Commentary
Why every retailer needs to be a watering hole organization
Chip Bell explains, with tons of examples, how successful retailers taking a 'watering hole' strategy to customer service and experience are winning and beating the competition.
September 25, 2018 by Chip Bell — Customer Loyalty Consultant/Author, Chip Bell Group
If you are looking for a great dining experience in Rapid City, South Dakota, enjoy Tally's Silver Spoon. The restaurant has been on the same corner since the 1930s. You'll have to walk past a life-sized bronze statue of Ronald Reagan to get in their front door. Inside is a warm ambiance, welcoming staff, familiar background music, and great food. There is a giant bar in the middle with no TV to interrupt lively conversation. Friday and Saturday night happy hour features live music.
Their menu is simple but with an obvious flair for surprises. Read about their "indecision menu" on their website. I was there for breakfast and ordered the special — a cheddar cheese, barbeque, and olive omelet. Drew kept my coffee cup full and served as the guardian of my desires as he made certain I got precisely what I wanted, the way I wanted it, and in a hurry. He even offered me a newspaper someone had left earlier that morning.
I watched an elderly couple be warmly greeted by the hostess. "Would you like a table, booth, or would you prefer to sit at our bar?" The woman answered, "We'd like one of Tracy's tables." The hostess' answer told me volumes about this well-worn, local favorite. "Well, sit at whatever table you like and we will make it one of Tracy's tables."
The phrase 'watering hole' comes from the wild…places like Africa…where animals of all types, even enemies, come for water in sparse geography. It is also a colloquial term for Cheers-like places 'where everyone knows your name.' It symbolizes comfort and enjoyment. It is tailored to promote attraction and repeat business. It is crafted to become an important part of the social life of its devotees.
Watering holes are egalitarian
Rosa's Fresh Pizza in downtown Philadelphia started getting publicity after their decision to sell single slices of pizza for a dollar. But it didn't have to do with the price of the slice; it was a way to fund pizza for the homeless. It works like this: when customers buy pizza for themselves they put a dollar in a container, write a message on a Post-it note and stick it on the wall. Any homeless person can come into the store, take a Post-it note off the wall, and get a slice of pizza. Rosa's has given away thousands of slices.
The concept is clearly a lesson in generosity. But I got a different story when I interviewed owner Mason Wartman. He gave up his Wall Street job to open Rosa's because he wanted see a more egalitarian world. "I wanted a place that could bring people together who might not normally mix." When I was there for lunch in this stand-up restaurant, it obvious his dream had come true. The place was packed with homeless people in rags standing next to business people in suits enjoying pizza. I thought of a lion drinking water near a zebra.
Watering holes facilitate inclusion
Imagine a men's clothing store with a large fireplace, hardwood floors, comfortable leather couches, a seating and eating area with widescreen TV viewing for sports plus a full upscale bar. "We wanted our store to be a great place to hang out and have a beer with the boys but also be the best men's clothing store in Atlanta. The goal was a place that was sophisticated but fun," said Robby Miller, co-owner of Miller Brothers in Atlanta. "We care about customer comfort just as much as we care about the cut of a jacket or the superior quality of a dress shirt."
The focus on comfort does not stop with design and décor. Miller Brothers combines a seasonal trunk sale with low country barbeque and brew. They not only invited legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley to stage a book signing in the store, they have held late afternoon — early evening special events on the Wednesday before Father's Day.
Watering holes are entertaining
There is a hotel where housekeepers put a goldfish in guest rooms in a basketball-sized bowl filled with colorful rocks. All they ask is that you give it a name so you can have "your" fish join you again on your next stay. Visualize the bathrobe in the closet being zebra or leopard-colored and not boring white or turn-down service leaving on your pillow being something completely unexpected — a foreign coin, a flower, even a lottery ticket — instead of the proverbial mint. Welcome to the Hotel Monaco!
Hotel Monaco is not only a funky, creative place to stay, it is an entertaining venue to socialize. Many hotels have a complimentary wine and cheese event around 6 p.m. in the lobby. Hotel Monaco properties add an entertaining twist. It could be a mime, a close-up magician, a palm reader, or a fortune teller. The enchantment fosters a memorable connection shared by guests.
True watering holes are there for its users, not for the land owners. In the same way, rules and protocols start with the needs and desires of the customers who are footing the bill. Watering holes are catalysts for networks, enablers of connections, and respecter of customers as partners. What can you do to make your unit or organization more like a watering hole for those you serve?
