The co-founder of The Home Depot volunteered some
home-maintenance advice after my phone went dead three times during an
interview last week.
“You have to pay your phone bill,” Bernie Marcus said with
obvious merriment when we reconnected. “Now you can do it online or through
e-mail. It’s really easy.”
So was interviewing one of the best-known entrepreneurs in
American retailing, even if I’m a restaurant writer who doesn’t know more about
The Home Depot than what I’ve experienced as a customer. Hearing Marcus recount
his late-‘70s vision for the category killer, I could’ve been listening to any
restaurateur reliving a start-up. Still, the details were different enough to
provide a unique perspective to chain builders in foodservice, which is why
we’ve booked Marcus as a keynote speaker at our Restaurant Leadership
Conference.
Consider, for instance, how Marcus and partner Art Blank
tried to differentiate The Home Depot through its style of service. They wanted
their associates on the floor to be teachers who could guide customers through
a project, not drones who’d merely fetch a product or take down orders to fill.
If there are restaurateurs still in business who don’t want their wait staff to
know the menu inside and out, I’ve yet to meet them. And if the server can
enhance the experience with recommendations or insights, isn’t that preferable,
if not ideal?
To continue reading, click here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment