Raise the Bar

Jon wrote a book called Raise The Bar that I recently read.

Have you ever seen the TV show called Bar Rescue ? It is a show about how Jon Taffer, a hospitality industry consultant, goes into a bar or restaurant and prevents it from going belly up. Because he believes there is a science behind the hospitality business, he remodels the inside and outside of the restaurant as well as provides business acumen and tough love to the owner and employees. It’s one of those shows that has lots of drama!

Jon wrote a book called Raise The Bar that I recently read. Even if your industry is different than his, there are many good tips and reminders that translate to all areas of business.

– Managing a successful business lies in the reactions of the customers

– Focus on excellence… pay attention to detail. 9 out of 10 people that have a negative experience don’t say anything

– Every process in your business must create a positive customer reaction. Five must-have’s: convenient, clean, safe, quality, and great value

– Successful reactions are not logical… they are emotional

– Make sure your customers know you care about their experience

– Connect with people

– When something goes wrong, winners sincerely make things right

– Firing someone can be the greatest kindness you can extend, so they can achieve greater things

– It is the owner’s fault for hiring the wrong person

– Who is the idiot when a manager and good employee sit down for a tough conversation and the employee leaves wanting to work for that boss less?

– Customer reactions are more important than marketing. Invest in customers, not media

– Work for the third visit

– Provide superior human transactions

– Business comes from human interaction, not technology! Technology distances the client

– People will sacrifice the possibility of excellence for predictability

– Presentation is everything… make the customer feel special. If standards are not being met, do not blame the employee or the economy. Blame management

– People remember experiences

– Innovate! Keep your business in step with the market

If you can look past the made-for-TV drama, there are actually some interesting ideas on how to run a business on each episode of Bar Rescue. Check it out online: http://www.spike.com/shows/bar-rescue/episode-guide