Shawna Simpson's Page

If your restaurant uses comment cards, or if you have ever filled one out yourself, odds are, you have found yourself answering the question “How did you hear about us?”  This little piece of information can be amazingly helpful by providing guidance in your decisions for marketing and advertising.  Now, with so much of marketing and advertising done online, an individual simply placing a checkmark in the “Online” box gives you a picture of how your customers find you, but it is as detailed…

I recently visited a restaurant and observed an elderly couple struggling to view a menu.  A few minutes into their struggle, their server graciously presented them with an iPad version of the menu and showed them within a few seconds how to zoom in to read the menu better.  The couple had a wonderful time…

A growing trend in the hospitality industry is the use of loyalty and reward programs to give incentives to your customers to continue returning.  Rarely will a customer visit a national or regional restaurant or hotel without finding an incentive program.  Dine 9 times and receive your 10th meal free or earn 500 points and receive a free dessert.  The options are many, but where are the independent restaurants in the loyalty game?  Often times, loyalty programs are…

“Customer service starts at the door.” 

Managers and owners have long known that to establish a great relationship with their customers, service and courtesy have to be extended right away. But, in this era of constant information,…