What can I say that will trick our customers?
(Nate, Mackenzie, Tony, and Syhare take care of the evening candles. It does look a little bit like lighting the Menorah.)
When you dine at The Flying Banzini you order at the cashier, recieve your drinks, and then we deliver your meal to the table. To find you, we give you a name – one of 100 real and fictional people/characters – and then we look for that name card. It’s actually really simple and ever since we have added little stands for the name cards this system now operates quite smoothly.
The name cards have a couple of trivia questions and a discussion question on the back. This is just something to while away the time while you wait for your meal (which we had down to 8 minutes last night). But, the card is also intended to be taken by the customer with the hopes that they will pass it along to a friend or coworker and explain, “I ate in this neat spot on Wellington West, you should try it.” I spent the first four weeks trying to figure out what clever thing I could say that would trick our customers into advertising for us as per my idea.
Finally, I figured out the perfect phrase:
“When you leave, please take your name card with you and pass it along to a friend as shameless advertising for The Flying Banzini.”
Most everyone gets a smile. And, most everyone takes the card with them. I don’t know if they actually pass them along but I’m trying.
It plays back to my basic customer service policy — be courteous and be honest.
The direct approach is usually the best approach. No-one likes to feel that they’re being manipulated by a business (no matter how personal and friendly that business may otherwise be); and my bet is that most folks appreciate being dealt with in a forthright manner. Banzini on!
(Recently, I’ve taken to using “Banzini” as an all-purpose verb. Functions very well in this regard.)
Well Dave, I don’t need no stinken’ card to tell people to eat at your restaurant. I love it. I Sally Fields love it. And, recently when visitors came into the shop I work at and asked for recommendations for luncheon places … first on my lips … TFB!
Reading further I see that you have added stands for the name cards, so ignore my previous suggestion about this.
I would still like to have the option of sitting first to review the menu before ordering and paying.
If we are not full, then sitting first is not problem. As we approach getting full we start to control the tables to ensure that people in line at the cashier will have a seat. We have small menus available for just this purpose.