Our favorite is an Italian Restaurant called Meza Luna.

The service is great, the food exceptional, and most of all, the head waiter will make any dish you want, anyway you want it.  His response is always, “But of course”, whenever he’s asked to make a dish that is a combination of a few items on the menu.  He says this with a smile.  I’ve often mentioned to the owner, how well-trained the help is.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, we went to our grandson’s first T-ball game. After the game, we decided to go to Meza Luna for dinner.  As usual, my son ordered the dishes for my three grandchildren, and when he asked if they could be done this way or that way, the head waiter said, “But of course.”

Then he did something that he never did.  He gave me a form and a pen and said to me, “Since you are a preferred guest, we would like to offer you and anyone at your table a free dinner, on us, on anyone’s birthday.   All we had to do was to complete the form with the necessary information. 

The owner, who remembered me, mentioned that the last time I was there, he knew me by sight, but it would be better if he collected a data base and information on his customers.  I quickly outlined for him the information he should get.   He followed thru with my suggestions and this is how he created the form. He thanked me for the idea I gave him and offered my meal on the house.

Here’s what the form looks like…

It’s about two inches by eight inches long.  On one side it’s got a picture of a waiter opening a bottle of wine.  You can find pictures like these in the public domain on the Internet, so you can use them.  Or you can pay a small fee for one you like better.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank you and to include your name on our preferred guest list.
This will allow us to keep you updated on seasonal changes and any special events we have in our Restaurant.

It’s our way to show how much we appreciate you and all of our guests.  
Thank you."

On the other side is the following…

            “Preferred Guest Registration
                    Please Print Clearly
Mr. —      Mrs.         Ms.

Name——————————
Address_____________________
City________________________
State ________Zip Code___________
Telephone_____________________
Birthday:   Month______ Day__________
Anniversary:  Month ________ Day_____
Email ______________________
Is this your first visit?   ______

How did you hear about us?
_________________________________
Comments:
_________________________________
_________________________________
Server _____________

This information is confidential and for the exclusive use of this restaurant only.”

Every one of you should already have something like this form in place.  If you don’t, you should do this immediately. 

Let me know your thoughts.

Technorati Tags: customer data, gathering customer data

When I published my book, “How to Get Customers to Call, Buy and Beg for More” I needed a way to know who bought it.  Normally, book authors don’t care.  But, because I realized that building a customer data base was essential, I needed a method to get whoever purchased my book to give me their contact information. Since I wanted to be able to communicate with them after they purchased and read my book, it was essential that I collect this data.

The information I wanted them to give me was their name, address, city, state, phone number, fax number, and also their email address.

By the way, before I continue, I wanted to mention that I get most of my great ideas while walking on my Treadmill.  Originally, I would have a pad of paper with a pen on the rim of the Treadmill.  Unfortunately, when I wanted to rewrite my notes and put it in my “Things to Do Folder”, most of the time I couldn’t read my own handwriting, because I was walking at a fast pace and trying to write at the same time.

I solved this problem by installing a Recorder in my ceiling, over the Treadmill, with the microphone hanging from it.  It really worked out well.  Now I just take the cassette out and rewrite my notes. If you also get your greatest ideas while exercising, try this idea.  If you exercise outdoors, get a small recorder that you can put on your arm, or in a pocket.

Anyway, here’s what I came up with to solve the problem I was thinking about.

I created a reply card, which was attached after the last page of my book, offering a free gift.

CLICK HERE to see what the reply card looked like.

You can use the same concept with a handout to your customers, offering them a free gift if they complete the information card.

Some of the additional information you should gather is birth date, anniversary date if married, and also birth date and name of the spouse.  This way you can communicate with them on these special days.  You probably will be the only one that is doing so.  Therefore your business will stand out in their minds.

Technorati Tags: building a database, collecting customer information, database building