Today more than ever customers want to feel appreciated.

Studies show that when customers decide not to come back to a business, 70% of the time it is because of the employees. Most cases the employee sees your customer and helps them. Therefore, the question is how your employees feel when they walk in the door.

I feel that this really plays out in the restaurant world. Case-in-point: my wife and I, along with a few friends, had dinner last night in Portland's Pearl District - I won't mention the place, but it's rather upscale, trendy, and good. We've always had great service, and have always left loving the entire experience. Last night was the first exception. It's not that the waiter was bad, but he seemed both rushed and somehow disinterested in our presence. The result: the food didn't taste that good (four of us all said the same thing about the food). 

Was the kitchen having an off night? Had the food quality rapidly dropped in the month since our last visit? I left there fairly convinced that the waiter's energy and disrespectful manner put a "bad taste" in our mouths. (Sorry for the pun.)

Great post, Charles! Businesses - especially restaurants - need to pay attention to how their people are treating their customers more than ever.