Author: admin
al_tea laborer
“Honesty,” something my parents instilled; the Marine Corps insisted on; my corporate career demanded; it is a good thing and very cleansing from time to time.
Operating a “Fine Dining,” tea house restaurant has been an incredible honor and journey; however, it comes with a series of paranoia that many will never understand, ie
1) are customers truly happy with the food, service?
2) are they being honest with us?
3) are we just a one time event, and we will never see them again?
4) are we a place that some will never visit, due to someones comment/s?
5) are we located in a location that will never allow us to grow substanially?
6) are local people avoiding us?
The list could go on and on, as daily (when don’t have reservations,) the day is filled with activities to get ready for customers and periods of paranoia: why doesn’t advertising work? why don’t people come back? why don’t people attend baking/cooking demonstrations that “they,” told us they wanted?
AND, THE BIG ONE; do our customers even care if we stay in business, do they understand we need them to return or encourage others to come and enjoy the experience.
That is the big one for many reasons, if a customer has had a good fine dining experience, ie anniversary, birthday, special event, why don’t they come back? Is it the american way to just keep sampling every new option.
Has the american diner forgot that the life blood of a small restaurant is returning customers, or have they ever understood that reality.
It is easy for large fast food, chain restaurants to secure new customers as they have huge advertising, coupons, discounts and they really don’t care if someone has a loyalty towards them; they will just create an inviting advertisement or savings plan and go after new customers.
Someone told me that Harvard Business School no longer promotoes campaigns of “retention,” maketing and only teach how to capture a percentage of the new customer base (those with no example of loyalty to small businesses.)
We grew up in a time where we got to know the small restaurant owner, his wife or her husband and it was a social time, with food as a added benefit. Linda and I loved to go to a Italian restaurant in Aurora, CO, where this old owner would make it around to all of the tables and visit (can you get that in a fast food or chain restaurant, very seldom.)
So, what do Linda and I experience during these paranoia times; TIME ON OUR KNEES, ASKING FOR PATIENCE AND PRAYING FOR CUSTOMERS, “NO KIDDING,” PRAYING FOR CUSTOMERS.
We aren’t kidding. We don’t have large advertising budgets and coupons, discounts lower the value of your offerings/while setting a standard for the future (which means sometimes you loose money on every meal, how long can someone continue doing that.)
We promise to do our part, prepare fine foods, serve to the best of our ability, stablize pricing, enlarge menu options, listen to your needs,
and honestly we will continue to have paranoia if we “don’t see you return.”
During these hard economic times, small, specialty restaurant businesses need loyal customers; how do we accomplish that, by being honest: “we are paranoid, as we want to serve,” and it is hard when the phone doesn’t ring………….
Thank You, for being a customer, continuing to follow our blog, emails and websites.
Blessings,
Al, Linda Ballard, Hosts
reservations: 719 275-5354
menu/pricing: http://www.thecanoncityqueenanne
online store: http://store.thecanoncityqueenanne