PETER SHANKMAN
| POSTED ON August 17th, 2011 | 452 COMMENTS | + ADD YOUR COMMENT |
The following story is entirely true. More importantly, I swear on my entire professional reputation and all I hold dear to me that the story below was in no way staged, planned in advance, or in any way faked. This is real. And most importantly: This is AMAZING.
When my alarm clock went off at 3:30 this morning, I knew I was in for a long day. I was catching a 7am flight out of Newark to Tampa, Florida, for a lunch meeting in Clearwater, then heading back to Newark on a 5pm flight, getting me in around 8:10pm, and with any luck, to my apartment by 9 or so. We all have days like that, they happen from time to time.
Made my flight, everything was on time, got to my lunch meeting. Because of the training/workout schedule I’m on, my first meal of the day was that lunch. Was fine, I had a healthy piece of grouper, and a very successful lunch meeting that lasted just about three hours.
By the time I got back to the airport, it was close to 4pm. Flight boarded at 4:30pm, and I knew that by the time I got home, I wouldn’t have time to stop for dinner anywhere, and certainly didn’t want to grab fast food at either airport. When I got on the plane, my stomach was a rumbling a bit, and I had visions of a steak in my head.
As I’ve tweeted and mentioned countless times before, I’m a bit of a steak lover. I go out of my way to try steakhouses all around the world when I can, and it’s one of the reasons, no doubt, that my trainer at my gym is kept in business. But it’s all good – give and take. Over the past few years, I’ve developed an affinity for Morton’s Steakhouses, and if I’m doing business in a city which has one, I’ll try to schedule a dinner there if I can. I’m a frequent diner, and Morton’s knows it. They have a spectacular Customer Relations Management system in place, as well as a spectacular social media team, and they know when I call from my mobile number who I am, and that I eat at their restaurants regularly. Never underestimate the value of a good CRM system.
Back to my flight. As we were about to take off, I jokingly tweeted the following:
Let’s understand: I was joking. I had absolutely no expectations of anything from that Tweet. It’s like how we Tweet “Dear Winter, please stop, love Peter,” or something similar.
I shut off my phone and we took off.
Two and a half hours later, we landed at EWR. The fact that a flight got into EWR on time during summer thunderstorm season is a miracle in itself, but that’s not important right now.
Walking off the plane, I headed towards the area where the drivers wait, as my assistant Meagan had reserved me a car home.
Looking for my driver, I saw my name, waved to him, and started walking to the door of EWR, like I’d done hundreds of times before.
“Um, Mr. Shankman,” he said.
I turned around.
“There’s a surprise for you here.”
I turned to see that the driver was standing next to someone else, who I just assumed was another driver he was talking to. Then I noticed the “someone else” was in a tuxedo.
And he was carrying a Morton’s bag.
Now understand… I’m a born-and-raised New York City kid. It takes a lot to surprise me. A LOT. I see celebrities on the Subway. I see movies being shot outside my apartment, and fake gunfire from any given CSI show, five days a week. I’m immune to surprises.
Except when they’re like this.
Alex, from Morton’s Hackensack walks up to me, introduces himself, and hands me a bag. He proceeds to tell me that he’d heard I was hungry, and inside is a 24 oz. Porterhouse steak, an order of Colossal Shrimp, a side of potatoes, one of Morton’s famous round things of bread, two napkins, and silverware.
He hands me the bag.
I. Was. Floored.
Let’s make sure we’re clear on a few things here…
1) I was joking in my Tweet. I never, ever expected anything to come of it other than a few giggles.
2) Morton’s Hackensack is 23.5 miles away from EWR, according to Google Maps. That meant that in just under three hours, someone at Morton’s Corporate had to see my tweet, get authorization to do this stunt, get in touch with Morton’s Hackensack, and place the order. Then Morton’s Hackensack had to cook the order, get it boxed up, and get a server to get in his car, and drive to Newark Airport (never an easy task, no matter where you’re coming from) then, (and this is the part the continues to blow me away,) while all this was happening, track down my flight, where I was landing, and be there when I walked out of security!
Are you taking this all in? Because it happened to me, and I still can’t even fathom it.
Think about all the things that could have gone wrong: My flight could have been delayed or diverted. I could have exited out a different location. (Had I taken the AirTrain and not had a driver, I never would have even exited that way!) I could have just missed him all together, I could have landed early, etc., etc…
I have no doubt that countless companies think like that. They think along the lines of “Oh, too many logistics. That’ll never work,” and they leave it at that.
But what if it does work? What if it happens, and it works perfectly, and it shocks the living hell out of the person they do it to? Like it did tonight?
And what if that person’s first thought is to make it public? Like I did tonight?
We live in a world where everyone you meet is a broadcaster. Look around. Think of all your friends, all your colleagues. Do you know anyone anymore who doesn’t have a camera in their phone, or anyone who doesn’t have a Facebook or Twitter account?
As I say in my book over and over again, customer service is no longer about telling people how great you are. It’s about producing amazing moments in time, and letting those moments become the focal point of how amazing you are, told not by you, but by the customer who you thrilled. They tell their friends, and the trust level goes up at a factor of a thousand. Think about it: Who do you trust more? An advertisement, or a friend telling you how awesome something is?
Of course, I immediately tweeted out what happened:
And sure enough, Twitter lit up like a bottle rocket. Click the image to expand it, it’s worth reading.
When I got home, I actually looked inside the bag at what Morton’s gave me, and again, was blown away:
And as to be expected, the food was amazing.
Of course, there immediately came a few tweets from the other side of the camp, specifically calling out that I have over 100k Twitter followers, and if I didn’t, this never would have happened:
But you know what? I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think it’s about my follower numbers. I think it’s about Morton’s knowing I’m a good customer, who frequents their establishments regularly. If you look at their Twitter stream, Morton’s is known for always being on the ball, thanking those who mention they’re eating there. Just a recent few tweets from Morton’s proves this:
So I don’t think the number of Twitter followers I have played a big (if any) part in this story.
So… What can we learn?
Stay on top of what people are saying about you. Respond accordingly. Perhaps most importantly, have a chain of command in place that actually lets you do these things in real time. Had Morton’s had to get permission to make this happen, at 5:10pm on a Wednesday night, there’s no way it ever would have.
Complete and utter respect and admiration to Morton’s The Steakhouse. This was the amazingly gooey icing on an already great day. Thanks, Morton’s.
PS: Possibly the greatest part of the story? NASA the Wonder Cat, (brother of Karma, who passed away a few weeks ago,) got a very unexpected dinner – not of cat food, but of several small bites of a Porterhouse steak from Morton’s Hackensack.
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They get it. They really get it. WTG, Morton’s! Next up, Peter tweets about BMW. |
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Peter, I follow you on FB. That is AMAZING! Goose bump worthy even! WOW. Lets take it to up to the ext notch folks! I am sharing your blog on my business coaching site! ;) Thanks for taking the time to explain the story….even after your LONG day. Saw you met Kristi too! |
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Pure awesomeness right there! Can’t wait to see this written in a book sometime soon! |
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That is fantastic! Whether they did it for the followers or just to make a regular customer happy it shows that they are truly on the ball and that they are an organization that believes anything is possible…and who wouldn’t want to support that kind of place! |
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Exactly right – people remember acts of outstanding customer service and tell everybody they know. Everybody. For years. |
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Love this story! Simply spectacular, every last bit. Which, I am sure, is exactly what NASA is thinking as well =) |
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As another HUGE fan of Morton’s, I can attest that it is not about your number of followers. I have around 300 in a very specific niche market and every time that I tweet out about Morton’s I get a response. They even asked about my 3 year olds name when I mentioned that he had asked me if we could go to Morton’s. Many a company can learn from this example. Great shout out to CRM systems. If you want to be successful in maintaining and developing business you must have one. You also have to enable your front line people (from social media people to the receptionist) to act with some level of freedom or your efforts will be stymied in red-tape. Thanks for the great example. |
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When something happens like that — it’s no doubt Karma >^..^<. I'm so very sorry to hear of his passing yet so warmed it was via this amazing experience that filled you with joy easing a gap left in you both ( his brother too). |
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Peter, |
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That is indeed fantastic customer service, but I do have to agree with those that say 100k followers helped. At the very least, it did play more than just a small part. I would be more impressed if something like this happened to the average joe who doesn’t have such a large soap box. :) Who knows, maybe it does and we don’t hear about it. |
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Good story and very cool but I completely agree with Laura Vogel. The amount of followers you have, subsequent Twitter buzz and this article lots of people will read and comment has everything to do with it. You’re an influencer, Peter. |
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Terrific post and a tribute to a first-rate customer service experience! |
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Wonder how many companies will read this story and do nothing like this! Morton’s was in the right place at the right time. They had their ears open and heard you loud and clear. You unintentionally set them up. They took the ball and ran with it. I will be sharing this story over and over again with my clients who are looking to WOW their customers. |
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It doesn’t take much – Maybe a staff of 2 or 3 with some good sites that can search for you. Make sure this team enough influence within the organization to make these type of things happen. The buzz you will create will more than pay for the salaries of that team. |
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A great story, lesson and inspiration. Love Mortons! For years I have been on their mailing list and use the dinner deal at least once a month. |
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As a career customer service guy now breaking into social media, this story blows my mind. It shows me, once again, that the possibilities for legendary service are limitless, if businesses really care about about providing it for their customers. Great story, Peter. Thanks for sharing. |
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THAT IS AWESOME!!!! I’m from Northern Ontario in Canada and I’ve never even heard of Morton’s but I swear if I’m ever near one I will remember THIS story and I will stop in!! love it. |
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Well done. Most outfits will respond to tweets or facebook posts with words, but their actions are way different. recently tweeted and facebooked Directv about an ongoing problem. they were publicly responding about how they wanted to get it fixed. but did nothing to fix the problem in the phone calls and follow up emails. Too bad they lost a 7 year customer. |
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Excellent! It really is a message that more businesses need to embrace. |
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Well, if it had been fast food or some random chain restaurant (I can think of dozens but won’t dis them here) it would’ve been shocking beyond words. As it’s Morton’s? Not nearly as surprising. But still well done. |
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This is a great story, Peter! I love it. I think it’s a wonderful example of the power of social media, and I agree with you that your number of Twitter followers is not the main reason you got such good customer service. Obviously Morton’s has a culture of great service, and they went above and beyond for you one day because you ARE a loyal customer. I’m a frequent diner at a local PF Chang’s restaurant, and every so often the manager surprises me by comping my meal; I never know when it might happen, but I promise you I eat there frequently and bring friends. And NOT because I might get a free meal. The primary reason is because the food and service are great. I do have one other story about being surprised via social media – although it’s an entirely different situation. :-) I was in the hospital for several weeks in 2009, and it got very boring – especially the food. One evening, I posted on Facebook that I sure wished I had a pulled pork sandwich from a particular local BBQ joint. About an hour later, two of my friends from high school showed up in my hospital room with their kids and my sandwich. They had been planning to head out for dinner anyway when they saw my post, so they went and had BBQ and ordered my sandwich for me to go! The kids were especially impressed by the whole thing. |
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Great story. Lovey love Morton’s. I can walk to mine here in Los Angeles. Fabulous service and food quality. |
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What a wonderful story! I found it so timely, given I’d just enjoyed a wonderful steak meal last night ;) |
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Peter, I’ve worked in customer service a long time. Sometimes, friends approach me and say something like, “Steve, you’ve got to call XYZ Co. and teach them how to serve customers! Their service is awful!” My standard reply is, “Oh, they’re not going to be interested in hearing from me. Only companies that truly care about serving customers will be receptive.” |
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I am wowed by your experience but ….wait, not really! They are amazing. I was in Chicago and loved the tomato salad…thought about it ALL day long. But when we arrived, it was not available. Jokingly we whined about being bummed and not able to live…they actually went and found tomatos and surprised us with the salad. |
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Wow, that’s an amazing story. I’ve seen things coming out of excellent customer care over here in Jordan, but never this big. Now I’m seriously craving steak :D |
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I love this story. And to those people saying they only did this because Peter has a lot of twitter followers, read this testimonial from their site: http://www.mortons.com/experience/testimonials/ . Wes Schropp doesn’t even appear to be on Twitter, and yet they went out of their way for him, too. Companies acting like this doesn’t happen over night because of Twitter. It’s ingrained in their culture and just becomes more visible with social media. My question is, are their steaks from pasture raised cows or ones raised in feed lots? |
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whether it was a stunt or not does not matter – what matters is that for the cost of a steak dinner and parking, Morton’s reached more than 10k people – that’s just good business strategy. Talk about a great Blue Ocean strategy of taking food delivery & service to the next level! |
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A very smart move on the part of a company that makes customers it’s #1 priority. |
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Very important lessons to be learned from this story! Whether your business is larger or small, you must monitor your social media pages so you don’t miss HUGE opportunities to do something spectacular! |
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Awesome story, Peter! So what if it is about you having lots of followers? Isn’t that smart of them? I agree with the poster above who asked how many companies will look at this and do NOTHING. They pulled off an awesome stunt and it paid off in spades. Good job! And now I’m hungry. Dammit. |
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I love this post. You’re so right about great customer service. It takes work and the support of the entire organization. I hope you and NASA had a great dinner! |
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And then you have me, just a guy who has never heard of Morton’s reading this post because a friend linked to it on Facebook. I read it and think, huh, maybe I should try this place. The fact of the matter is that customer service works. People appreciate it and word of mouth advertising (the best advertisement ever) carries and brings customers. thanks for sharing! |
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What a terrific story – going the extra mile for a customer – no matter how famous. Yes, you have a TON of followers – but I agree with the other commenters – that fact was just a side benefit to Morton’s. I’ll be looking for an opportunity to visit a Morton’s in my area and will definately remember this story. A great example of fantastic customer service. Funny side note: my maiden name is Morton! |
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Kudos to Morton’s for its delivery of exceptional service! Like you, Peter, and many readers who commented above, I’m blown away by the attentiveness and swiftness of the Morton’s team. It’s heartening to learn about your stellar service experience in the wake of a less-than-positive Twitter-related incident that took place here in Houston on Sunday night: A tweet, essentially badmouthing a restaurant’s bartender, got a customer *kicked out* of that establishment. (If you haven’t read about the incident, see http://blogs.houstonpress.com/.....dont_a.php or http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.co.....de-tweets/.) Needless to say, the situation has sparked many conversations about how businesses should respond to tweets. Anyway, I join you in applauding Morton’s for its monitoring proficiency and ability to be so proactive in responding. Well done, Morton’s! |
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Smart, smart Morton’s! (The one on Miami Beach is great too)! |
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I used to work for Morton’s and I can say, unequivocally, that this type of service, bar none, is what sets them apart. Yes showing up at the airport w/a porterhouse is not an everyday occurrnce, but you know what is? Everytime you walk through the doors of any of their 75+ worldwide locations, anytime you call them to make a reservation or book an event, anytime you reach out to them online- you ABSOLUTELY are treated like a VIP. Whether your name is Peter Shankman or Joe Schmoe. And that’s what is so paramount to the company’s success and growth. Bravo to the team over at Morton’s. They made me incredibly proud! |
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Great story. I’m sure that they got more than the, say, $200-$300 (inc. gas and time, etc.) it cost them to try this stunt. Morton’s gets it. |
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An absolutely astounding story of great customer service. You can tell that you didn’t plan this by the incredibly shocked look on your face – no faking that. It shows what happens when you hire good people, train them well and let them do their job. |
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What I want to know is what CRM system are they using? ;) I know it isn’t the technology, it is the people, but their system sounds awesome. |
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There’s a difference between Morton’s thanking its followers for visiting their establishment and them going well out of their way to create a special moment for one of their better customers that has over 100k followers. It’s doubtful they would have done this for an equally good customer with 500 followers or so, don’t you think? Anyway, still a nice story. |
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Great story, Peter. Here’s another story about Nordstroms. After my beloved sister passed away after being in a coma for several months, my mother and I were conducting the grim task of cleaning out her closet. We found some newly purchased expensive lingerie with the tags still on them from Nordstroms. My sister had been planning a romantic rendez-vous with a new boyfriend she had met on a business trip. After we cried about the what could have been, my mother, despite her grief but ever the pragmatist, asked me if I could return them. It was past the typical return date, plus it was lingerie, so I thought they would never do that plus I didn’t think it was legal to return “underwear.” But to please my mother, I mailed the lingerie with a note about what happened. Much to my surprise, I received the refund and a beautiful sympathy card signed by the entire customer service department. I know they probably could not use the merchandise and it was quite expensive, but their kind gesture was priceless and will never be forgotten. |
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cool!! next time i travel arround USA sure i will try Morton´s steaks. |
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Peter |
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Don’t get me wrong, Peter – I think what Morton’s did was amazing and showed a lot of style, finesse and class. Engaging with customers on Twitter is such an important aspect of a brand and not many do it well; clearly Morton’s has a team in place and is using it, good for them! I have been to many a Morton’s and have always had a stellar customer experience. That being said, however, this is not a Customer Service story (and certainly not the Greatest Ever Told). This is a PR story – was someone smart enough to realize that you would clearly be grateful for your steak and then go on to tell your 10,000 followers about your appreciation? Abolutley (and you have!) Do i think they would’ve done it for someone with 1,014 followers? No. However, if they’d like to prove me wrong, I’ll be landing in SFO at 7:55pm on October 26th. I prefer medium rare. ;) |
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I want to know who it was behind the scenes who hatched that evil genius plot. That guy deserves 2 gold stars. I don’t eat out at steakhouses too much, but Morton’s is now on my radar. |
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Ha! August 26th – they cannot prove me right if I don’t give em the right dates. |
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Awesome story (makes me want a steak), but…. “We all have days like that, they happen from time to time.” Yes, we ALL have days where we have to fly to another state for a lunch meeting and fly back home the same day. Nice #HumbleBrag |
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It’s obvious Morton’s did some cherry-picking with this opportunity. So what? They clearly understand that PR and customer service are forever entwined now, and that great experiences drive positive buzz. They do that every day with their service standards for all customers, and take select opportunities to reinforce their brand experience with outside-the-box — or outside-the-to-go-box in this case — experiences that amplify positive buzz. What’s wrong with that? |
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Incredible story, Peter — thanks for sharing! I’ve never eaten at a Morton’s (the one in Annapolis closed before I had a chance), but I’m looking for a place for a special dinner soon and will now be booking it at the Morton’s in Baltimore. |
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Ha! Awesome! There should be more people (and companies) like that! This reminds me about the ‘KLM Surprise’: http://youtu.be/pqHWAE8GDEk |
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Great example of going the extra mile. BTW, NASA seems to think that the steak is a little too well done. |
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Good PR story that has nothing to do with customer service. Yes i think that it is a sign of commitment to customer service that Morton’s is paying attention to their Twitter feed, but you’re totally FOS for saying that you don’t think the number of Twitter followers you have has anything to do with it. I totally call Shenanigans on that and have trouble taking you seriously for denying it. |
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As a Morton’s ‘person’ for over 20 years now, I believe this completely. Best service out there. I took 57 to dinner in Cincinnati one night with no reservation. They were more than accommodating. |
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This is one of the best Customer Service testimonials I’ve ever heard or read up to date! Awesome job Morton’s steakhouse… There’s a saying – “Make a customer happy and he’ll tell his friends, and friends of friends about it AND make him angry he’s going to tell his friends, enemies and everybody else about it” :) |
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Oh the life of the Internet illuminiti! If I tried that the manager would tweet back, “Yeah, bring me one too while ur at it!” |
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yes!! Great customer servive. We need to keep those high income people happy with steak dinners!! We need more and better restaurants!! We want the USA to me the nation of great retaurants!! Nothing is more important that doing everyting possible to have services that allow the afluent to be as self indugent as possible!! |
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I implore anyone who thinks this is a publicity stunt to visit Morton’s customer testimonials: http://www.mortons.com/mobile......timonials/ |
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This is just fantastic. All around, fantastic. I may go to Morton’s just because of this. |
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you are an idiot. you think this kind of stuff happens to regular people? no, you are living in a pr bubble, with idiots cheering around you. |
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You know, all those naysayers complaining that this happened because you are a big name online are missing the point. You are a big fan of their restaurants and a known loyal customer. They had an opportunity to blow you away in thanks for your patronage and knocked it out of the park. People should see the fact that they were smart enough and quick enough on their feet to make this happen. If Morton’s can make one person’s day like this, think about the type of customer service you’ll get at the restaurant. It was a perfect move and makes for a brilliant story. |
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I just LOVE this! Twitter can be amazing for business! I tweet those sorts of things all the time… Just kidding as well but this doesn’t shock me when I thought about it for a couple minutes… Great PR move on Morton’s part! Let’s talk about this instead of Abercrombie & Jersey Shore? :) |
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I go out of my way to try steakhouses all around the world when I can, and it’s one of the reasons, no doubt, that my trainer at my gym is kept in business. I don’t have a strong message other than to say that, if you’re in Tucson, AZ, it’s Flemings or bust regarding steakhouses. |
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so you ate a healthy piece of grouper at lunch then an even more healthier steak at dinner? ain’t that too much for one day? |
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Great Story! Are you *sure* it had to go through Morton’s for approval? I find that my team is interested and empowered to enact acts of “guerilla service”. They will go outside of the rules to do what is right without prior authorization because it is the right thing to do or it will wow the customer. Does this happen every day? No. It’s an option, though, and they surprise me with it all the time. |
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It is really amazing what they did for you — and by you I mena an influential blogger.. But the last time I went to Morton’s in Northbrook, IL (and I mean last) I sat at the bar waiting for a Bar tender to serve me and my husband. He didn’t, so I waved him down, where he put his finger up for one minute, and took his time getting back to me. He was not friendly. I shouldn’t complain about such a small thing. But, it was my Friday night out, which I don’t get often. We were excited to be there, they DID not seem excited to take care of us, in fact, they didn’t seem to care at all. Capital Grill and Chicago Cut get it right! |
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Remarkable story. I know and hate Newark with the fury of a thousand suns. How they found you there is a secondary miracle, adding spice to this whole tale. |
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Nice to hear about anyone going above and beyond these days, thanks for sharing. I’ve been told that Morton’s is also a great place to work, which is not something you hear a lot from servers. Lucky NASA! It’s going to be hard to go back… |
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Great customer service and future tips for the small business owner. Do not underestimate the power of social media. However, I am constantly sharing with students and clients that they need to get onboard if they want their business to succeed in the new century!. Believe it or not, it is a HARD sell! I will bring this to class this week and share! |
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Yeah, I’m not buying it. This is no more an example of customer service than sending $2K worth of product to Oprah is an example of generosity, particularly since you didn’t actually pay for the food (as far as I can tell). Isn’t customer service one of the ways that a company helps justify the expense its customers incur? Obviously that’s not the only part, but customer service is part of the value proposition – necessary whenever value is exchanged. More importantly, I think of customer service as a sustainable practice, and one that is extended to all customers, not just PR celebrities or other influential customers. You’re kidding yourself about the 100K followers – with an uncanny density of PR professionals – not playing a part in the decision. If they know as much about you as you say, they value your influence at least as much as your regular patronage. What business wouldn’t? What I do think this is an example of is the powerful impact that a significant personalized gesture can have on a single customer. And what I like most about the story is that – whatever the motive – Mortons had the structure and culture in place to execute immediately on the idea. That’s a rarity, and kudos to them for that. |
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Great, no excuse me – phenomenal customer services seems such a thing of the past. It’s nice to see Morton’s is leading the way! Great story and will definitely use it in my upcoming Customer Service classes that I teach. Thanks for sharing! |
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I once got a box of Godiva’s mailed to me as a thank you for being a loyal customer of a particular credit card. But I think your story beats that. |
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Thanks for posting this! It’s a model of excellence for all of us. Brent Miller |
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I got the chills reading this. It’s a fabulous story but it has proved me wrong – I keep saying that customer service doesn’t exist anymore. Thanks for the reminder. I can only hope that all those other corporations out there (restaurants, grocery stores, etc) read this. |
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No surprise here. i was flying in to Miami, and got to the airport at 9:30. Called from baggage claim and ordered a fillet and sides, knowing that the kitchen would be closing at 10;00 and that I could not be there by then. I spoke to the GM who said my food would be waiting for me. I asked him if he wanted my credit card number as a guarantee I would come. He replied, “That is not necessary, Sir.” When I arrived, they had set a nice place for me at the bar, in front of the flat screen TV so I could watch Monday night football. And he timed it perfect, so that the food was just coming off the grill. It is my favorite Morton’s though the all are great. |
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“So I don’t think the number of Twitter followers I have played a big (if any) part in this story.” You’re kidding right? It had EVERYTHING to do with this happening. To pretend otherwise is just silly. Was it good customer service. Absolutely. Was it savvy marketing by the Morton’s folks. Sure thing. But would this happen to your average Joe Sixpack who didn’t have name recognition, 00k follower’s, a high profile blog, etc. Never. |
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the economy sucks and stupid super customer service stories like this won’t change a thing. This story is so 1980′s except in a terrible economy. Nothing could be more elititest than thinking this is a wow. |
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‘ “So I don’t think the number of Twitter followers I have played a big (if any) part in this story.” ‘ It was that, and your history as a customer, plus HARO, plus your blog, and book and what you do for a living. No sour grapes – you’ve earned all the kudos and steak you can get. Now let me tell you about the Really Truly Greatest Customer Service Story. Contracted at an organization, downtown Dallas. Brown-bagged my lunch to save money. Every payday Friday, as a treat, I had lunch out. Because I am a creature of habit, and also thrifty, I at at the same hole-in-the-wall burger shop. Good burgers, really. Had the number 3 every time: cheeseburger, medium drink, fries. Never much chit-chat – the Laotian couple running it were short on English, I was not long on Laotian, and they were busy at lunch. Three months of that, six visits, and they moved me way out to the suburbs. Three years later I had an interview downtown. Afterward it was lunchtime, and I thought ‘a burger would be nice’. The lady narrowed her eyes at me. Then said ‘Number 3, right?’ That, Sir, is Really Truly the Greatest Customer Service Story Ever Told. |
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Morton’s is extremely exemplary with their customer service. I think there’s a lot that small business owners, and entrepreneurs can learn about enforcing brand value, perfecting customer service from this example. |
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yeah. I think this when you know you’ve reached the badass stage in life. |
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Misleading title because this has absolutely nothing to do with customer service. I expect more from you Peter. Based on all of the qualifiers you yourself mentioned, it’s merely a company recognizing an opportunity, taking a chance, and hitting paydirt with a promotional stunt. You blogged about it, people are fawning all over the situation, and they get great press. End of story. |
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to be honest, I think your 100k followers surely had a great impact on getting this done, but it’s still a great job nevertheless ;) |
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Yeah, the title is a bit misguided. I’d call this a marketing stunt rather than customer service. Still, I give props to Morton’s to pulling off this kind of stunt. It’s rare that a company has a sense of humor and tries to pull off something like this and the logistics involved Most companies go right off and outsource a lot of their social marketing to the types of companies listed at http://www.buyfacebookfansreviews.com and forget about trying to come up with interesting stunts that might get the attention of a mass audience list this. Whoever at Mortons came up with this stunt deserves a big honking raise because I saw this mentioned a lot on Twitter today. |
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I loved this story! Too bad most companies just do not “get it”- their customers keep them in business yet it is usually too much trouble to even fix what is wrong, let alone do something so wonderful. Bravo to Morton’s Steak House! |
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Love this story, I am going to look for a Morton’s @ the first opportunity! |
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I agree 100% with Ken Mueller. This had EVERYTHING to do with the number of Twitter followers you have, and the fact that you are a well known social media entrepreneur. This would not have happened to someone who ate regularly at Morton’s and tweeted the same request, only having 100 or so followers. They knew very well the opportunity that had been laid before them, and took it for all the nice free press it has generated for them. |
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Amazing story. And what I still can’t fathom is how a company as large as Mortons pulled this off given the number of approvals that would have been met. Or maybe it’s fewer than we expect and Mortons actually empowers each of their employees to use their best judgement in service of the customer. I’ve worked at a number of companies that would says, “Yes, we can do something just as amazing.” but then the red tape would deter anyone who dared pull off such a stunt. Yet it’s not really a stunt is it when you care enough about your best customers to make something like amazing happen. Wow, is all I can say. |
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I’ve had a really long day and this just made me SMILE. I love this story. @Ken Mueller – it takes a LOT of work to pull something like this off. Of course they want Peter to come back, and of course they would like him to write nice things about them. But how many companies would even THINK of responding to a tweet like this? Bravo to Morton’s and Bravo to Peter for sharing. I love when people do things right. And again, this whole thing makes me smile, so hey, they accomplished that too :) |
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I live down in New Orleans, where competition for an excellent evening meal is fierce. I don’t go out very often, but I know where I’m headed next. Very impressive Morton’s! |
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“Let’s understand: I was joking. I had absolutely no expectations of anything from that Tweet.” Another awesome story, |
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If you really think this had nothing to do with your level of SM exposure of your follower count, you’re either being disingenuous or naive. No average guy would get that same treatment you did. It’s a great story, but it’s a story that shows a company taking advantage of an opportunity with a guy who has a lot of SM juice, and they figured it would pay off. Lo and behold, it did. Smart move by them. |
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Peter, thanks for sharing your story about Morton’s. It’s so great to hear about companies who really know how to integrate social media with delivering exceptional customer service. The secret to getting repeat business is treating each customer as an individual and making sure that customers know that the company truly appreciates his/her business. Too many companies take customers for granted. Morton’s can show them the way to do it right! Richard Shapiro, The Center For Client Retention |
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A fantastic move by all accounts by Morton’s! It probably cost them all-in about $200 to do this. Given that you’re a frequent diner with them, you are probably going to spend that in the next 2 – 4 weeks, so an almost instant payback and it further cements your relationship with them. On top of that, they generated tens of thousands of dollars of word of mouth advertising. Brilliant. |
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Cool story. I had a similar experience with Warby Parker, the online glasses retailer, back in November. I was riding the subway here in DC when someone approached me with a gun attempting to mug me. I fought back, and in the resulting fist fight, my Warbys were broken. After dealing with the police, I tweeted about how the arm on my glasses was ruined, along with a photo. Less than 15 minutes later, Warby Parker tweeted back offering sympathy and asking if my mailing address was still the same. Two days later, an all-new pair of glasses was waiting at my door! Of course, now I tell EVERYONE about this story, and constantly recommend the brand. I’ve probably sold six pairs in the last six months alone. It’s a great example of customer service to build loyalty via social, thereby also amplifying the message. |
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They accomplished one thing: now I want to try their steak! |
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I just hoped you tipped the server who took the time to deliver it to you. |
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What a brilliant, engaging story It puts every other establshment that I’ve frequented to shame Rock on, Morton’s ps – Alex, you deserve a bonus!!! |
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Amazing story with one flaw. A RT from Morton’s and a full on steak dinner from Morton’s aren’t the same thing. Not even close. I have 50 followers and I would never even get a RT from a company like Morton’s. Heck, I won’t even get a reply to this comment and the writer will no doubt get a notification email. Don’t be naive, followers matter. |
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I agree with Peter. I don’t think the fans had anything to do with it. I think you are a good, loyal customer and they recognize that. It would be nice if most businesses could take a lesson and just start with BASIC forms of customer relationship management. |
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I have just decided on Mortons for dinner tonight. When I arrive, I’m going to tell them why I chose them. Just like kids, catch them doing something good them watch them get even better. |
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This title is absolutely correct, this really is the best customer service I’ve ever heard or seen. What makes it the best is that there no expectation from you, and you wouldn’t have thought twice if they hadn’t actually brought you a steak. |
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Peter - I’m sure the PR value Morton’s thought/hoped they would get from their stunt was a major reason they did this, but kudos to them for realizing the power of social media and how to harness it appropriately. Also the fact they could so quickly marshall the forces of marketing and operations together, is a testament to their business accumen. Let’s grab a steak the next time you are in KC. Adam Herman |
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Excellent subtle use of the “Airplane!” movie quote: “But that’s not important right now” |
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I’m the biggest customer service fan on the planet. I even teach what I think is the best customer service workshop ever. And while love this story, it is NOT a story about great customer service. It’s a story about a “wow” experience. And you can wow yourself right out of business. Mortons can afford to do something like this because they’ve already got the fundamentals of customer service nailed. But even Mortons can’t afford to do this very often. You can wow yourself right out of business. So, while this is a great story, don’t think for a minute that it represents great customer service. We’ve been fooled into thinking that wow experiences are what customer service is all about. Great customer service is performing the fundamentals of service extremely well, every day, for every customer. Even Disney is not famous for going over the top (although they do sometimes). They’re famous for creating a consistent, fantastic product for EVERY customer. The real lesson here is that Mortons siezed a phenomenal promotional opportunity. So if you’re thinking about sharing this story, send it to your marketing department, not your customer service department. |
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Irrespective of whether Mortons took maximum advantage because of Peter’s near-celebrity status, they took maximum of advantage: And that’s the key. It doesn’t matter if you only target those with kudos, with kindness, because most companies won’t bother at all. And that’s why I now yearn to try Mortons the next time I’m in the US, because I know they think the same way I do. Mindblowing story, Mr S. |
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Love this story! Have one of my own for you… Last weekend my husband and I were in Boston for our anniversary. We stopped in at Crate and Barrel (we don’t have one in Albany, NY…wish we did) and decided to purchase some items. The list grew and the sales associate was busily wrapping our various glasses and plates. He commented that we seemed to be having so much fun and I told him that it was our anniversary, we love Crate and Barrel and have been using their dishes since we got married 22 years ago. As we have no C&B near us, this was a treat. We made our purchase and left the bags at the store in order to retrieve our car. Later that evening, when we arrived home, we began unpacking our purchases. Imagine our surprise when we found a small box, beautifully wrapped, with a card on the outside that wished us a Happy Anniversary. Inside was a small vase–one usually given to couples when they first set up their registry. We had a lovely note from “C&B.” We were so surprised and delighted–so I called Crate and Barrel and immediately spoke to a manager to let her know how thoughtful her employees had been and how much we had appreciated the gesture. Never underestimate the power of customer service even to a no-name like me. |
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I LOVE the story and I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feeds my cat people food during dinner. Very inspiring and uplifting good news for a change! |
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Possibly a great moment in history. I simply cannot wipe the smile off my face. |
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WOW, Peter – thank you for sharing. Morton’s is my husband and my favorite. We eat at them in our travels. Pure yummy loving! Congrats to Morton’s on pulling this off! What a feat! |
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Hi, Beau. I’m peter shankman. I write this blog. Thanks for commenting. Hope you enjoy this reply. Best, Peter |
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“Cheers!” could have been written by a bot. Obviously being a famous PR guy—specifically famous for encouraging businesses to do wacky PR stunts—was the reason you got the special attention. |
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I work in politics doing web sites and consulting for Democratic campaigns and also do a fair amount of freelance work that includes some social media consulting. I’ve always said that the key to social media is engagement, not just broadcasting. The entire point is to build an interconnected network where messages flow in all directions. The only way you do that is by being actively engaged with your network and demonstrating that you see more value in those people than merely just people to sell to. Some of the best examples of this are @Shaq who famously told a guy who tweeted about seeing him at a restuarant to “stop being a wuss and come over and say hi” (clearly made the guy’s day) and Newark’s own @CoryBooker who famously showed up in person to shovel people out of the snow when they posted comments on Twitter (that’s my kind of mayor!!!). Those kinds of actions go a long way to show people there’s a real person behind that twitter account who actually cares about the people in their network. There’s really no difference between this and old fashioned networking, except now you have a much larger potential audience that reaches far beyond the people you are connected with directly. Something that just a few years ago would have gotten you a huge “Thank you!” and maybe some good word of mouth to a handful of people can now get you noticed worldwide (as evidenced by the Gizmodo article that led me here). That makes this kind of direct engagement more crucial than ever. |
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Oh come now. I’m fathoming it. You are Peter Shankman. Of course Mortons will do this for you. Why? Because they know you’ll do what you just did — tell thousands about it, immediately! Mortons has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Or do they? I think this is actually a poor example of social media. Here’s why: How will Mortons capitalize on this fleeting, momentary attention they’re getting with Peter’s followers? From what I see they’re doing nothing. Zero. Nada. This is a typical, poor example of how to use social media that will undoubtedly win applause if not awards. And that’s to bad. Because Morton’s action (showing up with a steak) built nothing. There is no “marketing asset,” no leads to be netted and nurtured. Because there is no “hook” or way to take the attention they just gained and put it to use. The attention Mortons gained is fleeting and devoid of meaning in our lives beyond a momentary, “gee, that’s nice” and a smile. What if Mortons had done something to capture the demand? So what can we learn? This is a win in the traditional PR world. It earned a lot of “buzz.” But it’s not a win in the world of direct digital marketing where the goal is creating attention and converting them into tangible, manageable leads and sales. |
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Jeff: From what I’ve seen, Morton’s has been in contact with hundreds of people who’ve tweeted about this. I have also seen no less than fifteen tweets and comments from people who’d never heard of Morton’s, and have now made reservations to eat at one in their respective city, some going out of the way to cancel reservations in other places. The goal of social media has to be to generate revenue. I’d say Morton’s is doing everything right, in fact. |
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Understood, Peter. But I find it hard to believe that your being given a free steak via Twitter is an honestly meaningful event in a non-customers’ life. Don’t you? If you heard of someone getting a freebie from Ruth’s Chris would you run out and make a reservation, cancelling your reservation at your favorite steak house? And as you know, what people share/Tweet online is certainly not representative of their true actions. It’s “cool” to Tweet that you’re cancelling your reservation and “going with Morton’s” because they “get it.” I’m not challenging your knowledge of what is resulting, Peter. But I am suspect of it to be honest… as suspect as I am of the many other stories like this one. I think there is a lot of speculation and hyperbole in this industry. Too much. But I appreciate your response and thoughts. |
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Jeff, before Morton’s – or any business – can close a sale, it must first be recognized by prospective buyers. Peter’s post, whether an example of great #custserv or brilliant #pr, undeniably increased the visibility of Morton’s among prospective buyers. |
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This just appeared in my Twitter feed, not 20 seconds ago: @petershankman great post, great story. @mortons is getting a visit from us tonight because it was so awesome #whatwouldwedowithoutinternet |
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Steve: I simply do not believe social media is our big opportunity to hang our name out there on a good deed that we know is going to generate momentary attention. And I fully realize I’m in the minority in holding this belief in a world hell bent on believing social media is best used for advertising (attention) rather than direct response (demand nurturing & capture). Thanks for considering. |
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Peter, maybe you’ve already done this but, instead of speculating about the potential impact of your tweet/post, consider involving Morton’s HQ to determine whether or not the chain realized a material bump in the days following your response. If nothing else, it will validate your hunch, round out an exceptional SM case study, and possibly win over some of the SM skeptics you likely encounter in your work. |
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Steve: I’m hoping to do just that – I too would love to see some hard data. |
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I don’t think anybody is questioning the huge social media Win this is for Morton’s. It’s just not an example of customer service since the trigger for Morton’s response was not Peter’s status as a customer, but his influence. |
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I dont usually get involved in comment discussions like this – but I have been following this one pretty closely and I am fascinated by so many things… 1. Are this many angry posts really necessary about a tweet done as a joke that resulted in a steak dinner and some great PR for a restaurant? 2. in today’s economy, isn’t is a smart practice for any company to listen to their loyal customers, deliver a great product, focus on service and get as much good PR about their company for as little money as possible – of course it is! 3. Morton’s is obviously doing all they can to ensure their customers are more than satisifed with the service and product – because they know that each and every one of us are influenced by the recommendations of others when making a purchasing decision and going the extra mile for someone with a few Twitter followers or 100k followers is going to bring in business – that is simply a smart business practice. 4. I am quite sure Morton’s didn’t add this page to their website after they gave @petershankman a steak – service is at the core of what they do now and always http://www.mortons.com/experience/culture/ Why do so many think there is some kind of conspiracy when a company or a neighbor does something nice for someone else – wouldn’t it be easier to say hey nice job, great PR, funny story, or as my mom would always tell us – if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing. 5. Last but not least, I happen to believe Peter sent the tweet as a joke – have you just met this man? Follow his tweets for goodness sake – this is his humor – and that is why we all follow him – it is entertaining and educational. Lighten up people – there are so many other issues to get upset about – in my book – a guy getting his dinner delivered isn’t one of them – ever! |
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But Mike – You’re making that assumption – And you have no data to back it up. I spend a LOT of money at Morton’s – Who’s to say that didn’t play a role? |
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Steve and Peter: |
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Janet: It’s the Internet. Giving safe haven for haters since 1984. :) |
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Janet, your characterization of critical thought as anger is illogical and disappointing. Peter, your taking Janet’s comments and escalating to the degree of “hate” is borderline lunatic and equally disappointing. Oh well. |
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Jeff- Read above – There are close to 200 comments here. I doubt she was talking about you. I know I wasn’t. Deep breaths. :) |
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ok everybody sing along with me… what the world needs now, is love sweet love… OK I’m done – I like to read all these – not comment. my job is to help others get this kind of press – keep doing what you are doing ps – those of us who want pr are watching your every move!!! :) |
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Jeff, I think the opportunity for Morton’s to “do something” with the attention provided in the wake of Peter’s tweet/blog post will take place in its restaurants. If prospective customers have been influenced by Peter’s experience to try the restaurants (their direct response) and then are let down by the product/service quality provided, then Morton’s has missed out on an opportunity to capitalize on these customers’ momentary attention. |
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Thanks for your words, Peter. Steve, your point is well argued and I’m tending to agree. It (“doing something” to earn success) will play out in the restaurant. Thanks for making this point… it has me thinking! |
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Peter, even get the analytics for “Morton’s” in the hours/days following your experience will bolster a case study with hard data from an advertising equivalency perspective. Looking forward to a future post assessing the impact. |
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I love this story, and that this happened to you @petershankman I also love hearing how companies use social media opps for great mutual benefit, and lasting positive promotion. This shows Morton’s “gets it,” listens, and set up to be nimble enough to respond as they did. Rockin’! |
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Being on the back end side of the service industry this similar to child-like letter written to Santa Claus. How does he know what i want? does he know where i live? have I been naughty or nice. all in all those variable dont play into the scheme of things because when you wake the gift is waiting for you. no matter their reasoning behind making this happen, PR or otherwise — making happen with all the variable involved show extreme savvy and business intel. knowing your customer and making their lives a little easier and wins goodwill; and believe me you cannot buy goodwill. with goodwill comes loyalty, and with loyalty comes a sustainable business. all they said in this whole scenario was “hey, we hear you!!” when you listen your customer base you’ll find they say good and bad things about you. the question is HOW do you respond. yes this was an opportunity to jazz a loyal customer — but what did it really take to pull this off? a boat load of maybe’s were involved,but their tenacity is admirable to say the least |
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Jeff, I just saw your comment and I was not referring to you. I apologize if I offended you in any way -that was not my intent. Janet |
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This is so cool! And not just a one off thing. I was @ their Troy, MI location tonight with my Mom for dinner. We got home and found we were missing some of our leftovers- thankfully not our planned midnight snack of chocolate mousse- I called just to let them know and received a phone call back in 15 minutes with someone offering to drop the missing stuff off at our house. Mind you, there’s a huge classic car festival happening in the area right now making the usual 10 minute drive more like 45 and they were still willing to do it. I’ll be in their area tomorrow and we compromised on a pick-up. Still awesome of them to even offer! |
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You know, you wrote “We all have days like that, they happen from time to time.”, and uh.. never experienced it, and if I ever have day where I’m flying out and back in a single day, I’d put a stop to what caused it immediately, haha! However, working in customer service myself, what you’ve written hear has truly lifted my spirits about the whole thing, it gets me down sometimes. I especially liked the paragraph that begins “As I say in my book…”. Very cool post! |
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I loved this story! Peter’s surprise, NASA getting to benefit, the flurry it caused — all of it. I am surprised by some of the skeptic/hater comments. Here’s my take: Morton’s has a long history of exceptional service, and clearly most customers aren’t social media heavy hitters. And let’s say — just for the heck of it — that Peter’s 100K followers, his celebrity, his extended influence in the PR community, and the big money he spends in Morton’s all factored in the decision to make this happen. OK — then it’s smart and savvy marketing AND it is still an awesome customer service story. Morton’s gave a longtime devoted customer a true service thrill, by going beyond the expected in providing what he jokingly asked for. There are many ways a company could leverage getting a big mention from a online heavy hitter like Peter. Morton’s went with providing extraordinary and unexpected service — and they truly surprised and delighted their customer. Awesome! |
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having been in over 24 different Mortons (yes, im a Mortons ‘vip’), and even my picture hanging in the columbus restaurant, I too can attest to the phenomenal service….no…thats wrong….the PEOPLE at Mortons…..are just awesome. nearly as awesome as the cajun ribeye. Kudos to them for continuing to be the de facto standard in steak and the people business. |
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No matter the great restaurants in the great cities….my husband and I always hold true a Morton’s steak (and soufflé’) |
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Jeff, thank you for your thoughtful reply late yesterday. I’ve been off the grid since shortly after I posted my last comment here. Have a great weekend! |
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One thing that many employees of business don’t remember is that: A happy customer will generally tell another person about his/her experience. An unhappy customer will tell everybody they know. Classy of the author to give a pat on the back for great/unexpected service ! |
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I saw this on my Twitter feed as a re-tweet. I’ve gone back and re-read this story 3 times now. I am so impressed on so many different levels. I love steak too, and now, I will purposely go seek out a Morton’s just to check it out. Now THAT’s social networking at it’s finest! Kudo’s to Morton’s and congrats to Peter! |
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” customer service is no longer about telling people how great you are. It’s about producing amazing moments in time, and letting those moments become the focal point of how amazing you are, told not by you, but by the customer who you thrilled” What an amazing statement and I could not agree more. Morton’s is absolutely one of the finest steak houses around and their Crab cakes are simply to DIE FOR… My wife and I used to frequent Morton’s and one other restaurant Malorca in Cleveland weekly. Due to cutback’s a long standing Career is no more; sadly, and so goes the regular outings at these establishments for now. As things rebuild I will certainly revisit as a regular and can’t wait! In the meantime your story absolutely floors me! I have had outstanding customer care in my day but I can’t say to this extent as I am sure few people could really. Thank you for sharing your awe inspiring experience. Its truly beyond comprehension. |
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I read this and found it to be very inspiring on how we each need to go the extra mile for our customers. I am truly going to Mortons tonight. Plus they have just great food. |
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I got two free steaks (all I wanted) on an Eastern Airlines L1011 from EWR to Miami with two passengers on board. They got no tweet for it, but I’ve mentioned it a couple of times in comments here and there. If you ever get a chance, fly Eastern. Very roomy. |
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I sell real estate in Glendale Ca. And as a part of customer service we take the buyer from home, open the car door …. Aram Arakelyan |
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If this is an amazing, revolutionary statement then I guess I don’t “get it.” “customer service is no longer about telling people how great you are. It’s about producing amazing moments in time, and letting those moments become the focal point of how amazing you are, told not by you, but by the customer who you thrilled” When wasn’t customer service about this? The Web has not transformed customer service or marketing. The fundamental principles of “good customer service” and “satisfied customer” and “advocate for the brand” have NOT changed. Rather, these things have been amplified and expedited via social media. It is this that I label hyperbole and that I respectfully call into question… with the intent to debate and learn. Maybe I’m missing something. |
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I like the story and as someone who owns a business and works with clients on Marketing and Development it’s showing how marketing has evolved through Social Media. Morton’s is a large company and didn’t have to offer the service just to help get their “name out there” which is the difference with having a featured product on Oprah or Rachael Ray (our CB Stuffer peanut Butter and Marshmallow cup was a snack of the day).They were smart in what they did kudos to them! |
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I’ve been following this story, and the commentary it has generated, since Peter first posted. I am slightly amused at the people getting hung up on the details, and the need for many of them to set us straight on what they see as “the real story.” (is it “service” or is it a “PR stunt?”) That said, here’s my take: 1) Whether Peter’s status as a social media guru, his number of followers, or his record as a customer at Morton’s across the country (or all of the above) had anything to do with Morton’s decision to surprise him with a great meal delivered to an insanely busy airport, is not the point. The point is that they decided to do, and then did, something way beyond the normal scope of their business for a customer. Morton’s, to the best of my knowledge, is not a delivery joint. 2) Is this customer service, or is it PR? Yes! Both! It is also sales and it is also marketing. Social media has blurred the lines between these “silos,” and I, for one, think that is very cool. I have witnessed too much internal territory protecting within businesses in my career. It’s nice to see a story in which ALL departments can, and should, feel good. 3) To the folks who want to brush off this episode because of Peter’s notoriety in social media circles, and claim that the same situation would never happen to THEM, here’s a news flash: All Customers Are NOT Created Equal. While I believe that all customers deserve great treatment, the BEST customers deserve the BEST treatment. That’s not a stunt; that is just good business. Whether you’re selling steaks or whether you’re selling ball-bearings. 4) Finally, I would like to share an old blog post of mine, which also revolves around a steak house, where I was not known. http://knowledgence.com/2005/0.....t_to_cust/ |
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Never heard of Morton’s until I saw this story (linked from Fark). No fan of steak (or Twitter for that matter), but this story is amazing. Loved it! |
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The guy in the tux is so cute! I would be happy if he showed up waiting for me with dinner! :) |
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Now that’s what I call customer appreciation. How cool that Morton’s did this. |
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Big round of applause for Morton’s :) Every company should have such an immediately responsive and dedicated customer service. |
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That is customer service. I have quit doing business with many places because their employees do not understand the service is what keeps people coming back. I’ll give them one bad night but not two. Two and I’m done and I let the establishment know why I’m not coming back. Managers need to be made aware of what does or does not happen. My tips will reflect more then the standard percentage for service well done. |
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This blew me away too. I first read this on yahoo and now this link from my G+ stream. Amazing story. Win-Win-Win for yourself, Morton, and Twitter. It DOES make me want to go to Morton and tweet about it. |
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I have always loved Morton’s steakhouses, but usually only visit on special occasions. The first Valentine’s Day my husband and I spent together after our wedding was at the Morton’s in Addison, Tx (which has since closed, to our dismay). |
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Saw you were featured in the Daily Mail in the UK – I tweeted you a link. Thanks to your ideas, blogs, tweets I have created a great Social Media vibe for our business. |
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Whether they did it because Peter is a high profile blogger or not, the results are obvious: the story is popping up all over the place and people who have never even heard of Morton’s Steakhouse are learning about them and their apparently excellent customer service. A masterstroke by Morton’s – you can’t buy this kind of publicity. |
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This is a great social media story… Morton’s has customer service–and food–nailed. They also manage to make it highly consistent from restaurant to restaurant. I wish other businesses would follow suit. I don’t mind paying more for great customer service, consistency, and high quality. I have the same affinity (and customer loyalty) for Morton’s… Every chance I get, personal or business, I head to my local Morton’s in Arlington, VA. If I’m on travel, I try to make it to the local Morton’s. Sure, the airport visit was a publicity stunt, but you have to applaud Morton’s for being smart, flexible, and fast enough to pull it off. This is a great example of a company using social media to maximize customer service and impact the bottom line. Good job, Morton’s! |
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That is the ultimate customer service! What they did for you might be a bit on the extreme side but “surprising and delighting” is a great customer service mantra to keep in mind. I like the idea of treating all your social media followers as individuals, as they did for you. |
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I have several restaurant and retailer clients and I used to work in the restaurant business itself, prior to my marketing career. I think you people are way over analyzing this. All this is is a mgr. or owner who is on top of his/her game makes it a point to know who the good customers are and making sure the staff knows to take care of them. Fixating on that Twitter was the vehicle for the communication and counting Peter’s followers misses the point entirely. Mortons was a player long before Twitter existed, think about what made them that way Chuck: its all Ball Bearings nowadays |
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@dave hochman – they are quite crunchy, and go with anything! :-) |
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Incredible customer service story! Have you stopped in that particular Morton’s yet? |
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Dear Mr. Shankman, Amazing story! I’d desire to ask your permission for translating this article into Chinese and share it with my friends on Facebook. May I? Thank you for sharing such a story no matter the answer is Yes or No. :-) Gracie from Taiwan |
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Gracie how very awesome of you to want to share this story internationally and very gracious of you to ask permission. :) While I can’t speak for the author I think it is a great idea and a wonderful compliment. Regards, Jeffery Williams |
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From one new yorker to another, we surely aren’t surprised about anything! Real gunshots fired outside your window and flavor flav kicking his girlfriends ass in front of executive towers in the Bronx NY is some of those things you get to witness while looking off of your terrace overlooking the Grand Concourse. Not only was I able to see things like that, but nothing beats the memories of hearing the roars of the old school Yankee Stadium games that lit up the blocks of the Bronx NY. Also the memories of the fireworks during the 4th of July which use to be organized by the Grucci family “I believe”. In the year of 1983 I was able to see such awesomeness (not sure if thats a real word) from my mother’s terrace, may she R.I.P. until there was no more. I forget the year the fireworks ended but I do remember how upset we all were when it did. I think it was the very late 80′s because in 1990 I dont remember it happening anymore. Here’s to great food, great customer service, great attitudes, and of course Morton’s making NY’ers believe in the unbelievable. Kudos to you my friend Peter. You surely are a trendsetter in every sense of the word. Your friend- The Original Rhapsody 1972 P.S. I sure wish I had a cell phone with facebook and a video camera when Flavor Flav was whoopin ass in front of my building in 1984. (LOL) |
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Very cool – I have my own Morton’s story…We were on a DC trip with a couple hundred people (an annual trip for regional advocacy / lobbying). Every year, we reserve a table for 20-25 at Capital Grille (famous place for Capitol Hill folks – staffers, etc.) for Wednesday night. So, we show up and through some computer error, our reservation had been erased. Nevertheless, the maitre’d knows us and realizes the error. So, he gets on the phone and within 20 minutes has us a reservation at Morton’s across town…so this is the thing. It’s about both Capital Grille and Morton’s because Capital pays for everything. Limousines show to take us there. The maitre’d hands us a gaggle of excellent cigars and sends us on our way. We show up at Morton’s where they have our own separate room set up for twenty. They have champagne and wine already out (I don’t drink, remarkably, but the others do). And we have a fabulous night. From a customer service stand point, Capital Grille ensured that we became lifelong customers by showing how to deal with mistakes. Morton’s accommodated us knowing that while our group may not become regulars, as individuals they met 25 new people who were highly impressed. |
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Hi Peter, How nice of you to celebrate their good deed! LOVE it! I believe in kindness and good service and surprises. Love to you and MORTON’S. Btw, I first took my spoiled (yet perfect!) son to Morton’s when he was 9 years old. Ruined him on any other steakhouse since. :) xo$, Ellen |
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It doesn’t matter whether they did it because of your huge # of followers. It matters that they made a statement about how important customers are … even you, Peter :-). All the mission statements in history and all the customer service pledges every written can’t hold a candle to a 24 oz. porterhouse hand-delivered at EWR. |
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Roger Pynn: Damn right. Perfectly stated. Someone mentioned in this thread that isn’t this what customer service has always been about? As if this was not a great extension. I would argue that this is NOT what customer service is about; this is above and beyond, this sets you apart from EVERYONE else. Secondly even if this IS what customer service is about; who provides this level of service. |
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I have a bit of a unique outlook on this. I’m a social media strategist AND I’m a former waiter at a Morton’s in Northern Virginia, having worked there from October 2009 to October 2010. I actually put together a nine page proposal and sent it to Roger Drake, the VP of Marketing Communications. It entailed creating a regional social media for the DC area. I can still recite the verbal menu presentation. Look, this was a great idea that was perfectly executed. It shows me that the team in Chicago was on the ball and knew who Peter Shankman is. But it’s a stunt – a damn good one at that. Stunts are fine…it’s what follows that matters. On Twitter, on Shankman’s blog, etc. I see a lot of praise for Morton’s. Now is the time for Morton to capitalize on this. They need to not only get the people in Chicago headquarters involved, but they need to enlist their local PR folks (because some run local Twitter accounts) to reach out and develop relationships with those who are now joining the conversation praising Morton’s and saying they want to try one out. My two cents. |
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I’m not going to be too cynical here because I genuinely like the story as a whole. As a piece of marketing it’s fantastic. OK it might have been slightly more hassle to track down your arrival time etc (though not that big a deal – you wouldn’t need a Mekon sized brain to work it out) It’s a nice story of someone with some nouse spotting your tweet, knowing who you are, and probably what you’d do about it, and having the gumption to do it. And it has worked, you’ve wrote about it, we’re all reading it, and whether or not you think it’s good or bad we’re all talking about it. I’ve never heard of Morton’s Steakhouse before – so brilliant. I’ve got to say though, for someone who declares to be an aficionado about steak I find it hard to believe that steak would have been in prime condition when you got home. Meat needs to rest, ok, but you said yourself they weren’t close by and you wasn’t close to home either – it’d been as tough as a saddle by the time you got home. Or was it delivered raw and you just cooked it when you got home? As marketing story, very good. But I have to say though that’s no way near my idea of “The greatest customer service story every told” in fact I’d say your headline was the worse violation of trade descriptions since “The Never Ending Story” But I’ll end on a positive as I think they achieved what they set out to. And I’ll try a Mortons Steakhouse next time I’m in America. |
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I did PR for Morton’s in San Antonio for a while. I can tell you from my own personal experience that they are EXTREMELY dedicated to customer service… to that wow factor that you got to see firsthand. I’ve done PR for three other steakhouses, but no one ever came close to them. They are no longer my client and haven’t been for about five years. BUT I still shout their praises to the heavens as often as I can, because I know anyone who goes there WILL have a great experience. By the way… if you want a dessert that will lay you on the floor, try the Lemon Souffle. It’s not always on the menu, but just ask for it. |
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peter try mr bennys in matteson and mokena illinois…great steaks and service….but what a great story….. |
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Excellent story – wonder how many people have since tried it out and how many times the restaurant has delivered? |
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Well, I feel we have 3 lessons for all of us here: |
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That IS amazing. Why, at the last Morton’s I ate at (Crystal Drive in Arlington VA), it took one-half hour to get my steak and when I did receive it was not cooked as I asked for it. Additionally, it was tough. Twice the waiter brought me another steak …each time, not cooked properly. The manager came to the table and I asked for the meal to go. (I had a flight to catch.) He told me that I didn’t have time that it would take to get another steak done. I commented that he’s probably right, it does take longer to cook a steak medium than it does medium rare!! My meal was comp’d and I left to the airport. Next time I’ll tweet!! |
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Fabulous story, Peter! Next time I fly, I’m going to tweet a steak request out as well! This could be a new entrepreneurial opportunity for restaurants–airport service! |
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Peter – this story was like a stone cast into a pond. It sent out a ripple effect still making its way throughout the pond of goodwill. Your story directly inspired The SECOND best customer service story every told. Within a day of reading your story, I sent it to my favorite global hotel chain and they responded in a way that left me utterly speechless. Here’s what happened: http://aaronallen.com/blog/wha.....0%99s-how/ Great work with your story and inspiring it for others! |
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I love this, and that you say it is all about the amazing moments in time that you create that inspire people to tell others about…. it’s great to see a large company actually providing great customer service and listening to their audience. |
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I can’t imagine being from NYC and going to Morton’s for steak. That’s like being from Kansas City, wanting ribs while you’re traveling, and developing a particular affinity for Chilis. Dinner at Morton’s for two people, two steaks, a side of anything, a couple of drinks, and you’re paying > $200 for a completely unremarkable experience. Sure the meat is premium quality and they know how to cook the correct temperature, but that is the price to entry for a steakhouse, and they charge you an enormous premium for a very sterile experience. Congratulations to them for getting the wow factor into a marketing ploy. Now if they can just figure out how to get that into the menu or experience at their restaurants (ditto for Ruth’s Chris). Bo-ring … |
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And if Morton’s really is capitalising on all this stellar coverage of its operation and customer service focus, it could do a lot worse than digest Mashable’s guide to restaurants maximising their impact on Facebook. I see a lot of incredible opportunities here not just for Morton’s, but for all restos seeking to engage and interact with their communities online: |
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Awesome demonstration, and it’s being talked about far a wide. Unfortunate when you get some Inc., but are misidentified in the header. Potato, potahto, but still… Morton’s Rare, Juicy PR Stunt |
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This is an awesome example of when companies listen to and go out of their way for customers! More often than not, you hear the negative side and “Oh they don’t listen anyways.” Morton’s obviously showed the community how valuable their customers are and that they do listen! A great example of how social media connects the world! |
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Freaking awesome story. Visited my first Morton’s in Anaheim a couple of weeks ago, and unfortunately my steak arrived quite over-cooked. Manager sees me looking at the inside of my steak several times and comes over to the table. He insists on getting me another steak, and there was no charge for my dinner on the bill. His exact words were “You don’t come to this restaurant and spend $50 on a steak to have it arrive overcooked. This should have been perfect.”. Handled very very well. |
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I just got back from a marketing conference where the ad agency that provides service to Morton’s presented this as a case study. As a marketer, I am glad that this made you feel special, and not targeted because of your larger online following. It does appear that Morton’s is tuned into it’s customers and “gets” the concept of social marketing. However as a business, you have to be smart about how you are spending your marketing dollars. In your case, a one time spend of a steak dinner, brought them much publicity. That would not have happened if you were only being followed by you and your two buddies. |
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Great story. I’ve never been to a Morton’s but will now seek one out. I can’t imagine the folks that did this had to go up the chain of command for permission. They probably saw your tweet and acted on it. Good for them! |
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I think the story was great. I have A phase I like to live by. Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy. Helen |
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LIKE! I’m now a new fan of Morton’s Steakhouse……and I don’t even like meat!!! |
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Wow. You don’t see that every…ever. You don’t see that ever. Very awesome! |
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This truly is the service experience heard ’round the world. There is a Morton’s here in Jacksonville, Florida that I have never eaten in – I will now!!!! |
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This is the kind of customer service my company PhaseWare tries to implement, but we emphasize instant respone, thoroughness, and true agent-customer friendship. It’s working well for us (: |
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Wow heck of a lot better than the Whataburger here!!!!! I forgot debit card, and hubby had all the emergency cash in the truck and they knew I went there on average 2 times a day for sodas!! I asked them to let me get Monster’s hash brown sticks and I would pay in TEN MINUTES after I dropped him off at daycare and went back home (home was 2 miles away) Their response to me: We don’t give food away!!! They lost about $300 a month from me alone! |
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This reminds me of the same level of customer service for which the Four Seasons Hotels brand has been famous. GREAT story. Similarly, I tweeted about Honda service this week while my car was in for repair…a 2+ hour wait starting at 7 am; and they only charged me a small token of the bill for the inconvenience and my time. Service breeds loyalty. |
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Kudos to your local Honda dealer this week, for their outstanding service. | Thumbs down to our local Ford dealer. My husband’s 2nd four year lease was up on Monday. The sales manager called me once, 3 months ago, to start the conversation, but we hadn’t started looking yet. Since then, we’ve been to numerous dealers, and he bought a new Toyota vehicle last Saturday afternoon. We haven’t returned the Ford yet, which we will do tomorrow morning. Our voice mail to them the other day went unanswered, and their lack of attention to a customer who was almost ready to buy his next vehicle, was lost. ps – I drive a 2000 Honda and love it !!! |
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Great story. I know that there are a lot of them around. The public /consumer doesn’t hear enough. I just blogged about an experience that I had at an Office Depot store |
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Apologies if I missed this. Peter: Did you end up paying for that porterhouse + sides, or was it comped? (As Morton’s VIPs occasionally are.) Thanks! |
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outstanding!! more companies should take note and act on this wonderful, true story. I’m a contractor and this has inspired me to take my wow! factor to the next level. Thanks for sharing this Peter. |
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I just read this for the first time ever, fantastic! And, I can completely relate to this. I had a somewhat similar experience form Morton’s about 12 years ago in Dallas. I was working overnight in a building that had Morton’s on the first floor. It was rare for me to work over night, but there was some work that had to be done. Around 9:00 PM, I started feeling hungry and nothing was really open, and I couldn’t leave the office or I would be locked out since I didn’t have a key. So I called Morton’s and asked if they would deliver to someone in the building. They said they would, and all I did was order a baked potato. That was it. They brought up a huge steak (I can’t recall the cut now, but it was huge!), my baked potato, a shrimp appetizer, and a slice of chocolate cake. They gave this to me at no charge. They told me it was because I was in the building and sounded hungry when I called! I was floored, completely. Morton’s is awesome! And, at that time, I had actually NEVER been to Morton’s in my life. So, that INCREDIBLE free food was my FIRST experience with Morton’s. It kind of stands out. |
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Amazing story… and even better writing! thanks for the share :) |
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Peter – Commented about a month ago with a question, but you never answered. Did you pay for the meal? |
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