Conflicting Rulings on Noncompetes
Each state offers its own complexities for companies seeking to enforce noncompete agreements. Courts in California and Texas recently ruled — in opposite ways — on the issue.
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Wringing Out New Year’s Eve
There wasn’t a word about this on the major news sites, but this is big, people: In some parts of the country, revelers will have to remain stone sober this New Year’s Eve, even if they plunk down some serious coin for one of those fancy dinner-and-dancing restaurant packages. Which means the establishments in those areas are going to lose all those high-ticket Champagne, wine and cocktail orders that give them a nice start to the next 12 months.
The party pooper is the calendar. New Year’s Eve falls on a Sunday night, and many areas prohibit the sale of alcohol on the Christian Sabbath. So if residents of those areas want to toast 2007 with a glass of champagne at midnight, they’ll be doing it in their homes.
This is the first time this has happened since the year 2000. But there is a bright side: There won’t be a similar time warp back to Prohibition for another decade.
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Caribou Coffee Wi-Fi Usage Up 450%
Wandering WiFi, a wireless technology solutions provider, said Caribou Coffee has had phenomenal success implementing its wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) service as a free amenity to customers nationwide.
In just one month, Caribou’s Wi-Fi customer usage has increased from approximately 20,000 to more than 90,000 (a 450-percent increase) log-ins per month.
“Offering a secure, reliable service was Caribou’s primary focus in developing this offering for its customers,” said John Marshall, president of Wandering WiFi. “Many cafes and coffee shops offer wireless hotspots, but very few invest in the security and offer such a high-level of technical support and customer service.”
More than 340 of the Caribou locations are live with the Wi-Fi service, featuring a Caribou Coffee branded network page where customers can register and opt-in to receive coupons and premium items from Caribou Coffee. Currently, Caribou is offering free Wi-Fi during the first hour, and then customers are asked to make a minimum $1.50 purchase to receive a code to access additional time.
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What Waiters Can Teach Marketers
Waiters (either gender) interact with paying customers in a more freeform way, more often, than most service professionals. Here’s one thing the good ones know:
If a customer tells you something, there’s probably a reason.
“I’d like a water, with no ice please.”
Now, while some people like to talk just to hear their own voice, there’s probably a bigger reason the person said, “with no ice please.” If you’re going to be a great waiter, you realize that every single time a customer says something, you need to listen.
You don’t have to do what they ask, but you do need to acknowledge it and respond to it.
Bringing ice in the water and hoping they will forget they asked is not good waitering. Or good marketing.
Source: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/12/what_waiters_ca.html
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