Recent studies confirm that a growing number of entertainment facilities and an increasing variety of entertainment alternatives, coupled with the fact that many people just don’t go out as much as they used to, all add up to market saturation for many bar, nightclub and restaurant operators.
    Today, we must face the fact that the continued success of our own business will occur at the expense of other operators who fail. Will you survive the fallout?
    In order to survive, we must teach our managers and employees how to improve their internal marketing skills. Internal marketing is what you do for your guests once they are in your establishment to make sure their expectations are met or exceeded.
    To survive in the 21st century, we need to position ourselves with those who set guest recognition and satisfaction as their No. 1 priority. Making the cash register ring in the years ahead will increasingly become the direct result of making the guest happy.
    Bottom line: We must focus more on relationship management.

Priorities to Plan
    PRIORITY: Set a goal to improve guest service. A manager’s first priority is to make sure your guests are greeted, seated, served and satisfied. In every market, there exists an opportunity to make a positive impression and improve customer count simply by giving better service.
    Establish specific staff service standards. Devote time to training. Strive to improve management, employee communications. Expect your staff to excel.

    PRIORITY: Become a role model. You are hosting a party at your home. Make every guest feel important. Smile and talk to as many of your guests as possible. Introduce yourself to unfamiliar people. Show people you care. Remove dirty glasses and napkins as you informally chat with the newcomers. Casually recommend a specialty drink and always inform guests about upcoming promotions and events.

    PRIORITY: Develop rapport with your guests. Establish a standard that all staff  get to know people by their names and where they work. Servers and bartenders should know a person’s drink preferences. DJs should know what songs guests like and play requests. Food servers should know the menu preferences of their regular guests.
    Have managers and employees exchange business cards with guests. Get their e-mail addresses; build a mailing list. Remember, today’s regulars were yesterday’s strangers.

    PRIORITY: Become a party director, an ambassador of good will — not just a manager of the floor.  Too many managers police their rooms instead of working the room like a mayoral candidate. Compliment your guests on clothing, hairstyles, friends, business and other things.
    Have buttons made up for all staff, including managers, to wear proudly. “We Care about YOU!,” “Expect The Best” and  “I Love My Job At _____” are great examples of company slogans that visually enforce the concept of sincere, caring service to the guest.

    PRIORITY: Thank your guests for their business. Instruct your staff to hold doors open for arriving and departing guests. Smile. Tell them, “Thank you” for coming. They’ll automatically smile back. Happy smiles signal that they can look forward to a great experience!
    When you and your staff follow all of these priority steps with every guest, you will have succeeded in thanking them in a way your competition usually doesn’t understand — or choose to do. NCB

    Want to learn more? This exercise is from Ray Ford’s best-selling book, “101 Ways To Make The Cash Register Ring!” You can find more at HospitalityIndustryResourceCenter.com.

    About the Author: Industry guru Ray Ford is a 30-year hospitality industry veteran. During his career, he was a club DJ, corporate trainer, VP of marketing and entertainment as well as an owner/operator.
    As a top industry consultant, Ford has worked for the who’s who of the industry on more than 100 projects. He also has helped clients to build, open and operate more than 50 concepts in hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
    A founding member of the Nightclub & Bar Advisory Board, Ford is conducting a dynamic learning workshop, Management Success Keys, at “The Show” in Las Vegas March 5-8.