Two Italian Restaurants
September 2009I have a weakness for pasta and red sauce (Sunday Gravy for you Italians), so on two recent business trips in the same week, I went out in search of a meal that would put a smile on Tony Soprano's mug.
The first restaurant was in an uptown environment, had a nice façade, an expensive wine list, a cozy atmosphere, and a well dressed staff. After a good glass of Super-Tuscan red, my expectations were high. Unfortunately, the food could have come out of a can. Maybe it did?! The quality was not consistent with the image. I left frustrated and won’t go back.
The second restaurant was in a strip mall. When I walked in, I saw hundreds of bottles of private label red wine sitting out (some in the sun), and red-checked vinyl table cloths. The wait staff was dressed casually. The red wine I ordered—only one type available by the glass—arrived hot. Red wine should not be served hot. The plate of spaghetti was huge and had a meatball that could have been used on the pro-bowlers tour. There were a few loud kids in the restaurant, some people who looked like they put on their Sunday best mixed in with some bikers. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.
Why the difference? When I was in college, I was so poor that I ate Tuna Helper without the tuna, but am now a bit of a “foodie” and like good wine. So why was I happy with restaurant number 2? I knew exactly what I was getting when I walked in the door. They were entirely consistent. I also watched with admiration at how fast they got people in and out, how efficient and friendly the wait staff was and how much value customers received. Lots of smiling faces. They had achieved strategic alignment.
Restaurant number 1? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I won’t be back. Poor execution. If the strategy was to have an upscale experience, they completely missed on a key element. The inconsistent application of their strategy was frustrating. It’s like United Airlines’ old motto, “Fly the Friendly Skies of United”. Someone forgot to tell the flight attendants in the last decade. (If you want a chuckle, check out this old United commercial: Friendly skies.)
Is your strategy consistently executed? If your vision and strategy are not clear to your team members, they’ll get confused and frustrated. If your intent is to be a low-cost provider (e.g. restaurant number 2), don’t try to fool your customers into thinking that they are getting a highbrow experience. If your strategy is to provide uniquely high quality or great service and your image portrays that, you had better follow through. (Business rock star, Seth Godin wrote a great blog on customer expectations that you should check out: Seth Godin: Spare No Expense) Customers who expect Château Pétrus but get Lancers will vote with their feet.