done before a busy day.

I remember one day in particular this past February.

My first stop was my favorite lavandería where I dropped off my 4.9 kilo bag of dirty laundry. Maria yelled “hola Jenny!” before even placing the load on the scale. My laundry was going to be ready for pick up that afternoon.

My second stop was my favorite juice stand, where Fernando said “hola amiga” before asking me if I wanted my regular jugo de naranja. The freshest orange juice was squeezed within a minute.

My last stop of the morning was a “pop-up” tamale stand on the corner. (Literally, a tray stand with an Igloo on top with a paper sign TAMALES-PUERCO). I figured I would give this “place” a try. The abuela smiled as she presented me two steaming-hot pork tamales. The tamales were delicious. I remember hoping she was going to be there the next morning.

This stroll kicked off a great start to my day. Every vendor was friendly and happy to provide me their product and service. They smiled and were grateful for my business. By making me feel so special, they created a loyal customer that looked forward to seeing them the next day and each day thereafter.

Be the Abraham

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Make customers want YOU. Be the best in the business. Be the best in your market. Be the best at your company. 

Customers initially reach out because your company has a stellar reputation. Your company provides a product or service that customers need and want. Your company has the resources and infrastructure to deliver a consistent and delicious experience. Make these customers return because of YOU. Deliver above and beyond and be the best. Make them only want YOU.

How do you become the best? By educating yourself, educating your clients, proactively communicating, following up and always, always supporting your team members to deliver excellence. You should be organized and structured. You should manage your calendar as well as your customers calendars. Be their partner, coaching and guiding them through the sales, buying and event planning processes.

Being known as best in the business doesn’t start all at once but professionalism can start on DAY ONE. Your professional brand stays with you throughout your career. It never ends. You should be building and growing every day, even if you have a bad week, month or year. It is never too late to invest in your own education and experiences to be the best. Again, make the clients want YOU.

Inspire.

I decided to get a massage in Puerto Vallarta. I love the booking & reservation process here. It is so simple and effective. Spas hang clipboards (with pens attached to a piece of white string) on their front doors so customers self-sign up for their desired slots. Each masseuse has his or her own clipboard with their name across the top and their available days and times for the week.  

I wanted to try a new spa that has fantastic reviews (both Yelp and word of mouth). So, Sunday afternoon, I looked at my calendar to see my next free time to get the treatment and went to the spa’s front door to make an appointment. I was looking for Saturday at 3pm—so I scanned the eight named masseuse clipboards to see who was free. They all had availability at that time. Who was the best though? Now I had too many options.

I picked Abraham. Abraham was booked solid Monday–Friday. Not one available slot until that Saturday afternoon. He had to be the best—right? His customers were doing the speaking for him, so my decision was easy.

I had my massage two Saturdays ago. I now have a standing weekly massage with Abraham. It is not a relaxing massage. Abraham has identified areas in my back and shoulders that need a lot of work. I am now his project. He is not just a great masseuse, he is a great salesperson. He made me realize I need to work out these knots. He has educated me on how he’s going to do it and I now trust his expertise. He made me want his years of experience and now I do. He is the best masseuse I have ever had.

Your Doors Are Open - You Better Deliver Then

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There is an immense shortage in available human resources today. I know you all are feeling the pain. There is also an increased demand from your customers for excellent and efficient service. Customers have been trapped for a year and are ready to spend. They actually have higher expectations than ever.  They want your product yesterday without hassle. They will pay for your products, services and reputation, assuming you can deliver what you promise.

Are you actually capable of delivering what your team is selling? Do you understand and identify customer expectations based on how you are selling your products and services?

Go through a step-by-step review of your customer’s buying and service experience. Look at what you’ve changed due to your staffing limitations. Perform an operational review of your team and ask them for recommendations to save time and reduce unnecessary steps. Then, make these changes to enhance the customer experience. At that point, you must communicate what’s different to your customers in advance of delivery.

Customers are forgiving but only sooooo forgiving. We are still in the hospitality industry, and customers want a memorable experience, every time. They are paying for it and expect as such. There is a certain threshold for what is and is not acceptable if your doors are open.

Inspire.

I just returned from a week working with clients on the east coast. Getting back in the swing of pre-pandemic office visits and collaborative work was so invigorating, inspiring and exciting. This trip reaffirmed that I absolutely love what I do and working in person in the same room makes all the difference to connect with my wonderful customers.

I stayed in a comfortable, centrally-located conference hotel, rented a car from a leading car rental company and dined out at various restaurants the entire week. I had high hopes for excellent customer service but was also realistic knowing what hospitality companies are dealing with today.

Unfortunately, I experienced a lot of poor hospitality situations this week. I say situations because most team members went above and beyond to try to remedy the challenges. However, these employees had to work harder and spend more time and money on fixing the challenge than if they had just offered me the original product or service. A few examples:

1. Incorrect return date on my airport car rental.  I tried to call the airport rental office and national rental customer service to correct the date, at least ten times. I spent over two hours listening to hold music. (I even called the emergency line as if my car is broke down, but they didn’t even answer.) On the 11th call, a national customer service agent finally answered, put me on hold for another 45 minutes to then disconnect the call. I gave up. I drove back to the airport, returned the car on the wrong date and walked right to the customer service desk to pick up keys for my second car. As I checked out the second car, the agent asked why I didn’t just extend the first car. Ugh. Imagine if they answered the phone. They would have had one less car to clean, one less car to check in and out and one less aggravated customer.

2. No housekeeping service. I was in a very nice hotel for seven nights at an extremely reasonable rate. I had to call on a daily basis for individual toiletry items that could have easily been stocked for me had the hotel thought about the length of my stay. Rather than bringing me everything at once, a housekeeping attendant would bring me single items delivered in a plastic laundry bag and hang it on my outside door knob. I also left my garbage out in the hall each morning so they could empty it. It made the halls look cluttered and messy. Imagine if the hotel had a housekeeping spot-check employee that simply audited each room, refilled supplies, removed dirty glassware and did a quick trash removal.

3. Club service. I know, this is a luxury item but as a business traveler, I select hotels that offer this amenity so I save time. Hotels sell this club service by offering a higher rate or by thanking you for your loyalty for this convenience. Pre-covid, I would grab some fruit, yogurt, coffee and bottles of water throughout my stay. Easy, quick and self-service. My seven-day hotel’s club had a broken coffee machine, bags of potato chips and occasionally, room temperature bottled water. In lieu of this club service, the hotel told me to call down and order anything I want from the room service menu for breakfast, compliments of them. This was unbelievably generous, and I expect very expensive in the long run. Now what used to be a quick grab involved calling the front desk to order, having a room service attendant bring the food and the kitchen making my customized breakfast to order. Imagine if they had the club running even at 50% of normal, the amount of money the hotel could save by minimizing all these steps?

These managers should have identified the basics of customer service and prioritized their limited human resources effectively. The employees spent more time running around to satisfy service substitutions. This made everything more difficult for the employee and the customer. Had they measured the amount of steps each employee took to deliver, they may have realized that the original services would have saved them more time in the long run.

Tell Me What I'm Eating Tonight

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It is so important to identify what makes you unique as a hospitality business today. Once you determine what differentiates you from the competition, the next step is to train your entire back of house and front of house staff to perfect your unique offerings. Making the staff buy into this can be achieved through practice (training) and understanding how to effectively present your products and services to your customers.

It is also important to focus your company’s actual offerings on what you do best. Being the biggest doesn’t always mean being the best. Recognize where your team has the skill set and creative talents to excel. Pair that with figuring out the most effective use of your time as a coach and leader to train them to be even better.

Customers are smart. They will invest their time and money when they know the products and services they are buying are thoughtfully designed and executed efficiently. They will come back if their experience is memorable. They will remember your uniqueness. Think about this as you look at all your company’s products and services on the market. Can you say that each is delivered to perfection?

Inspire.

My favorite place to eat in Puerto Vallarta is an Italian restaurant. People think I am crazy that I like to eat Italian food when I am in Mexico, but when my family and friends come to town, I always take them to Tre Piatti to show them why.

It starts with the service. I am greeted at the door by the host Daniel with a friendly hello and “it is so nice to see you again”. I am seated at a nice table and always introduced to the waiter, only if I have never met this person before.  I am then welcomed by a few others including Henry and Jesus, the bartender Ulises and the two chef-owners, Chanan and Natalie. They all thank me for returning to their place.

After ordering a cocktail, I am offered the menu, which is what makes Tre Piatti unique. “Tre Piatti” means “Three Dishes”.  The menu features three appetizers, three pastas, three entrees and three desserts. That’s it. Twelve plates the kitchen executes to perfection. This may not seem like a lot of options to guests, but this menu changes every two weeks. It’s genius. This makes me want to return every two weeks to see what is new and different. This keeps everything fresh for the guests and the restaurant’s employees.

The irony is I don’t even look at the menu anymore, because I always ask Chef Chanan what I should order for dinner. He tells me what I am going to eat and I do as I am told. I can’t wait to get back to Mexico to eat some great Italian food.

It’s ALL Sales, Baby

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Every single person working in the hospitality industry should acknowledge one important fact. We all are always selling. The entire team. Not just people with “sales” in their title. Every employee at the organization affects the sale and hence the customer experience. In today’s world of many choices, a customer’s initial experience needs to make a positive first impression and also be memorable enough to make them want to return a second time.

Effective communication is a crucial element of successful sales. What you say and how you say it influences a customer’s feelings about the products and services you provide. (Of course, body language and non-verbal actions also speaks volumes). Leadership must train every single employee how to relate and verbally communicate with their customers. This art of client conversation will become easier for each employee as they grow more confident and practice this important skill.

When I work with clients on proactive sales techniques, I often encourage the culinary team to be part of closing the sale. This means inviting the chef into the tasting room or joining the initial client meeting. I never accept any justification for why a chef cannot come out and meet the client. We are selling food.  Customers love talking about the creative design of the food and the ingredients needed to make each dish.  A chef is going to be the most impactful “salesperson” to make this customer feel welcome and ready to sign. Chefs need to be client-ready at all times.

The perspective you gain from all team members communicating with clients is priceless. It also enhances an appreciation for each other’s departments while showing the customer the complete package of your entire organization. It’s a team effort. It’s ALL sales, baby!

Inspire

Montana is spectacular. As a first time visitor, I was amazed by the natural beauty and vast, open spaces.  As a tourist, I was excited to try all the great restaurants, brewpubs and bars I read about when researching which cities to visit.

“But, she blew it. She made us feel like we were in a sub-par space ... Not a great start to what could be a great experience.”

Bozeman, Montana was one such city. There was a great energy to Bozeman and it’s popular Main Street had several dining options to explore. We decided to try a well-reviewed Italian restaurant on the main strip. I made a reservation the day prior because it appeared to have a crowd nightly.

We showed up for our 7:45 reservation on time. The vibe, smells and overall buzz was great. I gave my name to the host and she said “give me a minute”. She came back with menus in her hand and said, “we are ready to seat you”. She walked us to our table in a connected annex side room. This space had a different feel and energy but was perfectly fine. The table she walked us to was between the bar and an open door with a great breeze passing through.

“Are you going to be okay with this table right here? This is all I have. Unfortunately I had another table held for you but the guests haven’t even ordered yet because we are so busy. Sarah should be over once she finishes taking their order.”

Really?  My response was, “Do we have a choice?”. There was an awkward moment when I looked at my dining companions and said, “Are you guys okay here? Do you want to wait for “our” table or keep this one?”.  We opted for the annex table because we were hungry.

We were fine with the table before she said anything.  We were actually excited to be in this cool restaurant.  But, she blew it. She made us feel like we were in a sub-par space. She also implied that service was going to be slow. Not a great start to what could be a great experience.

This is what she should have said:

“I have this great table for you. I hope you like our new annex. We are so excited to have this space. We built this because people wanted another option from the main dining room. It’s a more airy, open space that’s closer to the bar. I put you near the door too so you can catch that cool breeze. I hope that is okay!  As you can see, we are pretty busy but I will get Sarah over here to get your drink order right away. In the meantime, look over the menu and let me know if you have any questions. I am going to grab you some water just to get things started for you.”

It’s ALL sales, baby.

Don’t Be a Sourpuss

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We are all going through a really tough time. As a business owner, I have never seen anything like this. Besides managing my business, I also am my company’s salesperson. I direct all outbound initiatives and programs to drum up new activity. In some ways, I am going back to my initial days of my sales career and figuring out scrappy new ways of finding clients. I love it. I also love that my own prospecting work allows me insight to share with my clients as they should be selling right now too.

This is what I have learned. Don’t be a sourpuss. Everyone is going through a hard time right now. (I shouldn’t say everyone. I’d actually like to own a teleconferencing or toilet paper company right about now, but you get the point). What I am getting at is that everyone is struggling. Owners, managers, employees, customers, buyers, you name it. So as a salesperson, walking in and talking about your troubles just isn’t going to make the sale.

Stand out. Be positive. Be a ray of light. Talk about your great product. Talk about good things. Enough gloom and doom. Be the happiest, most memorable salesperson out there. People want to work with someone they want to be around. You will be the first person they call when it’s time to place an order.

Inspire

I have been in Chicago since March 13th. I have never been home for such a long stretch of time. I was getting a little stir-crazy not being able to travel as much as I am used to. Finally, the weather warmed up so I was able to take my daily walks to enjoy the fabulous architecture of my beautiful city on the lake. 

A recent city and park district development is something called the Riverwalk. It is a two mile, uninterrupted public path along the Chicago River that takes me to Lake Michigan. It has restaurants, kayak and bike rentals, tourist boats, wine, beer and tiki bars and lots of other activities for everyone to enjoy. It’s a lovely addition to the city.

I live very close to the west end of the Riverwalk. I try to walk it daily. I start at Lake Street, walk the two miles to the lakefront and loop back. If I could play “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and skip the entire time I would. I am so happy when I do this. I think the other 99.8% of the people I see and their dogs are the same as me. We all appear to be in awe of our city’s beauty and how lucky we are that we are not dealing with cars, horns, traffic lights and interruptions during our exercise. We smile, say good morning and wave to each other. Even the security people are happy. They smile and wave to me and they are working! My day starts great, even before I see Jermaine at Starbucks. See my past blog “The Human Touch”.

There is one woman I see every day on my walk. She is young and serious. I have no idea what is going on in her life. It’s not my business to know. She doesn’t smile, say good morning or wave. She actually frowns every day. I smile when I walk by her. She doesn’t smile back. I feel bad for her. I hope she is okay. I really hope she’s not a salesperson. If she is, I think she better go spend a little time hanging out with the the security guards because that is who I would be buying from.

Do the Right Thing

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Empowering employees is one of the most powerful things a manager or owner can do. It not only creates growth opportunities for the employee, but it also encourages leadership to delegate tasks and let things go. Employees want to be trusted and believed in.

The greatest managers understand this. They realize that if they empower their team and in turn teach this team how to communicate their successes and challenges in an honest, open dialogue, that both parties will flourish. These managers also realize that if their team is successful, they will also be successful.

Owners and managers, let it go. Learn to trust. Let your employees learn from their wins and mistakes and make decisions on their own. As you continue to let them grow, you will in turn allow yourself to work at the 35,000 foot level that gives you more freedom to make strategic decisions at the big picture level.

Inspire.

I am back in Puerto Vallarta. Last night I had a light dinner of sea bass ceviche complimented by a mineral water with a slice of cucumber. This allowed me a scoop of gelato on a sugar cone without guilt, right?

I walked to the local ice cream shop to pick my favorite flavor. I paid 40 pesos and happily walked out of the store. I strolled past a line of people waiting for dinner; I actually saw a few eyes looking at me longingly, wishing they were eating the gorgeous mint chocolate chip scoop rather than waiting for that tacos pastor they read about on Yelp. Poor souls. I took a lick and poof! my mint chocolate chip hit the sidewalk.

The entire scoop, in one fell swoop hit the ground, in front of all the pour souls. Avoiding all eye contact, I picked up the scoop with my napkin and turned to go back to the store to get it’s replacement. Good thing I was only two blocks away. And good thing the lady was really nice when I first ordered.

I planned on having to pay for a replacement scoop. But wouldn’t it be nice if she handed me a new cone and sent me on my way? I walked in and explained what happened. The shop employee just looked at me and didn’t know what to do. What a perfect moment for a customer-facing employee to feel empowered to make a decision. A customer service decision that can build loyalty and a develop repeat patron for life.

She took the original empty cone out of my hand, replaced it with a scoop of mint chocolate chip then charged me another 40 pesos. Same cone, new scoop. The ice cream didn’t taste as sweet. I think tomorrow night, I will try some mango sorbet at another shop around the corner.