AND BOY, DO THEY!

Bern's Steakhouse surpasses the ordinary and orbits in the extraordinary. They had our attention immediately with a lobby that is a cross between a Victorian home and a haunted house.

Let me explain...

Years ago, our great friends invited us to dinner at Bern's Steakhouse when Imaging had their convention in Tampa. What we experienced that night has never been forgotten. I thought it would be interesting to see how we can apply some of what we experienced that night to our own business.

What a learning experience.

First of all, our server (if you can call him that) was waiting for us in the special dining area reserved for us. His name was Robert. He told us quite a story about how he worked his way through the ranks to the position he was in now as head waiter over our room.

He wore a gray tie that reflected his position.

According to their website, their waiters train for one year, working at every station in the restaurant, in the workshops, and on the farm.

They train for 8-12 weeks in the dining rooms before they wait on you themselves.

They wear a burgundy tie for a year until they are fully trained to answer all questions properly.

What Robert didn't say was that they were paid very low wages during the training period, which culled out those who were not serious about being the BEST of the BEST!

In addition, they were required to memorize a vast and complicated wine list (they were often quizzed on this wine list on the spur of the moment and sometimes in the middle of the night), and they worked long hours. 

When we left, he gave us his personal business card so that he could be our "waiter" every time we returned. On that card, he used the name Trebor (Robert spelled backward), and it had his personal cell number on it.

I am sure "Trebor" makes a very good living now, so what can we learn from this experience to apply to our own businesses?

Lesson #1: Excellence and striving towards it pays off when clients notice and come back again and again.

Lesson #2: Clients will pay whatever it costs to be part of an experience that is superior, unique and pampering.

Lesson #3: We must rise above the status quo and offer clients what they don't expect.

Lesson #4: Money follows great people. Great people don't follow the money!

Lessons we learn often happen in the least likely places, so keep your eyes and ears open for those times and keep on learning!