This Story Will Be Told
Yesterday, I had the privilege of hosting my dear friends John and Jamy Cochran at our church. After enjoying service, we took them to lunch at our favorite pizza spot. Everything was going swimmingly.....until the food arrived (or part of the food, I should say). The waitress told us our other pizza was accidentally dropped on the floor. Oops!
According to the Danny Meyer Principle (I just coined that phrase!), at that moment, a story was going to be told. The restaurant made a mistake and immediately approached a fork in the road. They've lost control of whether a story will be told; it's too late. However, the restaurant gets to be the author of WHAT story will be told.
Back to the situation. The waitress communicated the bad news, apologized, said they were remaking it as quickly as possible, AND comping us that pizza. Whoa! They hit a fork in the road, then decided to author a positive story. Their actions were swift and sincere.
Fast forward some time, and the new pizza still hadn’t been delivered to our table. We were somewhat tight on time, but we're doing ok. Shorly after the pizza finally arrived, we asked the waitress for the check, as I had to get the boys to a friend’s birthday party. She obliged, but came back empty-handed just a few minutes later. She communicated that they were going to comp our entire meal. Wow! That was a bold and generous move!
Despite a few mistakes tainting this particular experience, I have nothing but positive things to say about them. Thus, I'm telling you the story they authored. My experience wasn't ideal, but it affirms my decision to eat there often—and I'll probably double down on that sentiment. They could have lost (or damaged) a customer. However, their actions just compounded my loyalty. Props to them for that, and I'm grateful they care enough to author this better story.
Businesses, take note of this story. You WILL screw up....and when you do, a story will be told. Author a beautiful story. You are in control, so act with swiftness, hospitality, and generosity.
Consumers, businesses will screw up on you. It's inevitable. They are humans. They aren't perfect. When they do, watch to see what story they author. It will tell you everything you need to know. And once that story is written, act accordingly.
I know the question is coming, and the restaurant deserves some love. Despite having readers all over the world, if you're ever in Central Iowa (or happen to live nearby), the restaurant is called Leaning Tower of Pizza. Go check them out! And when you do, tell them it's not just because their pizza is amazing (though it is!), but because they chose to author a beautiful story for someone else. Reward excellence. Always reward excellence.