The VIth Sense - Sales are Good so It's Not a Priority
I love the food at Braum’s. Love the ice cream. Crave the hamburgers. Even think that the grocery items are better than anywhere else locally. In fact, I appreciate their vertically integrated business model too. So, why don’t I go there more often?
Service. Or lack thereof. They seem to always have plenty of people behind the counter. But, I wait when I’m the only person in the ice cream line. I wait when I’m the only guy ordering a hamburger. I’ve never been in the drive through lane less than 10 minutes. And when help finally arrives, I can hardly understand what they’re saying and I rarely get a smile. Turns me off.
When my wife took my son’s class to the Braum’s family farm for a field trip, I told her to ask them about their training program. She did. The reply: We know, we know. But, sales are good so it’s not a priority (That sound is me hitting my head against the wall).
Service wasn’t a priority to K-Mart either. Or Delta Airlines, who barely survived bankruptcy.
Braum’s is an extremely convenient resource for most people in the markets they serve - one that I’d use 5 times more than I do, if they could just get the service right. Imagine the prospect of doubling your sales without having to expand locations or invest a dime in capital improvements. That’s Braum’s opportunity: Provide better service and watch sales increase. A simple lesson from Disney, Nordstrom’s, or even McDonalds would serve them well.
