Choosing Greatness Over Growth - Lisa Schultz - Defining Hospitality - Episode # 110

Jun 14, 2023

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Customers are guests who have honored you with their patronage. Adding in special touches can show your gratitude in a way that earns their repeat business. Expanding your business does not mean you forfeit the ability to make changes in your community, Zingerman’s is proof of this. Learn from a 19-year customer service veteran, Zingy leader, and Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Lisa Schultz.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of eating in a Zingerman’s location and witnessing their hospitality first hand, listen to Lisa speak about the critical steps to Giving Great Service..

Takeaways:

Hospitality means accommodating your guests to make their experience unique and special, while providing consistently great service and quality food. Consistency is essential because the guest should know what level of service to expect.
All Zingerman’s locations follow their Three Steps to Giving Great Service. First, find out what the guest wants, get it for them accurately, politely, and enthusiastically, and lastly, go the extra mile. Do these steps consistently to create a reliably great experience.
Use the process of visioning to create future plans. Look at goals for success and future objectives, internally and externally, at relationships with vendors, your staff’s experience, and every aspect that could affect success.
Open book accounting and management allows every employee from dishwashers to shift leaders to feel like they have an impact on processes. You will have suggestions for improvement on issues that upper management might not notice.
Open book processes also improve retention and hiring of employees who want their opinion to matter or who want to participate in the success of the business. It will allow people to improve points of frustration or disagreement.
Choosing greatness over growth does not mean you forfeit growth. You will instead, grow in a way that creates raving fans in a world where word of mouth is one of the most impactful marketing tactics, while being free.
If your employees care, it translates to good service. A serving team’s genuine care will shine through to the guest and make a uniquely welcoming experience. Otherwise, you have a team of people who aren’t invested in the wellbeing of your guests.

Quote of the Show:

“If your staff feel taken care of, they're probably going to give better service.” - Lisa Schultz

Links:

Company website: https://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zingermansroadhouse/

Shout Outs:

1:30 - USC Trojans: https://usctrojans.com/sports/football
02:11 - Small Giants - Bo Burlingame
03:55 - Ari Weinzweig
09:39 - Alex Young
11:15 - The Great Game of Business - Jack Stack
27:02 - Danny Meyer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhmeyer/

Ways to Tune In:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419