I Don’t Know (& Don’t Care About) Mr. P.F. Chang
Headline: Dining Options Slip on Icy Economy “Major changes are taking place on Albuquerque’s restaurant menu…publicly traded national chains such as California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang’s Chinese Bistro and Cheesecake Factory were off 7 percent or more on comparable units in the fourth quarter of 2008.”
Mr. Chang doesn’t exist. The KFC colonel has long been dead (“cool” logos and “rebranding” aside…) Dave left the Wendy’s building years ago. I’ve never liked the idea of a “Cheesecake Factory.”
Economy aside, the chains have an inherent problem – there’s no real personal connection. They can spend gazillions on advertising to create and maintain an image – but what’s behind the image?
(Remember when Starbucks didn’t advertise?)
A terrific ad campaign can fail when you first step into the restaurant’s door, with the hostess more concerned with texting than seating people (Honey, I get you’re young and oh-so-popular, but I’m the one who ultimately pays your salary.)…when the tables are full of dirty dishes…when the food – despite celebrity chef pitches – turns out to be “dumbed down” mediocrity…when the restrooms are filthy…when the place smells like dirty carpet (the now defunct Abq Bennigan’s)…when the highest level of contact is the manager, who has limited power and even less emotional investment.
Of course, locally-owned places can have all these problems and more…but many don’t. So, many of them are staying busy, even in these tough times. I know, for example, that if the usually immaculate restroom at Slate Street Cafe was a mess…I could tell Myra, the owner, right then…and she’d take care of it, right then. (She’s seemingly always there, doing everything from seating people to cooking to washing dishes.) I know that if my martini at Mykonos wasn’t right that Jim would re-make it, no questions asked. I know that if my salad at Flying Star (a locally-owned chain) wasn’t up to par, I could tell them and they’d do something about it. I know the people…and I care about them…and I keep going back.
Related Posts:
Pollyanna Ponderings: “Business Is Great!”
Why Marketers Should Work as Bartenders
I Know Where I Won’t Be Eating In Dallas
Tags: customer service, marketing, marketing troubleshooting, customer loyalty, Albuquerque restaurants







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