I live and work my business from all over the world. Over two years ago, I decided I wanted my life to be a vacation. My answer to get me to that kind of freedom was Entrepreneurship. If you’ve followed my journey then you know I started with living in the country of Belize. My current home outside of the United States is Mexico. I live in the city of Playa del Carmen, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The main tourist strip here is 5th Avenue or La Quinta Avenida. This street is two blocks over from the Caribbean Sea and spans several blocks down in length. It includes shops, restaurants, nightlife options, and street performances.
With the exchange rate of dollars to pesos AND the cost of living here being so affordable, I eat out a lot. In frequenting many of the restaurants on the strip, I’ve seen a few things regarding business. Here are my observations and the tips I’ve created from them:
1. Client support is a company duty. Just like anywhere else, at the restaurants in Playa you have a waiter that is assigned to your table when you are seated. However, when your food is ready, it is brought to you by the first waiter available to bring it. When your glass is empty, the first waiter to notice your empty beverage offers you another one. In essence, serving the customer is everyone’s job. When you build a team for your business, infuse into each position that everyone that sees a client need is to take charge of seeing that the need is met.
2. Speak the client’s language. Because these restaurants attract a lot of tourists just from their location, they do everything they can to make sure that language is not a barrier. Their client facing staff speak conversational English. Their menus are in Spanish and English. They also use pictures on their menus for popular selections. Everything about the order process is put in language that best results in the customers getting exactly what they want. Sometimes as experts in our field, we use a lot of jargon specific to our industries. Do not use language that is understood by a few. Instead, speak using words even a child can understand to make sure that you encapsulate (see that unnecessary word)… to make sure that you include (see much better word choice) all persons fitting your client avatar. I call it speaking in lowest terms. Some call it K.I.S.S. or keep it simply, stupid. Since none of you are stupid, just remember to keep it simple.
3. Know your ideal client. The restaurants here really cater to tourists’ expectations. When you go off the strip to eat, you are faced with dingy, older structures with a more local feel. Because the restaurants on the strip are very clear that tourists will associated lack of building upkeep with unclean service and food, you will find that they cater to the tourists’ expectation. The restaurant is clean, neatly and cohesively decorated, and the staff wear clean, easily identifiable uniforms.
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Are you giving your clients what they expect? Have you invested in getting to know what they expect? Can you see how this can be extremely important in clients being satisfied with the results that they get from your business? If you are looking to better your business using these strategies but need guidance, let’s talk about it.