Your daily meals and snacks serve two purposes.
First, it’s the “fuel” to provide the nutrition you need to sustain yourself. That is hydration, calories, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and more. There is no need here to get deeply into this subject.
Second, the experience connected with that eating or snacking occasion. There are times you grab a quick meal or snack during a busy day. Even if it’s a quick stop, it might be a solo event or something you share with a colleague, friend or family member. Then there are the times when you sit down to (hopefully) enjoy what you will eat and to have a pleasant dining experience.
Our industry does a good job on the functional elements. The really good news is that we are rapidly improving on what we do. You can see it in (A) micro markets, (B) a much broader selection of BFY (better for you) food, beverages and snacks, (C) offering cashless payment options.
Let’s take a more in depth look at the “enjoyment” side of eating and snacking. Most of what you sell is targeted at the functional aspects of eating. Generally you’re serving people who are away-from-home. My term is the “at-markets” – at work, at college, at a hospital, etc.
How can you deliver a better customer experience for the people you serve? Here are some of my own dining experiences – situations where the experience taught me meaningful lessons and put a smile on my face because the “event” was something special.
In my travels there have been far more business days on the road than personal travel time. There have been meals and snacks across the full spectrum – lots of wonderful dives and greasy spoons. It’s been an alphabet of cuisines in big cities and small towns – at exits on interstate highways and on country roads. There are memorable meals at bargain prices – still in my memory 20 years later or more. Beyond that are special occasions in our lives and “the best dining experience” we ever had. Here are some of our favorites and the relevant lessons for our industry.
- Get a really good cup of coffee. In Vancouver BC we enjoyed Waves Coffee House. Their menu includes food, pastries and a broad selection of hot and cold beverages. They served me one of the best cappuccinos in my memory. The service was friendly and efficient and the ambiance was quite pleasant. Their closest location is about 2,400 miles from my door. That’s a bit too far for a quick coffee run. LESSON: Keep working on the products you sell. Begin a concentrated effort to enhance the ambiance at the locations you serve. Have you thought about “better” disposables – cups, napkins, straws, knives, forks and spoons? You should be upgrading these ancillary service items.
- Have some ice cream. Ice cream is the ultimate treat – a delightful indulgence on a hot summer day and a year-round favorite for people of all ages. It’s not an easy product category for our industry to offer.
We found Ample Hills Creamery on Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. It’s simply great ice cream. They are rightfully proud of their philosophy and say that they use “the best ingredients; hormone free milk and cream from grass fed cows and organic cane sugar.” LESSON: You’ve got to find places like Ample Hills Creamery. They believe in “clean ingredient lists” and “free from” production. Make sure that you’re sharing your own business and personal values with your team, your accounts and the people who shop at your locations. - Always remember the best dining experiences you’ve had. Ours was a dinner for a “big number” wedding anniversary. It was the singular best dining experience we ever had. We had to book it months in advance. The location is breathtaking. The food was amazing; it was the second best meal we ever enjoyed. It was the service that set this place apart. The service staff brought each course to the table. Then they described the food in detail – where it was from (the farm or ranch), how it was prepared and why it was done in that manner. For example, we were told that a particular vegetable had been on a high shelf above the grill for 24 hours. We were served the last of this seasonal vegetable and then the first of a different vegetable. It would be easy to go on and on, but we’ll stop here. LESSON: What have you done to deliver a good customer experience for the people you serve? It’s okay to say that it’s not something you’ve addressed (yet) in your business. Begin today to think back and recall the very best dining experiences you’ve had. Don’t be limited to white table cloth meals. Some of my favorites, as you’ve seen in this series, are far from fine dining places. What can you do to deliver a better eating experience – based on what you’ve learned from the places where you’ve been the customer?
Pay attention to what they’re doing when you are in other foodservice operations. See how that compares to what you’re offering. What can you change? What can you improve?
After all, it all comes down to selling more stuff.
