customer service

Financing

Curbside service gets new life

By Jonathan Maze on Apr. 17, 2020

More chains and independents are bringing orders to the curb. The service could stick around.

Operations

Texas’ famed Salt Lick tries a subscription service

By Peter Romeo on Nov. 27, 2019

The barbecue landmark will begin shipping products to the homes of patrons who pay a monthly fee.

Marketing

This week’s restaurant nightmares: Language, people

By Peter Romeo on Aug. 08, 2018

Jack in the Box was dead-on in figuring a suggestively worded ad campaign would stir controversy. The same sort of foresight might’ve helped an upstart chain from sounding racially insensitive. But the true recent nightmares were the actual ones reported by restaurant employees.

Leadership

The champion

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 28, 2016

Survey after survey shows that consumers love Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza. CEO Ken Calwell explains why.

Operations

35 things servers do wrong

Feb. 26, 2015

An informal survey of servers calls out what they feel are the annoying customer-service habits of their peers.

Workforce

How to train employees to be nice

By Lindsey Ramsey on Jan. 20, 2014

Earlier this year, it was reported that McDonald’s was encouraging its franchisees to train workers to be less rude to customers. But several operators we spoke to feel that hiring the right kind of people from the start is the best way to ensure your staff has the gift of customer service.

Technology

A GPS for locating tables

By Amanda Kooser on Nov. 14, 2012

David Jones operates five Blazing Onion locations, but only one has achieved a coveted four-star average review on Yelp.

Consumer Trends

C-stores get an "A" from college students

Nov. 15, 2012

C-store operators have a valuable demographic to target, according to “Making the Grade: Student Consumer Impact on the Retail Fuels and Convenience Marketplace,” by the NPD Group. The report, which collected 12 months of data ending in June 2012, found that the 19 million college student population accounts for billions of dollars spent each year on C-store products.

The Week in Ideas, December 17, 2012

By Restaurant Business Staff on Dec. 17, 2012

Discounts for adopters. More crazy receipt stories. And Guy Fieri gets customers any way he can.

Abracadabra! Better customer service!

By Sam Smith on Oct. 01, 2012

Can restaurant workers perform like magicians? Well, they should at least think like them, argues Kostya Kimlat, magician and owner of Restaurant Magic Business, which places performing magicians in restaurants and consults restaurants on improving customer service. Clients include Orlando-based restaurants and chains like Del Frisco’s and the Melting Pot.

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