For the second year in a row our team here at Origin Displays sat down last week and talked about 2012. What trends did we see? Where did we make our biggest strides? Where can we improve? What markets are we missing out on? What products can we develop? What other markets can we penetrate? These are just a small sampling of the questions we addressed during our full-day, off-campus meeting. We had a couple members of our sales team, a representative of Operations, our Administrator and general leadership as part of the conversation to make it as well rounded as possible. The result was similar to last year; eye opening for some, some differing in opinion, but the most overwhelming feeling was a sense of excitement as we stare down 2013. Many of the details of the meeting are business related and would be of no interest to you, but some of the trends we saw were interesting and are worth keeping an eye on.
What We Saw In 2012
Menu Board Ordering Checklist
As you embark on your menu board ordering journey there are certain measures you should take into consideration. Remember, you are not ordering napkin holders or air fresheners for your restaurant, you are ordering the engine that could drive sales positively or adversely. It still amazes me that a lot of restaurant owners will not give menu boards a second thought when it comes to their overall operation. Objective #1 should be getting people to your restaurant, followed closely by Objective #2 which is selling what you want to sell to your customers. Menu boards play an intricate role in this. Instead, many will go the sign company route or put up a Coke/Pepsi/Boar’s Head freebie, but what is that going to do for you? Now for those who have the foresight and who are in the market for a new menu board system, the following checklist should help the process go smoother and end up yielding what you want.
Menu Board Terms From A to Z
The restaurant industry isn’t the most technical, nor is it the most confusing when it comes to the verbiage that is used, however I get the sense that there are instances when people on the other end of the phone are left scratching their heads when I use certain terms. To help curb some of the confusion, I have created an A to Z list of menu board terms that I often use. As you make your way through the list you’ll notice that they aren’t all exactly “technical terms.” Some refer to feelings you may have along the menu board process. And to be frank, coming up with terms for some letters was tough!
Your Menu Board Questions Answered!
As the days go by, and conversations are had, I have taken notice of some of the common questions that I get asked. I thought it may be useful to address some of them this week. The reason is two-fold. For one, they are more eloquently answered in written form and two, it can provide as a soundboard for questions that others are asking but what you may have yet to think about. A couple of notes to consider before reading the Q&A:
- For the most part, the questions are written in a formal way than how they are actually asked.
- Some of the questions aren’t actually stated, but insinuated through conversations. Put another way, they are questions that people are asking themselves.
How Digital Menu Boards Differ From Digital Signage
I should probably start off this blog by stating that I am going to be using some generalities when speaking about what is needed in each scenario. The truth is, only you would know what would work best for your given situation. With that said, the price is important but should not be the determining factor unless it is absolutely necessary. When it comes to digital menu boards, we have spelled out what makes a true solution in the past. As far as digital signage, typically this is made up of one of the two main components of digital menu boards. For the most part this is the main difference between the two; however there are other instances where one make more sense than the other.
Menu Board Companies Versus Sign Companies
So it happened again, and it won’t be the last time. I shared a couple of conversations with an individual who was looking for menu boards. She did a search on Google, and BAM, there we were. Similar to most chats, we talked about different options and of course, price. Personally, my objective is always to get an idea of how they are currently doing it, how they have handled it in the past and why they are looking for a change at this time. Further, budget is always an important factor so that we do not waste each other’s time discussing ideas and options that are not feasible. I also tend to briefly delve in to what we do in the way of more “consultative” services to make sure we are creating something that will have an impact.
Can I Take Your Order?
So you have decided to open your very own quick-service restaurant (QSR)? Or, you have decided to rethink the way you are currently doing things. Well, besides the no-brainers like your menu offerings, staff, interior design and all the red tape you need to rip down before opening, I would recommend that you put some thought in to how you make people order. The operative word in QSR is quick and choosing the right approach for your restaurant can and will go a long way in determining your overall turnaround time, customer satisfaction and profitability. Each style has its own unique advantages for a given environment, so… choose wisely!
5 Tips to Make Your Menu Board Approval Process Go Smoothly
It seems like a simple concept. You receive your menu board layout, and you send back the changes you want made as well as what you like and don’t like. For the most part that is accurate. However, there are areas and ways to go about it that will minimize the amount of revisions and the time it takes to get your menu boards in hand.
Menu Board Story Time
A wise man once told me, “Awareness is curative.” Specifically in business, there has been no other saying that has resonated with me more. On paper it is a simple concept. It is a glorified way of saying “learn from your mistakes.” However put in another light, awareness is also something you can arm yourself with. You gather enough information so that you can make an intelligent decision while knowing what the potential snags could be. You may be wondering what I am getting at. Well, as a business we have grown to notice that in both scenarios the main problem is the fact that people cannot get out of the way of themselves. They will not admit that they made a mistake and instead play the blame game, or they hear what they want to hear and discredit the information they were given. With this in mind, I have identified three instances that have occurred in the last year. I have selected one from each area that we do the most business.
So grab your morning Joe, make yourself comfortable and get ready, because today is story time.
Digital Menu Board Solution – Or No Solution at All?
The term “solution” is one that gets tossed around a little too easily nowadays. In math, the solution is the answer; it is black and white with no grey area. So why is it that when it comes to consumer goods and services, this is not the case? In a lot of circumstances, the actual solution is nothing but a state that has become more and more nebulous. I remember when I bought a CRM solution for our business. I was shown all the bells and whistles and was convinced that what I was buying would help grow our business and take it to the next level (Digital Menu Boards: The Message is (NOT) Clear – see #3). As it turned out, it handled the sales and business development side of our business just fine, but fell short in all other areas of our operations.
