In a city with the finest restaurants in the world, a hamburger joint stands out among them: The Shake Shack. Customers will stand in line for an hour or more to taste some of the best burgers in town. Famed New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer owns Shake Shack and more than twenty popular restaurants in the city under his brand, Union Square Hospitality Group.
According to Charlie Rose on a recent CBS This Morning interview, Meyer’s secret recipe for success is based on the the idea that “hospitality is just as important as the food.” According to Meyer, the companies that tend to do the best are the ones that make you feel the most welcome. “So the experience is as important as the food,” Rose observed. “The experience trumps the food,” Meyer corrected. Co-anchor Gayle King also joined the interview, asking follow-up questions about the philosophy that Meyer had just espoused. Meyer clarified by saying that restaurant patrons can take a picture of food and share it with others, but they can’t take a picture of how they felt in the restaurant and it’s the feeling that encourages them to return.
The majority of business leaders today fail to take into account how their companies make people feel and, by doing so, risk underperformance. But when you turn a good product into a magical experience, customers will reward you with their loyalty because they want to feel good again.
Every chocolate has a story. Recently my wife discovered a new ultra-premium chocolate shop in town and brought some back for me and our staff. “You have to try these. They’re amazing,” she said. “They are made from one of rarest cacao trees in the world, a plant discovered in Peru that was thought to be extinct 200 years ago.” Every chocolate in the box had a story. My wife had not only become a fan of these fine chocolates, she became an expert in sustainable cacao growing practices! I paid a visit to Nuubia Chocolat in Pleasanton, California, to see what all the fuss was about. Nuubia’s owners, Alexandra Saunders, and award-winning chocolatier, Lionel Clement, took me on a tour of the kitchen and narrated a compelling story behind every piece of chocolate they make. I learned that Saunders and Clement went into business together because they both have a passion for the earth, wildlife, and conservation. The chocolates are made from pure, sustainably grown ingredients as are the packages, which are made with ecologically sourced FSC fibers. I also learned that 15 percent of Nuubia’s revenue are returned to conservation efforts in the areas where the chocolate is sourced. The brand combines luxury chocolate with a corporate conscience. Yes, the chocolate was marvelous but I realized that Danny Meyer was right—the experience trumped the food.
Your product must be very good or, better yet, exceptional to grab someone’s attention. But it’s the experience with the product that will bring them back. Don’t just sell a product; think about how you want your customers to feel.