May 2018

Tips for Great Guest Service

by Mary Southwick | May 15, 2018 | Guest Services

A few weeks ago my mom and I went to dinner at the Cracker Barrel in Kerrville, TX. I asked if we could be seated in Stephen’s section. We had had Stephen before and he was phenomenal. He even has four stars on his apron to show it!

Stephen wasn’t there and we were seated in Ndiaye’s section. Ndiaye had only one star on her apron which I thought was not a good sign and she may be new and this isn’t going to be as good an experience as it was with Stephen.

Boy, was I wrong!

We will return to Cracker Barrel because Ndiaye did everything to provide us with a great guest service experience. I think we could all learn something from her. This week I want to share some tips on what your team can do to give great guest service.

1. Patience

On a busy Saturday, this can be difficult sometimes. You have someone walk in, they don’t know what they want, and the line is getting longer and longer. It’s easy to get frustrated and start telling them about everything you have, confusing them more. You can be patient and expedite the process if you qualify them to help narrow down their choices and help guide the decision. Your patience will go a long way and help them create a better guest experience from the get-go.

2. Connection

One of the first things Ndiaye did was to connect with us. It may not be a big deal to most people, but she noticed my mom and I are both left-handed. It’s one thing we left-handers always notice, so when she brought it up, the conversation ensued. Ndiaye made us feel special in an authentic way since we all had that one thing in common.

The connection can be as simple as asking how their day is or finding something in common with them. We want our guests to feel like they have a relationship with a real person, not a robot. When we connect with our guests, we create relationships that build trust with our people and our business.

3. VIP Red Carpet Treatment

Have you ever seen how people act when a limo pulls up to the front door? Everyone kind of scrambles around to see who the limo is picking up and then do everything they can to put their best foot forward. If they are in a limo, they must be important, right? If we can teach our team that every guest is a VIP who just stepped out of a limo, they will come back more often and share their wonderful guest experience with others.

4. Go the Extra Mile

Ndiaye did a great job. She was far from the rising one-star on her apron. She was attentive with our order, the touches at our table, and always had a smile. Mom always wants to take an extra blackberry jelly or two home with her and Ndiaye made it happen with a smile.

Before we left, I let her know I was going to brag about her to the manager and that she needed four stars on her apron. She had only been working there for a few weeks but was a natural pro. I judged this book by the cover and was sorry in the end. I now have several servers I can count on at this location.

Does your team have all the tools they need to provide great guest service? If you’re not sure, schedule a business check-up with us today. We would love to help.

FEC Marketing Made Easy Vol 4

by Tech Support | May 8, 2018 | Marketing

Welcome to the May marketing blog!

If you haven’t read the other marketing posts from this year, you can find them here. If you are new to the blog, each month we’ll share information about what’s happening in social media and marketing, give you promotion and marketing ideas for your center, and answer questions you have about marketing your FEC. Just submit your questions to marketing@trainertainment.net.

Let’s get started on this month’s topics.

Social Media Check-Up

When is the last time you did a social media check-up?

Recently I had a conversation about a client who is locked out of the Facebook page for their center. They had an employee as administrator for their page and when she was let go, she deleted everyone else who was an administrator. Yes, she hijacked their account and they were asking us how to get access.

It’s not an easy process. The best way to go about it is to fill out the trademark report form. There are a few steps, and it takes time, but unless you can talk with the person who is the current admin and get your access back, this is your only option.

Types of Roles

The first thing you should check is everyone who has page roles. Know the types of roles and what each role should do.

Here is a list of all the types of roles for your Facebook page.

Source: Facebook.com

Discuss within your organization and determine who should be in each role. Remember to include role removal during your off-boarding process to protect your page.

About and Bios

When was the last time you checked your About section? Is your address correct? Do you have a valid phone number? Be sure to look through every section and double-check your information.

Facebook is a great place to share more about your company, what you offer, menu items, and even your core values. For Instagram, you only get 150 characters for your bio so it’s important you utilize it well. It’s also the only place you get a clickable link. Be sure you tell people what you offer and why they should follow you.

Profile & Cover Photo

I’m always amazed when I go to pages with poor covers. The image isn’t the correct size, it’s a low-quality photo or graphic, it’s just too busy, or they have the same cover from when they created the page. Covers are great to switch out a couple of times a year to give your page a fresh look and, with programs like Canva, all your graphics should be high resolution. Same goes for your profile picture. It’s always good to stick with your logo so it’s easy for people to identify you.

Deleting Old Posts

Deleting old posts is one thing many people forget about when evaluating their social media accounts. What you posted a few years ago may not be the same image you want to portray now. Go through old posts, especially photos, and remove items that are no longer relevant.

This will give you a good check on your page. Be sure you go through each of these sections every once in a while as a quick check.

In-Center Promotions

It’s time to start thinking about promotions for August and September. Here are a few ideas of what you can plan for your center.

National Bowling Day is August 11^th– plan a fun weekend around bowling! Host fun competitions, give out prizes and have fun specials in your center.
National Bronze Coaching Weekend is August 11-12. Bronze Coaching Conferences will be held in 14 locations around the country. You can find out more at here.
Back to school – Host a school supply drive and donate supplies to local teachers. Do a back-to-school photo contest on Facebook. Ask people to use a special hashtag and post their pictures on your page. Have your team pick their top four and have people vote to win a family fun pack.
Stand Up to Cancer – Get involved in this national organization. Have a fundraiser in your center. Have people fill out Stand Up for Cancer signs for $1 each.
National Singles Day – Host a fun singles event where people can meet up, have food and drinks, and get to know each other (hopefully Facebook’s dating app will be out by then).

I hope all these tools help you. If you have a question, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask. Shoot me an email at marketing@trainertainment.net.