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Tim, I have a general question if you could help me please, privately or publicly is fine.
I have read the book twice and focused in on key areas over and over but the main issue holding me back is not really having found a product that I feel confident enough about or has not been done to death
I have a website in logo design outside of the US and it only makes pretty average returns for the work involved despite SEO and being 3 on google for the main keyword. I act as the middle man.....
I have other online ideas (although not a developer myself, I also outsource like you) for camparison websites but most of these have a bit of competition already and they seem to have done exclusives in some cases so will be hard to beat.
My day job as a national accounts manager invlolves selling to the likes of Kmart etc in my country and also have experience selling hard goods and consumables (soft drinks etc) via distributor networks..... but I cant think of anything that is truly unique that I could test and could have enough distribution.....sounds pathetic I know but nothing jumps out at me. Worst part is I never stop thinking about becoming an entrepreneur but just cant seem to make it happen......
I tried your magazine idea but I could not find anything or think of anything significant....
I could just go ahead with my comparison site idea and hope to do it better and get better seo postioning (take at least 6 months) but as I said it will be a lot of work with no guarantees (wont work on PPC as too expensive)
Have you any other ideas on how to stimulate product ideas. I think the rest of your book is fantastic and whilst you cant do the thinking for me or others finding a potentially successful product or service is my biggest hurdle.
PS I have been trying to start something part time for years and am passionate about becoming an entrepreneur but I think I need a mentor to help....(hint, hint)
Thanks
Peter
Thanks!
An owner is going to make the rounds of they have the time, if they aren't doing it then calling them over will be a no no in most cases.
Be careful with #2 as well. In many restaurants, the cooks can't stand the waiters and vice versa, and can easily get you branded as a pita.
Never, Never order wine by price. If you use that as your ordering criteria, you should be having a beer and a burger at the local greasy spoon instead of eating in a restaurant with waiters.
Having worked in 2 of Sydney's hottest restaurants in the early 90s I know what lengths some people will go to secure a table... usually by trying to throw their weight around.
Those sort of people often end up with spit in their soup (metaphorically speaking).
25% tips sound good. When I was a waiter we'd average 5%.
I was able to get into a favorite restaurant on Valentines Day without reservations because I am a regular...it was a nice to get an unplanned meal out with my wife. The owner just pulled me into the first available table.
Folks in the restaurant world are artists and really don't get a chance for some applause. You tips here give them that chance at the spotlight. People remember fans as they usually get complaints all the time. So of my best friends have been chefs and restaurant owners. These folks are in the hospitality business and will give you VIP treatment if you give it to them first.
No one is too busy to take a sincere compliment.
Perhaps you could have given alternative suggestions... like bringing very small "thank you" or "simply amazing!" cards with you... business card size cards with your info on one side and the other side saying,
"This card reserved solely for those who are SIMPLY AMAZING!"
Anyways, your rebuttal was obviously well intended... so thanks.
And thanks to both Will, the author of the article, and Tim, the author of the blog... for an article that presents some fine starting points. Thnx..!
I really like the ideas presented here, and I have not really though of doing something like this despite being a lover of eating out and expecting good service. Like the old saying that "you make your own luck" I suppose the same principle applies here in the fact you get out what you put in. Paying attention to the chef and the staff will reap rewards. I'm sure this is true of many situations where you receive service.
Love the asking for the popular and chefs recommendation. Hope to have the guts to try that soon.
CW: Most common is the "tip handshake." Walk up (some people think you need to do this as you are being shown to your table; I usually do it after the meal) with some folded money in your right hand. Look the Maitre d' in the eye, say thank you, and shake hands. You don't need to tip every time -- every few times is usually fine. Tips can range from $5-$20 for a modest restaurant or up to $100 at a very fancy one. You can also send a thank you card at holiday time with cash or a gift certificate. But I know that many people have different theories on all of this -- so it would be great to hear them. Oh, and you never tip the owner.
Kamakiri: I've found that while it can be very problematic to interrupt a chef during service, if the owner isn't the chef, she or he will rarely mind being interrupted if it's just to receive the thanks of a grateful customer. But to your point, it's probably a great idea to add, "I would like to meet the owner to say thanks...if the owner isn't too busy."
Marc: Great point about being a lunch regular! Restaurants that are packed at night but sparse during the day really appreciate the support.
Darren: I find it's best to make sure you are in a restaurant's "sweet spot" when you do this. So if you are at a vegetarian restaurant or one with a really vegetarian-friendly menu, you should be in good shape. But I wouldn't do this if I were you and eating at a restaurant that didn't have lots of great things you can eat -- even if you make your restrictions clear.
Having a NYTimes #1 book is also a start :)
Thanks for the insight. I'm curious about the choosing of the cheapest bottle of wine. . .can you elaborate a bit more on this? Is merely asking for help the driver of better treatment?
P.S. I'll apologize if this post shows up twice, I posted it a while ago and it seems like it got snagged by my wireless connection monster.
Cheers,
Doc
Choosing the cheapest bottle of wine won't make you a VIP. But neither will choosing the second cheapest. (And I know a lot of chefs and owners and sommeliers who put tons of effort into finding a really good cheapest wine.) The real point -- as you sussed out! -- is that many of the people who work at good restaurants really like to help customers. Asking for help with the wine is a great start to establishing a personal relationship with the people who work there. And you should be able to be honest about your budget needs. Many people aren't -- so that's why they reflexively order the second cheapest bottle on the menu.
Best!
Will
We had dinner at a great restaurant once where we gave the chef carte blanche - surprise us! That dinner was memorable, both for us and the chef. It is not often that a great chef gets the chance to display his creative talents.
I hate when you let other people post on your blog - especially this crap.
Geez.
Ted
Thank you for the suggestions. I will try them to take along my wife on great dining experiences.
Many blessings,
Art Gonzalez
Cheers
Jose
Jiff
The other big secret: give them business when they need it the most. Everyone wants to hit the restaurant on Friday and Saturday night. Do that 10 times and you won't leave a mark, because they can always find another schlep to replace you on hot nights. You'll leave more of an impression by coming in every 3 weeks on a Wednesday with a standing than you will by being a weekly guy on Friday at 8pm (if you can manage to get that Friday table).
The 'tip 25%' is ridiculous. It might work, but honestly, if that's what it takes to get a good table or to become a 'regular', I'd think twice about the restaurant. It's probably going to be out of business (or substantially different from its current incarnation in the next 5 years) - that shallowness never sustains a place.
Consistency, not gauche overtipping, is the route to VIP status.
and they make sense. Very cool.
Now, whenever I go, it's like being welcomed into someone's home - a lovely feeling. I suppose this is proof that Tip #1 works!
Javi (From Madrid reunion)
I hope you haven't forgotten about climbing El Cap this spring (maybe I'll give you two days to practice first!).
Get in touch.
Andy K
Sorry for this off topic request. I would like to hear your views and tactics on how to deal with jealousy from friends and family when you have achieved your goals and live an alternate lifestyle.
I have been living a lifestyle described in your book for the last 20 years. I only work one day a week managing my business and take time off to pursue other interest. I also do some charity work. I get a lot of flack from my parents and my wife that I should work harder and make more money ect. I do quite well and make a very good income and do lots of cool stuff like racing in the Colorado grand prix a couple of weeks ago. Friends and family however are baffled. How do you deal with it.
Thanks
Also for small restaurants where the owner is very hand on, I try to chat them up as well.
As with one reader said, I also try to go on the down days. Several times my wife and I would go on slow days like Mondays on when the weather is bad. When you are one of a few people at the restaurant, not only do you get to chat the people up more, you get treated so much better because they are not in a hurry.
This article was great! I love technical tips like this. Hope to see more, and wanted to leave my comment love to draw more attention here.
Money!
Alex
Why do you have a hurl in your hand in the photo at the top of the page?
I just thought it was random/funny.
The hurley is from when I was training in Galway with a team there, believe it or not. I wasn't great, but it was a blast.
It was also a prop for the shoot that I thought we be sufficiently confusing/amusing to include with a pagoda :)
Tim
I've found that the best way to get treated like a VIP is to treat everyone else like a VIP too. Be nice, make people laugh, and let the servers know they did a great job. They'll appreciate it and remember you when you come back. I know I did!
I got my "Moons Over My Hammy" so fast it made my date's head spin! And they let us sit at the corner table 9-seater all by ourselves!
Thanks, Tim and Will!
Sam
Celebrate Life & learning ~ I AM!
Penne and the CanDo! Crew :o)
iLearn in Freedom Network
(Click username to visit see what we're all about!)
I'm new to your blog but will definitely be back. It seems as though you've got a great mix of content and a lot of readers!
Tack!
Danelm
I know that some parts of the post may sound tone-deaf in this really horrible economic climate -- and appreciate the humorous ways people pointed this out. But especially when people can't afford to eat out much, they really want and deserve it to be special when they do -- particularly if it's for an occasion like a birthday or an anniversary. And while some of the hottest and best new restaurants in my neighborhood are fairly reasonably priced local spots -- in tough times even theses are a splurge. As B.D. rightly points out, in the fanciest of fancy restaurants, you probably will be treated pretty nicely no matter what you do.
Very interesting post. I have a challenge for you, what about getting upgraded on planes. Since you travel so much, I would be interested to know what your tips are on air travel as cattle class is getting more and more uncomfortable.
Anna
Sorry if this is off the topic. But the main reason I am writing is because of the comment posted by Peter on Oct 19th....he says: "Have you any other ideas on how to stimulate product ideas...."
I have the opposite problem. I work for an inventor who has hundreds of product ideas and keeps getting more, but I can't keep up with him. We need people who would like to market these, so we can keep thinking up product ideas and creating prototypes, instead of getting caught up in marketing.
Just one example is a software program that increases your brain wave coherence while it runs in the background of your computer. We are looking for people like Peter who know how to market, but don't have a unique product to market.
Great post on how to get ahead before eating dinner. Another way is to use a website service call the opentable. Here you can reserve a seat within in seconds. Confirmation is fast plus looks impressive to other. I have used it several times and always got a table with a confirmation message within 2 minutes of making the arrangements.
Works well with web enabled phone pda's etc...
PS Love the book thanks for the read
Also, looking at Christine's comment on why we should care about dining in a fancy restaurant in these tough economic times. Doesn't have to be a fancy restaurant. And, what about those who do business over food and drink? Spending a bit more, having a strategic plan, and being 'in' with the staff will help your social capital in front of an important client.
These tips are very useful, and could make the difference between looking good in front of an important client or looking like an ass. And, who likes to do business with an ass?
Monica MIchelle