Staff Should Know When Enough’s Enough at a Business Lunch

Posted on 16. Jan, 2009 by Craig Peters in Uncategorized

Picture the scene. You’ve just started explaining to your prospective client why your product or service is going to help them. You’re almost at that part of the conversation where the prospect might raise a tough objection. You’ve prepared for it, but it’s not an easy sell. Just when you’re about to explain away their objection, yet another restaurant staff member comes by to say hello. Now, your client just got a few more moments to sit on their objection and when you resume, your flow is off.

We all like to be treated like a VIP at the restaurant, and having the owner or chef visit your table is generally a good thing. However, it should be done tactfully. Darren, in his post on his customer-service site timinganddelivery.com, explains it nicely here:

I don’t mind introductions and meeting those who put the grease on the restaurant wheel…totally fine with that. But, there is a limit and if the machine is working, those in charge should be aware of how many times their guests have been ‘approached’.

And a little more succinctly: