Tag Archive for: restaurant

Which Restaurant to Choose in Boston…or Anywhere Else

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About a month ago, Jane, Abigail and I enjoyed a long weekend in Boston. Boston has been one of my favorite cities ever since I ran the Boston Marathon in 2004 and 2005. If you’ve never been there, I highly encourage you to go! The mixture of old and new architecture, interesting pubs and restaurants, Boston Commons, Cheers, and the Freedom Trail are just a handful of cool things to do.

We spent a good bit of time at Faneuil Hall, a well-known market where there are street performers, historic sites, interesting shops and lots of restaurants to occupy your time. While we were enjoying an unusually cool, beautiful summer afternoon walking through the market, I overheard a young man say to his girlfriend, “When you see a restaurant without a line and the others are crowded you don’t want to go there. There’s a reason it’s not crowded.”

I doubt someone had to teach him the psychology of persuasion for him to understand the reality that crowds usually signal a good place to eat whereas empty tables typically mean the food and/or service must not be so hot. What he described was the principle of social proof in real time – we look to others when trying to decide on the best course of action. We can be influenced by what many others are doing or smaller groups who may be like us. Either way, to a great degree, we base our actions on the observation of others. And this is only heightened when we’re unsure what to do.

It’s not uncommon at all for us to make quick decisions based on the principles of influence just like that young man. That shows how easily, and quite often unconsciously, we’re influenced by the principles. Here’s another example. Several weeks ago, I wrote about a study by the University of California. Homeowners were given energy saving ideas and one group was told if they implemented the recommendations they would save about $180 on their electric bill in the coming year. Another group was told they would lose $180 over the next 12 months if they didn’t adopt the recommendations because they would overpay on their electric bill.

Whenever I share that study and then ask people which group they think was more likely to implement the energy saving ideas, everyone says the group that was told they’d lose the $180. And they’re correct! The “lose group” had 150% more people act than the “save group.”

Again, like the young man in Boston they intuitively got it. Yet time and time again we see people highlighting the benefits of some change rather than pointing out what people might lose if they don’t go along with what’s being asked or recommended. They’re bungling away an opportunity to effectively persuade using the principle of scarcity!

I’m guessing you’re reading this blog because you want to be more effective when it comes to persuasion. So, the real question for you is how you will use your knowledge of the principles. It’s not enough to understand the principles (head knowledge); you must put them into action ethically and correctly.

For example, some people respond to “thanks” by saying, “That’s how we treat all of our customers.” That’s a major bungle because that’s not effective use of consensus. Telling someone you’re treating him or her just like everyone else after you’ve done something to help him or her only diminishes the special feeling we all want. Better to say, “We were happy to do that. We appreciate your business.”

Back to our young couple. If they were like most people milling around Faneuil Hall, they were probably tourists and in the absence of a recommendation from a local they didn’t know the best spots to go for dinner. I don’t know where they ended up dining that night, but odds are, if they were willing to wait for a seat at one of the more crowded restaurants, they probably had a better experience. And that goes not only for Boston but anywhere you’re looking for a good spot to eat.

Brian Ahearn, CMCT®
Chief Influence Officer
influencePEOPLE 
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

 

Influence Tips for Running a Restaurant – Part 4

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This is the final post in what turned out to be a four-part series on ways restaurants can ethically engage customers using the principles of influence to create win-win situations. If you’re a server at a restaurant, pay close attention—what I’m about to share is something you’ll want to avoid.

Customers often ask about different dishes, saying things like, “How’s the fish?” Too often, servers respond by sharing their personal preferences, saying something like, “It’s one of my favorites” or “I love it.” While these statements may be true, they’re a mistake. Why? Because everyone has different tastes. If the customer ends up disliking the dish, the recommendation is tied back to the server, which could hurt tips.

A better approach would be to engage the principle of consensus, as people tend to look to others for validation when making decisions. Instead of giving a personal opinion, a server might say, “It’s one of our customers’ favorites” or “Several people have already had it today and said it’s delicious.” These responses rely on consensus, while also deflecting potential criticism in case the customer doesn’t enjoy the dish.

Here’s another tip for servers: The liking principle tells us that people like to do business with those they like. The more a server can get customers to like them, the better the odds of receiving a favorable tip. Beyond the standard, “I’m Sally, and I’ll be waiting on you today,” servers should consider asking customers for their names.

I’ll never forget Ryan, a bartender at Friday’s, from a trip I made to Nashville years ago. When Ryan came to take my order, he introduced himself, asked my name, and shook my hand during the quick exchange. Each time he checked on me, he used my name.

“How’s your food, Brian?”
“Would you like another beer, Brian?”
“So, what brings you to Nashville, Brian?”

After a while, I felt like a friend was waiting on me. Needless to say, Ryan earned a very nice tip.

Little things like this can go a long way. A smart server is observant and looks for similarities to connect with customers. Whether it’s a shared hometown, favorite sports team, or even a similar name, finding and raising those mutual interests engages the principle of liking. This connection increases the odds that customers will enjoy the dining experience more.

Another tactic for engaging liking is to offer genuine compliments. Abraham Lincoln was right when he said, “Everyone loves a compliment.” Servers should look for something authentic to praise—perhaps a customer’s outfit, choice of dish, or even their demeanor—and raise it to the surface. Compliments make customers feel good, and those positive feelings are often associated with the server and the restaurant, benefiting everyone.

What’s nice about this approach is that it’s reciprocal: as servers find things they admire in customers and connect over shared interests, they often begin to genuinely like the customers they’re serving. When customers sense that their server enjoys waiting on them, they feel better too, creating a positive feedback loop. Everyone wins.

While there are undoubtedly more strategies restaurants can implement, incorporating the suggestions I’ve shared throughout this series can make a meaningful difference. Customers will feel more engaged and enjoy their dining experiences even more, and the best part? As I mentioned at the start of this series, implementing these changes costs almost nothing.

Brian, CMCT

influencepeople

Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

Influence Tips for Running a Restaurant – Part 3

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Welcome to the third part of this series, directed at those working in the restaurant industry. I believe that applying the principles of influence in an ethical manner can create a win-win-win scenario for restaurants, waitstaff, and customers alike.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a way for servers to increase their tips. Today, I’ll share another strategy servers can use to take home more pay. Believe it or not, something as simple as a mint can encourage many people to tip more.

Now, you might be thinking, “I’d never tip more just because I got a mint.” While that may be true for you, not everyone feels the same. If some customers are inclined to tip more simply because they received a mint, isn’t it worth the effort?

In one study, researchers found that servers who gave a single mint to customers increased their tips by more than 3%. But here’s where it gets interesting: when servers gave two mints, tips more than doubled—they increased by 14%! That’s right; servers who routinely handed out two mints saw their tips rise significantly. And since handing out two mints takes no more effort than giving one, it’s a smart move.

You may be wondering, why does this happen? Researchers believe it’s due to the principle of reciprocity. This principle of persuasion tells us that people feel obligated to give back to those who’ve given something to them first. The simple act of giving mints taps into this principle, prompting patrons to open their wallets a little wider. The more mints customers received, the deeper they dug into their wallets.

But wait—there’s more!

The study tested a third approach. In this scenario, servers gave patrons a single mint and began to walk away. However, before they got too far, they would turn back, approach the table again, and say something like, “You guys have been great,” while handing out an additional mint. Believe it or not, this tactic resulted in tips that were nearly 25% higher than the control group!

Interestingly, it was still only two mints per person, but the personal touch made all the difference. The act of returning to the table, coupled with the kind words, made the gesture feel unique and special to the customers.

Of course, this tactic isn’t appropriate for every customer. Not all patrons are “great,” so it would be unethical—or even manipulative—to use this approach universally. However, for tables that are genuinely enjoyable to wait on, this personalized engagement can lead to higher tips.

The next time you’re dining out and notice mints near the door as you leave, you’ll know that the restaurant is missing a golden opportunity. By leaving mints out for self-service, they’re bungling a chance to help their waitstaff make more money while delighting customers.

Smart servers might even consider investing in their own bag of mints. With the extra cash they’d earn from larger tips, they could easily afford it—and then some!

Next week, we’ll conclude this series with a final post offering more tips for those in the restaurant industry.

Brian Ahearn, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

Influence Tips for Running a Restaurant – Part 2

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I started this series last week by mentioning all the traveling I’ve done during the first half of the year and how it has given me plenty of opportunities to observe how restaurants operate. Employing the psychology of persuasion can help customers enjoy the whole dining experience more, which, in turn, benefits the restaurant through repeat customers.

Since my interaction is primarily with the waitstaff, most of the ideas I’ll share will revolve around them.

Have you ever had your server come up and ask, “Does everything taste fine?” Of course, you have—and so have I. In fact, that’s what I hear more often than not. When I think about that phrase, it reminds me of someone who, when asked how they’re doing, typically says, “Not bad.” So, bad is the standard, and they’re just not bad?

Many of you might think you know what they mean, and I do, too, but isn’t it more uplifting to hear something like, “Doing great. Thanks for asking”? Of course, it is.

C. Britt Beemer, in The Customer Rules: The 14 Indispensable, Irrefutable, and Indisputable Qualities of the Greatest Service Companies in the World, explains this concept perfectly:

Bill Pulte, founder and chairman of Pulte Homes, explains, “At Pulte, we work on the premise that we don’t want to satisfy the customer; we want to delight the customer. Here’s what I mean. When a husband and his wife go to a restaurant for dinner and have a nice meal, they are satisfied with it. So they go home, and that’s the end of it. They forget about it. On the other hand, if they had a fabulous meal and extraordinary service, what do they do? They tell their friends about it. With this in mind, we don’t think that just being satisfied is good enough.”

Let’s return to our server. When you go to a restaurant, aren’t you expecting the food to be good, great, tasty, delicious, or something better than just “fine”? I know I am.

If I were managing a waitstaff, my instructions would be to ask customers questions like, “Does your food taste good?” or “Isn’t the chicken delicious?”—phrases that prompt customers to reflect on how good the food is, rather than settling for “fine.” When customers affirm that the food is good, tasty, or delicious, they’re likely to feel better about their dining experience. That will make them more likely to return and probably tip better.

Why do I believe they’ll enjoy the dining experience more and tip better? Because the principle of consistency dictates they will. This principle of influence tells us that people feel internal psychological pressure to be consistent in what they say and do. If you want a simple way to remember this, think word and deed—because people like their words and actions to match.

If I affirm that the food is good when asked, it would be inconsistent for me not to return at some point. The server can strengthen these odds by asking, “That’s nice to hear. Do you think you’ll be back to see us?” Most people would likely say yes to that question, and as a result, more will return.

I also think tips will increase because of this approach. People usually tip based on good service and good food. Poor service or poor food is disastrous for servers who depend on tips for a living. When customers affirm that the food was very good, it makes tipping generously feel consistent—assuming the service was good as well.

Next week, we’ll explore more ways to use the psychology of influence to run a successful restaurant.

Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

Influence Tips for Running a Restaurant – Part 1

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Lots and lots of travel during the first half of the year! By the time it was over, I’d visited Baltimore, MD; Austin, TX; Nashville, TN; Chicago, IL; Greensboro, NC; Cincinnati, OH; State College, PA; Cleveland, OH; Milbank, SD; Des Moines, IA; Indianapolis, IN—and possibly a few other places I’ve forgotten. With all the travel came many nights in hotels and dining out.

I’ve blogged before about how hotels are bungling opportunities to encourage more guests to reuse towels and bed sheets to help the environment, so I’ll steer clear of that this week. If you want to learn about what those hotels could do, click here.

As you can imagine, with all the meals on the road, I’ve had ample opportunity to observe how restaurants operate. When it comes to engaging customers to help them enjoy the dining experience a little more—and ultimately improve the restaurant’s bottom line—there’s plenty of room for improvement. So, I thought I’d share some psychological tips for running a restaurant. These are ideas I’d personally implement if I owned one.

I’ll state up front that most of these ideas can be implemented without spending additional money—or very little in some cases. Restaurant owners, do I have your attention? Because there’s a lot to explore, and due to the need to explain the psychology behind my suggestions, this will be a multi-part series of short blog posts over four weeks.

Let’s start with the menu and talk specifically about wine. All too often, after grouping wines (Merlot, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Shiraz, etc.), the listings seem haphazard—at least to the non-wine connoisseur. Unless you have a very upscale restaurant catering to wine lovers, I think this is a mistake. Much of the time, the cheapest wines are listed first, which is an even bigger mistake!

In psychology, there’s something known as the contrast phenomenon, which tells us that what people see or experience first greatly impacts how they perceive the next stimuli they encounter. For example, when buying a suit, no good salesperson would start the process by showing the client accessories. If they did, the cost of the suit would seem too expensive by comparison. Think about it: if you’re first shown a shirt-and-tie combo costing $75–$100, the suit seems even pricier.

The smart salesperson sells the suit first because, by comparison, the shirt and tie don’t seem as expensive. Even if the customer doesn’t buy the accessories, at least the big-ticket item was sold.

How does this relate to restaurants selling wine? If the average customer starts reading the menu and sees a $20 bottle first, then by the time they get to the $200 bottle, it seems exorbitantly expensive by comparison. However, if the more expensive wines are listed first, then a $75 or $50 bottle starts to seem like a bargain.

Simply rearranging the order of wines—from most expensive to least—when new menus are printed should lead to increased sales. More people are apt to buy pricier wines. They may not go for the $200 bottle, but they’re much more likely to consider some of the other higher-priced options.

The same thought process applies to other menu items. After separating entrees from sandwiches and salads from starters, the restaurant owner would do well to list food items from most expensive to least expensive.

Next week, we’ll look at some things the waitstaff can do to increase customer satisfaction and tips.

Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.