Notes from Table 12......

Hog Wild is the place to go for the best barbeque in town. Not only is the food consistently good with both pork and chicken barbeque on their menu, but the service is fast for the lunch and dinner crowd. The servers are always smiling and helpful. It has casual sit-down facilities but take-out or catering are two of their other specialties. One might ask, “How do you know so much about their take-out and catering services?” The answer is, they have started to use ultimate, in-house advertising.
The first thing you see before you walk in the door are posters advertising specials for eating in, taking out and catering. Their menu is on a chalkboard but as you stand at the counter, small take-out menus are available. They leave nothing to chance.
As I had a delicious pork sandwich with sweet sauce, I began to wonder if there was any other marketing tools they could use to boost business….What if they had fold-up business cards with easy-to-read phone numbers and contact information with a mini-menu inside that are put on your tray as you pass through the line?....Just right for the purse or shirt pocket.
My mind continued the “what if” game. What if they put a postcard-size ‘calendar for the month’ on the table to remind everyone of coming holidays for that month? It could include a place to jot down birthdays and anniversaries, just so you won’t forget Valentines Day in February or your wife’s birthday. They would want you to take it with you so you can remember the monthly important events. What if they had you turn the card back in on the last week of the month, with your name and e-mail information on the back, to get a special coupon sent to you when you come in the following month?
Oh-oh, it’s time to get back to work. I can’t wait to come back to Hog Wild, especially for the food…Another idea before I leave—What if there was a place on the back of the monthly calendar for customers to make a comment or suggestion when they turn it in or what if they…..I’m going to need a new job if I don’t get back to work.

From the Diner's Seat at Table 12