It’s happened to all of us. You walk into a restaurant. Do I seat myself? Do I have to wait for someone to seat me? Are bar seats open or do I have to be seated by someone?
Or maybe you went to the fitting room in a clothing store. Do I need to see someone to get one of those tags showing how many items I’m attempting to steal? What do I do with the stuff that doesn’t fit or I do not like? Where do I leave it?
And there’s just that awful feeling when you make a (wrong) decision – seating myself/not putting the clothes back on the hanger – and some employee is now “scolding” you for doing what you should not have done. Even though they were nowhere to be found (probably on their phone) nor were there any instructions.
Last week In New Orleans I went to a dive bar for dinner. My client said we “had” to go there. Not arguing with the client; especially when they’re paying. Outside MRB Bar & Kitchen was the sign featured in this post. I just thought to myself………………..BRILLIANT! I’ve been that confused customer. What do I do? Or in this case……….How does it work here? Well they told me exactly how it worked. No confusion. No need for an employee standing by the door. Come in. Order drinks here; food there. And enjoy!
Where are your customers confused? Take a look. Talk to your team. Listen to your customers when they tell you they didn’t know. Watch their actions. No matter how big or small your business may be. I’ll bet in this case employees got tired of telling customers how it works. And a solution appeared. A simple solution. Cuz sometimes the solution is pretty simple.
And as for MRB Bar & Kitchen, I’ve been visiting New Orleans for over 20 years for work and play. This dive bar probably was in the Top 5 of meals ever eaten in that city. The Charbroiled Oysters and the Crawfish Macaroni and Cheese were the bomb! And I’ve been to a several of the pretentious famous restaurants!