What's Your Encore: How to Craft Unexpected and Memorable Taproom Experiences
We’ve all experienced it: the grand finale of a concert, the encore.
The last opportunity for a band to come out and play one more song. Perhaps you’ve helped start the “one more song” chant or simply waited in the crowd in anticipation as the lights stayed dim. It’s a special moment we all clamor for.
Tim Elmore, in his book The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership, says uncommon leaders go beyond what people expect, like a band going back on stage to play one more song. A great leader adds value beyond what’s expected.
Your taproom staff should also be going beyond what’s expected by the guest. And it should be more than an encore. Encores are the expected hit song. Your staffs’ final act of hospitality can’t be expected.
What’s your encore in service? How do you go above and beyond?
Let’s take a moment to list your typical, final behaviors when interacting with a guest:
“Thank you!”
“Hope to see you soon!”
“Have a great day!”
These three phrases are expected behaviors. They’re that one-hit-wonder band from the 90s coming back on stage to play the only song anyone knows. A visit without one of the above, or similar, may leave a guest with a sour taste in their mouth. No one likes to leave a taproom, where they’ve spent a bit of money, without feeling appreciated. And I certainly don’t want to go see Chumbawamba without them playing “Tubthumping.”
Now, let’s brainstorm ways you can go beyond the expected and wow your guests. Take out a pen and paper, disconnect from this screen, and take 3 minutes to brainstorm as many ways as possible you could truly impress your guest over the final moments of their visit.
This list doesn’t have to be 100% realistic. This initial list should be all the actions imaginable that you believe you could take the experience to the next level. Give the guest a free t-shirt, sing their favorite song, rush to the front door, and open it with a grand gesture. We’ll eliminate the unlikely later, but for now, we want to get your brain thinking. There are no bad ideas during this phase. Work on creating a list of as many ideas as possible.
For me, I would leave a brewery raving about the staff if they did any of the following:
“We took care of your last drink. Thanks again for visiting.” (An unexpected, but greatly appreciated gesture)
“Here’s a sticker. Hope to see you soon.” (A little touch, that will keep me thinking about the brewery while at home)
“Safe travels back to Norfolk.” (A sign showing that the staff learned something about me)
These are behaviors that won’t just have me telling others about how good the beer is, but also how much the staff impressed me. This is when the guest leaves saying, “I can’t wait to come back and see [enter your name here] again.”
These unexpected encores don’t have to come at the end of a visit. After all, aren’t encores expected at the end? No one calls it an encore when a band opens with their hit single, but suddenly if it’s the last thing they play after a dramatic pause, then somehow, it’s different. Sprinkle your interactions with guests with not just a final encore, but also pre-cores.
A strong final action cannot save a subpar visit. A strong final action reinforces the work you’ve put in over the entire visit to build a connection.
The more you’re able to build a relationship with your guests, the more money they’ll spend and the sooner they’ll return. Everyone on your team wants this, and everyone on your team wants to stand out. So now, go back to your list, which of the behaviors that you noted will help you differentiate?
Think about your social media feed. How many of the beer posts you see blur together? To stand out, you need to discover strategies for success that set you apart.
Your list contains 20+ ideas. Read through them and cross off every one that could be easily replicated by others on your team. Now you’re at about 10 ideas. Cross off every one that isn’t realistic. As much as you’d like to comp your guests entire tab, it’s probably not doable.
You’re left with 3 actions. These are your encores. These are your unique touches that have the power to WOW a guest. Never expected, always appreciated, and true differentiators in hospitality. Your unexpected encores will take your personal experience to a new level, leaving the guest craving more of both you and the taproom experience you’ve created.