Why you need a customer list (a lesson from a restaurant!)
 

I thought some Sowpubbers might find this experience interesting...

A friend of mine owns a restaurant. His is a pretty small operation, and he recently had to go overseas for a few months. He had to drastically reduce the restaurant's hours while he was away (during that time, only his wife was there to run it, and she couldn't be there in the evenings or weekends).

He came back, and he found his regular clientele had disappeared...

They had gotten out of the "habit" of coming to his restaurant. They'd come, and he'd be closed. So they got out of the habit of coming.

Now that he's back, he has to rebuild his customers again.

Of course, once some of them know he's open again, they'll come again. However, this shows the importance of a customer list!

That is, a customer list where you can contact them!

He doesn't have this. So he has no way of easily contacting all his old customers.

However, if he had a customer list - such as an email list, or even a list of real mailing addresses he could physically mail a letter to - he could get all his old customers walking in the door in the next few days or week. As it is, it will take a lot longer for the old customers to know his doors are open again, and that he's back in business.

There's a lesson to be learned here, I think...!

Best wishes!

Dien

Re: Why you need a customer list (a lesson from a restaurant!)
 

Dien,

Seems basic doesn't it?

I don't believe most small business owners comprehend that
their business is the customers. Without customers, you have
no business.

I stopped in to discuss an ad program with a local lawn tractor
business owner. He was complaining about the big box stores.
Said that people who bought their lawn tractors from the big
box stores were calling him wanting him to do the repairs.

He said, in a very self-satisfied way, "I told them to take it
back to the big box store and see if they'll fix it for you."

Then the conversation drifted over to customer lists and staying
in touch with customers. My direction. He talked about a thank you
card program that his daughter had instigated. They were going out
to people who had spent hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars
on lawn tractors.

The cards were costing him $2 ea. to send. The $2 cost bugged him and
he nixed the idea.

I left. I don't have a tool that can open a rusted-shut mind.

Ron

(Lessons for restaurants, etc.,) Re-workable ideas Circa 2013!
 

A Blast from SowPubs past and some Good ol' ideas...

Restaurants etc. and others are still Missing into Fresh new and Creative Twists...

Re-workable ideas Circa 2013 and Deep into the Future with some Smart Thinking, Planning and Action!

Social Media! related Ideas just being One option! Great [oldtimer] SowPubbers and Communications...

sowpub fishbowl... Scan and read continually down the pages...
https://www.google.com/search?q=sowp...en-US:official

The Good ol' SowPub archives once again! ...

Endless opportunities, ideas and Solutions, wide-open for Re-Discoveries...

Passing through and Need a Quick Blast of Brainstorming with the Good ol' days, with a some of those Cool old-timers Sowpubbers from the past...

Great reading, All kinds of stories and Much, much more... ;)
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/archive/index.php?f-3.html

More Great stuff, for all kinds of important reasons, Timeless! ... :cool:

Ten lessons the restaurant industry can learn from Steve Jobs...
http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/arti...rom-Steve-Jobs
http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/sitemap.php

All the best,
Phil