I'm a big foodie. Love to cook and love to eat out. I will do everything in my power to not let this, a marketing blog, devolve (or evolve) into a food journal. Stay with me on this one- it is relevant, I swear.
Yesterday, Kim and I went to LA to see Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright at the Wiltern LG. Since we rarely have the motivation to navigate the wilds of LA traffic, we thought it would be nice to find a restaurant with an LA vibe in the area to make an evening of it. After checking out some options, we settled on the Opus Bar and Grill, primarily because of its close proximity to the theater, but also because the reviews indicated that the food was good and the atmosphere was very hip and trendy. Exactly the thing we were looking for (given how rarely we fly at hip and trendy altitudes in Santa Barbara).
The restaurant itself was fashionably decorated, very minimalist, and full of attractive waitstaff. Everything we were expecting. They sat us in the "lounge" as opposed to the dining room, given that I called for Friday night reservations at the last minute. This was fine, as "Lounge" still oozes "hip and trendy" in our minds, and the menus were exactly the same anyway.
We were seated at a cozy little corner table and, fresh cocktails in hand, felt like we were just about to get what we wanted out of the LA dinner experience. It was at that point when the hostess walked over right next to our table and turned on the wall-sized projection TV right over our heads so that the entire "lounge" could watch elimiDATE. I should make two things clear at this point: 1) We were the ONLY people seated in the "lounge" and certainly did not ask to have the television switched on right on top of our heads, and 2) Context aside, elimiDATE may, in fact, be the worst television show in all of creation. Seriously. Someone should be arrested for this. Within 30 seconds of their having turned on the television, all of the "hip and trendy" was summarily sucked out of the room.
After 20 minuted or so of this, the channel was mercifully changed to football, with bossa nova jazz providing the soundtrack. But the damage was done. Every time I think of Opus now, I will remember elimiDATE.
Why would a restaurant that so clearly caters to the fashionistas of the world even have a TV in their lounge, let alone use it to play such an irony-free piece of crap like elimiDATE? The people at Opus promised lured me in with "LA chic" and switched to "Hooters" for no apparent reason.
How many times do we do this to our own customers? Get them in the door and then do something right off the bat that thoroughly deflates their expectations. Given how often the emphasis of the marketing department is to acquire customers exclusively, I imagine this happens a lot. With a seemingly innocent afterthought like turning on a television in a near-empty bar, how many potential evangelists do sucker-punch back down to the ranks of the one-time visitor?
Let the threat of 20 minutes of elimiDATE inspire us all to reflect on our products and brands to make sure we are being consistent both before and after we acquire customers. If anyone needs me, I'll be reviewing the welcome letters we send to our customers right after they sign up......
Incidentally, the concert was amazing- hearing Rufus and Ben perform a cover of Wham!'s Careless Whisper was a life-affirming event.
Comments