I have been driving up and down the eastern part of the US for the last few weeks, and I experienced some fascinating business “presentations.” I’d like to share a few that serve as good reminders that:
How you present your business can be equally as consequential as how you run your it.
On the plus side was dinner at a Ruby Tuesday outside Savannah, Georgia. Our server was either in a bad mood, or just basically nasty. She failed to bring our side dishes or drinks with the meal, and when I asked about them, she virtually snarled at me, commenting “Well, I ordered them! What do you expect me to do?” (I suggested she go get them.) A few minutes later, the manager was going from table to table checking how everything was. I questioned whether he really wanted me to tell him, and he made it clear that he did. His reaction to my description? He thanked me profusely for the feedback, tore up the check, insisted on packing up some desserts, and gave us a $50 coupon that is good at any Ruby Tuesday restaurant.
Basically, for a cost of about $75, he turned a P/R disaster into a positive marketing opportunity. Good choice? You betcha.
Not so positive was a stop at the iconic South of the Border just south of the North Carolina border on I95. In case you’ve never driven there, you’ve missed roughly 200 billboards starting about 150 miles away in any direction, heightening your anticipation until you arrive at this 350 acre tourist trap. You have a choice of dirty restaurants, souvenir shops filled with an amazing assortment of junk, something of an amusement park, and a spooky motel. They have been in business for over 60 years and is a $40 million enterprise. This reminds me “It’s all about marketing!”
More humorous than anything else was a billboard for an Econo-Lodge motel in North Carolina. Draped across the billboard was a banner excitedly suggesting “Get Crabs Here!” Who’s their Marketing Director?