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GEE-WIZ, I'm Hungry, Is that All you Got?

12/20/2012

1 Comment

 
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Is Social really JUST all about the "gee-wiz" technology and convenience?

Don't get me wrong, I like "gee-wiz" technology and convenience as much as the next guy; but is there an opportunity being overlooked...

"How Restaurants Are Using Technology to Deliver Better Customer Service" 
           - Carol Tice, Contributor, Forbes, 12/07/12

Outside of the "wolf it down 'cause I'm f'n starving and on the way to a meeting" restaurant experience; my "dining" choices are made, primarily, on the basis of three factors.

1) I've eaten there before, and I like the food
2) I've heard really good things about the place
3) My friend (or friend of a friend) owns and/or cooks there

Each of these are weighted moment to moment by my mood. Each apply to restaurants from my local MacDonald's to that hidden gem in the Village I stumbled into one day because I spent months watching the owners restore rather than renovate a long closed establishment.

Can social embrace these factors?

This speaks to my "mom & pop" argument. I recently put together a package for A&W (which unfortunately, never made it past their damn ADvertising oriented head-hunting 'gate' keeping hiring agency). My proposal suggested my agreement that A&W had a lot of work to do on "first level" social, ie simply getting the A&W message out across the "channel" into the stream as it were...

I also proposed, bravery...

Social affords far more than just another channel down which to 'pump' the continuous drone of the AD driven message. Seeded within' social is the ability to develop a stronger connection with your customers. Mom & pop didn't need the technology but were expert in the use of social long before it became... technology.

Here's what I'd like from a restaurant with respect to "social service". For the most part I get these from the "sole proprietor" establishments I haunt...

• I'd like to know the name of the owner/manger and feel I have some form of access to them to register a complaint, make a suggestion or extend a compliment.

• I'd like a restaurant that appears to keep track of my participation in their service.

I find "spreadsheet driven" coffee cards, coupons and pre-packaged promotions dis-in-genuine for the most part, especially when used by sole proprietor; in those cases, I tell them so, and I usually get my free-coffee/extra falafel sause bump on a pretty regular basis...

There is NO reason why A&W, especially most of those located in smaller urban locations cannot apply a more personal, less systematic, seemingly friendlier tactics used by mom & pop. It requires only commitment, firstly to your customers, secondly to the employees you "carefully" select to service your customers.

My Mom & Pop argument... Look beyond the "AD-pump" channel aspect of social; be brave, ie have enough confidence in your offering to invite relationships, accept comments and complaints. (Social IS CRM and CRM is quickly filtering its way down the economy scale... more on that continuously in 2013).

Certainly... changing your relationship with your employees, a key factor in this model, is NOT easy, but improving your relationship with your customers IS a simple notion, NO? - Listem if we are going to settle on a service economy, why not focus on service, AND why not train and trust our employees to be... friendly. My guess is, given licence to be friendly, they'll be better employees...

Gee-wiz... ain't social simple? (but get over it, social ain't easy), just ask mom & pop.

1 Comment
Gordon Gower link
12/21/2012 01:45:35 am

COMMENTS form other venues

Byron Bignell 9:22 AM

It seems that too much emphasis is placed on the technology and not in the underlying human interactions. The trouble is, the generation of such huge volumes of noise and very little actual 'signal'. The signal seems to be about the technology and perhaps, just perhaps we have to wonder why.

A huge part of that noise are the fake-relationships that 'brands' seem convinced they can forge with people; forge being the operative term. Ask yourself if the average human being actually gives a toss about margarine, tissues or cars in their day-to-day life.

[flame war in 3,2...]

Gordon Gower 9:31 AM

No flame war from me... I'm left stunned in amazement that all these "brands" believe that anyone would want to form a relationship with "their brand"... NOW... I'm more than happy to form a relationship with their salesman, manager... front line agent.

There's an opportunity here, to make business more human, in turn, making employment more meaningful... it is being missed.

Lack of courage? OR continued bad advice from the boys on Madison Ave?

Bit of both likely. - Me, I'll keep pressing this one... Nothing better to do after pressing it for a couple of decades now :-)

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    Gordon Gower

    (as of October 24th 2013... this needs a bit of updating...)

    I am NOT a so-called blogger, nor do aspire to the fame and (massive) fortunes that seems to follow "the blogger's blogggers" these days... please see: about this, for more on that...

    All I ask is that IF you like the notions presented here, follow me on Twitter to be alerted to those odd times when I get around to committing to more of these... notions.

    ...so, I am NOT a blogger, I am simply a veteran* social media & digital business professional; With over 25 years experience in blah, blah... demonstrated blah success, implementing, blah, blah, blah... innovative ideas from, blah... start-up through to blah... projects for established Fortune 500 companies. 

    Comprehensive idea-generation ...blah, blah, blah problem solving skills with blah, blah, blah, blah... blah experience in a wide variety of markets.

    I do like to talk, even more, I like to think up, develop and implement, solutions. SO, lets talk :-)


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