Monthly Archives: April 2014

The Common Sense of Service

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Hello There,

How often have you gone to a restaurant and had to park a block or two away because the restaurant staff took all the parking spots up front?  How often have you gone for dinner and had to wait and wait for the server to come to your table because the wait staff was too busy chatting among themselves? Or, how often were you at a gas station, patiently waiting while the gas attendant finished reading his book or newspaper before coming over to help fill your gas tank? Even at a department store? Same thing…

So many places of business forget these so very basic common courtesies and service approaches, yet they wonder why they have to spend thousands of dollars on advertising and promotions just to get you in the door.

Customers are picky and they deserve the best. If we don’t have the time to do it right the first time…do you really think you’ll get the chance to do it again? Doubtful, because 9 out 10 of those customers never return!

So take a moment and look at the “golden rule”. Instill in your staff the importance of “first impressions” and taking ownership for their actions and ownership of the business. If they only treat it as a place where they can collect a paycheck, then soon enough they won’t get a paycheck and you won’t be in business to be able to give them one.

As I always say: there are two things you can do, either you do it or you don’t!

At Your Service,
Aurelian A.

Needless Markups

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Hello Again,

The other day I read in the USA Today about this new trend where large casino hotels and as a matter of fact most hotels are starting to copycat what the airline industry has been doing for the past few years, namely charging A la Carte for various services in order to keep their published room rates as low and competitive as possible!

So the Bellagio Hotel on the Strip is now charging a $10.00 fee for anyone that books their stay with a reservation agent on the phone, whereas if one were to book online it would be free!  $10.00 surcharge to speak with a reservation agent to book your stay?  What is going on? This would be on top of your traditional “resort fee” which many resort hotels charge on a nightly basis, and which now large gaming hotels are implementing as well.

While resort fees can be explainable, even though they tend to range from 5% – 20% of the room charge, and typically are used to cover such fees as “free Wi-Fi”, 24-hour room service, beach and pool services and such…to now charge an A la Carte price for various services which traditionally are built-in, is most certainly a downward spiral to doom.

Why is it happening you ask?  Because everything is market driven, and if the Joneses do it, why not the Mitchells and so on. Until we, the consumer, start voting with our feet and stop accepting these shady practices, nothing will change!  But that is the problem with complacency, with accepting the status quo and for laziness.

So while a $225.00 room rate in a  5-star resort on the Strip sounds like the deal of the century, when you add in the 20% resort fee, the $10.00 reservation surcharge, the $15.00 turn-down service…you’re looking at $295.00 ++…not to mention the fact, which is the true insult, that these additional surcharges are for services/amenities which are always typically included in the hotel operating budget anyway…so these fees in effect simply translate to more profit on the bottom line of these companies, at the cost of the consumer!

Talk about the magic of marketing – making people feel they’re getting a deal and value for money, all while making them spend for things which they should have access to in the first place?

What will you do about it?

Like I always say, there are two things you can do!  Either you do it or you don’t – the rest is up to you!

At Your Service,
Aurelian

Lamb and Wine Anyone?

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Hello,

With Easter Sunday right around the corner and Passover beginning this evening and tomorrow, I thought I’d share with you some of the better wine pairings that go along with these celebrations.

Needless to say, while food items range across all religions, one underlying connection between the Jewish faith, Catholic and even Greek-Orthodox, is that Lamb plays a prime spot as a favorite food item.

Lamb is a very versatile meat and when you look at the various cuts you can get, such as a chop, leg, rack and tenderloin of lamb and then looking at the different ways it can be spiced, garlic, rosemary, herbs de Provence, etc., then looking at the cooking methods and sauces – the wine pairing possibilities are indeed endless!

First a quick word on pairing food and wine, always look at the following:

  • Number one priority – always drink and eat what you like and don’t listen to others, including me…Remember: the best wine in the world is the one that you like.
  • Look for balance between the food and the wine, such as the body, richness, flavor…the heavier the food (i.e. more fat) the heavier the wine should be, otherwise the wine will be lost.  Then again, just because you’re eating red meat doesn’t mean that you should always drink red wine (that routine is old and passe) but you should still have a strong, rich and heavy white like Chardonnay/White Burgundy and some of the Rhone Valley whites.
  • Do not match the wine with the main food item (i.e. the meat) but rather with the main character/soul of the dish such as the one predominant spice in the dish, or the sauce or even the accompaniments.
  • Lastly, instead of pairing the wine to the food, try the reverse and pair the food to the wine, meaning, is the wine fruity with black cherry undertones?  Cook something with a black cherry sauce or reduction…you get the point.

And now back to the best wine pairing for lamb dishes.  Taking everything into account and that the possibilities are endless the best few options one has are:  Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux blends, or if you’re feeling adventurous try an old Rioja or a Reserva from Ribera del Duero (i.e. Spain), or even a nice New Zealand Pinot Noir and an older Australian Shiraz!

What’s my favorite you ask? I’m most certainly biased towards Chateauneuf-du-Pape as my old-time favorite for ANY lamb dish…including lamb burgers and lamb schoarma! Such wines have flavors that are rich & silky and ripe & juicy.  With predominant wood, earth and berry bouquets…what can go wrong? Nothing!

As I always say: there are two things you can do – either you do it or you don’t!

At Your Service,
Aurelian