Greenelight Development

Some of the best food can always be found in hole-in-the-wall restaurants. At first glance, they may not be as aesthetically pleasing as say, a Ruth Criss Steakhouse or PF Changs. But if you find a good one, you can always count on great food - at ridiculously low prices!

One of the best places in Omaha is the 11-Worth Cafe. It's a plain-Jane place, but consistently has good food, lots of it for an incredibly cheap price! What's also consistent is the service. Despite the case that most of the wait staff come from tough backgrounds and have lead self-confessed pretty rough lives, they are some of the most down-home, friendliest people you'll ever meet. They are also some of the kindest and most compassionate.

Because of its location (the surrounding neighborhood is probably not where you want to be after dark) the restaurant (that opens at 6am and closes at 3pm),attracts businesspeople as well as an eclectic collection of folks from some of the poorest areas in town. This particular day, I noticed a table of mentally challenged guests seated near my friend and me. They were shoddily dressed, unkempt and not too clean. In many places, these people might have been shunned or ignored. Not at the 11-Worth.

Our waitress, Sonya (who calls all her customers "baby" and "honey") greeted them with a warm smile. Apparently, they are frequent customers so Sonya also called them by name. I am impressed that all customers are treated with the same kindness and consideration - no matter their status in life.

Perhaps because of their life's experiences, compassion and kindness come naturally to these 11-Worth servers. What a great lesson we can all learn about pre-judging others or treating people a certain way because of the way they look or dress. What a great life lesson!

Well, I'm back on the road again. Not travelling to any warm, tropical climes, mind you...but you'll not find me complaining. Not in this economy. I'm very thankful to have had my contract renewed in addition to picking up a couple of new clients. I'm reminded of another characteristic of great customer service that keeps your clients coming back...

In my winter travels to South Dakota (see, I told you it wasn't tropical) I've had the good fortune of finding a couple of great hotels. In Sioux Falls, my choice is the Courtyard by Marriott, in Mitchell, it's the Hampton Inn. One of the biggest reasons I frequent these properties is that they make me feel welcome. I don't mean that they give the customary greeting, look at my record to remind them of my name and then welcome me back.

No, both the staffs at these hotels know my name (and the correct pronunciation) greet me with HUGE smiles, brimming enthusiasm and the first thing out of their mouths is usually: "HEY! Capiz! You're BACK!!! We're so glad you're HERE!" If I miss a visit or have to rearrange my schedule, on either occasion, I've been met with either: "It's been a while!" or..."We were looking forward to your visit, and were disappointed when you cancelled!" If I did guilt, I might find these reactions inducing it.

But the real point here is that without prompting, the people in every position from the General Manager, to the housekeeping staff and everyone in between are genuinely happy to see me, we share quick updates with our goings on, and they go out of their way to make me feel welcome. (More about that in another blog.) I know it's something I always talk about, but it truly IS about how you establish, nourish and grow relationships with customers. These two hotels certainly have MY loyalty!

Now if they would just do something about these sub-zero temperatures...BRRRR!

Wow! Another year has come and gone - 2008 was filled with many challenges as we've seen our economy collapsing, gas prices creep near five dollars a gallon and foreclosures at an all time high. Consumers have become extremely cautious in spending money and retailers reported the worst holiday sales in many years.

But with all the bad news, there IS opportunity. There are bargains now on houses, cars and certain stocks. There is opportunity to treat your customers better than your competitors could imagine. Customers have a choice and they can be pickier...so give them a reason to pick YOU!

I went to pick up the dry cleaning - I was barely greeted, some old grump barking: "Name?!" No hi, happy new year, how can I help you, kiss my grits...nothing! I paid and left with my husband's slacks and decided there were other drycleaners I would be using from now on.

Next, on to treat myself to a coffee drink at Scooters. I pulled up to the window and was met by a young lady with a broad smile and a cheery "HI! How are YOU today?" I wanted to try something different, so she kindly accommodated my questions asked what some of my preferences were then made some recommendations. I went with her suggestion of the Cafe au lait made with Creme Brulee coffee. (My husband refers to it as "weenie coffee". His coffee by contrast, looks like motor oil!) But I digress. This young lady was so pleasant and so helpful!!! Over a cup of $4 coffee!!! But you can bet that I'll be back to that location again soon!