18. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

My wife, Deborah, and I went back to Bella Notte tonight mostly because, as I’ve said before, you always get a great meal there plus great service, and also to see what sort of reaction there was to my posts after the last visit. This was by no means a test, but it would tell me several things. What did I find out … I mean besides the fact that the food and service were excellent as always?

I saw that they get the whole service thing in ways many business owners haven’t begun to fathom. Not only did let the entire staff know what was said the next day after they hit the Internet, they also thanked me tonight for the posts - servers and manager alike. This is important for several reasons, including:

A. It shows they communicate with their staff … a lot
B. They are watching the Web for comments being made about them and using them as a tool
C. They have a very good grasp of the power of Web 2.0 (or 2.5 or whatever someone decides we’re up to)
D. They are integrating this smart marketing into their daily customer relations

There are many other reasons why this is important, but none more so than letting a customer know that you really care about their thoughts, feelings and satisfaction time and time again. Who checks on this? Mr. Toyoda himself.

Kuni Toyoda, the founder of Bella Notte, Fazoli’s and Smashing Tomato, is a smart marketer and, by all accounts, a good man. He and his wife eat at their restaurants almost every night. This is more than “eating one’s own cooking” (to quoin a phrase), it’s leadership. This shows his staff that he cares and pays attention to what they’re doing and what the customer reactions to his product and service are.

So, again, if you want a great meal and a really good lesson in customer service, tool on over to Bella Notte. Tell’em I sent you, but don’t expect anything for that - special treatment is standard whether my name is mentioned or not.

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3. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

My family and I went to Bella Notte here in Lexington for dinner tonight. It’s long been one of our favorites for two reasons: A. The food is excellent, well-presented and served in a unique yet warm and friendly atmosphere; B. We’ve never, ever had bad service, and almost always have excellent service. Tonight was yet another delightful experience. (Thank you, John-Michael.)

If you’ve read much of my writing, you’ll know that one of my favorite definitions of a brand is, “The promise of continuing delightful experiences based on a history of delightful experiences.” While others might have stories of a less-than-positive experience at Bella Notte (I’ve never heard one, mind you), you’ll not hear any from us … and that’s why going there is always a treat.

The prices are, IMHO, very reasonable based on the service, quality and ambiance. Can I eat there often? Not as often as I’d like, and that’s probably a good thing: When you indulge in a “treat” too often, it becomes pedestrian and loses those things that make it special. (Bella’s might be an exception to that.)

Earlier today, I ate lunch with a friend at a competitor’s a stone’s throw from Bella’s. The manager was walking briskly down the aisle by our table, stopped abruptly and, with her body still pointed down the aisle, looked over her shoulder and, while we were talking, blurted out, “Everything all right?” “Yes.” “Good.” Zoom, off she goes. My thought was that saying four words to us allowed her to check off another to-do in her mind. Genuine concern? Maybe so but, when someone is talking to you and sincerely wants to know what you think, they generally turn their body to you, pause and ask a question. Stopping so fast your shoes almost squeak, interrupting a customer and keeping your body perpendicular to the table says to me that my business might be appreciated … or not.

Tonight, the Bella Notte manager came by our table and, rather than making a cursory stop on his way to someplace else, he politely walked up to the table, waited until there was a pause in our  conversation, and asked how our meal was. He then asked my wife how her drink was, my daughter how her meal was and if I was happy with my penne pasta. Then he actually had a conversation with us and it was obvious he was sensitive to overstaying his welcome. He was genuinely concerned and pleasant.

Our server spent time talking with us asking what we like and made suggestions based on that information. He didn’t just run down the specials - he wanted to know what we like before making suggestions and didn’t mention the special until the end. He observed the table from a distance before offering water, asking questions, etc. Again, our dining pleasure was more important than the number of customers he was serving.

So, it doesn’t matter what business you are in, this is yet another little bit of proof that what I tell all my clients is true: Everything matters - everything. The demeanor of the manager and our server is part of the restaurant’s brand to me and always has been. I posted a picture of our dessert on Facebook (it was scrumptious and beautiful), posted on FourSquare with kudos to our server, and now I’m blogging about it because a first-hand experience is the most valuable teaching tool of all (unless it leads to injury or death).

So, are your customers doing any of this for you? If not, maybe a meal at Bella Notte would be a good refresher. Ask for John-Michael, but don’t ask him to sing.

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3. February 2010 by Frank Goad.

Originally submitted at Adorama

Pantone MEU116 ColorMunki Create, Monitor Calibration Device and Software to Create, Manage, Search, Verify and Share Color Palettes

Pantone MEU116 ColorMunki Create, Monitor Calibration Device and Software to Create, Manage, Search, Verify and Share Color Palettes

More for design than photography

By Franky Gee from Lexington, KY on 2/3/2010

4out of 5

Pros: Reliable Performance, Small Footprint

Cons: Clunky software upgrades, Software install problems

Best Uses: Graphic Design, Monitor calibration

Describe Yourself: Pro photographer, Business User

Primary use: Business

That it’s made by X-Rite is a plus. Their stuff is solid (vs. the Huey I had - yuk) and well thought out. The Create version is aimed at designers with Pantone color charts, etc. For the money, though, it’s solid and almost a bargain.

On the downside, I installed and it immediately checked for upgrades. The new version wouldn’t recognize the device and wound up having to uninstall it all and use the downloaded upgrade as the program. Lost almost two hours figuring this out.

All is well now and its an important part of my workflow.

(legalese)

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