In Business Since 2001 We accept Paypal
Home for Writers for Publishers Article Directory Article Search Contact
Directory of Ezines  
Products & Services
Article Distribution
Ghost Writing Services

Multiple Traffic Streams Report
Redneck Product Creation

Article Marketing Ebooks now available at: WritingPuzzle.com

Site Navigation
Home
+ FAQ

FAQ

+ Contact Us
+ Article Software

Use one of our Software Plugins to receive Articles from our site:

WordPress Content Plugin

Article Dashboard Content Plugin

+ About Us
+ Ebooks
+ Blogs
+ Social Media
+ Extra Pages
Search Tools
+ Search Our Articles
Article Directory
+ Authors
+ Articles
thePhantomWriters Blog
Get RSS Feed

Did Google Finally Kill Article Marketing Forever?
Early Indications Are That Google Farmer Update Loves Quality Syndicated Content
Detailed Insight into the Cooks Source Magazine PR Debacle
Increase Your Profits From Google Page One
Understanding How To Be Successful With Article Marketing
Temporary Issue with Article Distributions
Computer Upgrade
New Service Upgrades in Place
Are You Paying Too Much For Traffic? Increase Clicks 40-Fold With This PPC Strategy
How To Use Disinformation To Foul Up Your Competition In The SEO Game
Recommended Sites
Live Marketing Chat (Free) Saturday 8pm EST
Register for Notifications

 

 



Is Your Restaurant Being Robbed By The Busy Signal Bandit?

Copyright (c) 2007-2012

It is Friday night, the busiest evening of the week and your phone is ringing off the hook. Your dining room is full. Your counter is three deep and there is a line extending out your door. Your staff is frantically trying to keep up with demand and the sound of cash flowing into your register tells you that all is well with your business.

But is it?

The constant ringing of your phone can send another message besides the popularity of your food. If you haven't taken the proper steps, it can mean that some of your customers are hearing a busy signal.

Suppose that Joe Smith is one of your customers who decided to order a pizza from you tonight. At 6pm he called your shop and got a busy signal. Unluckily for Joe, Sally Jones had dialed just seconds earlier and she was on the last available phone line giving her own order.

Joe waited a few minutes and tried once more. He heard a busy signal again. This time it is Sam Peterson who is talking to you. At first, Sam got a busy signal too, but Sam immediately began hitting his redial button every 15 seconds and got through just seconds after another customer hung up.

Meanwhile, Jake Kelly tried calling you and he heard busy signals as well.

Now it is a race between Jake and Joe. Jake wins, which is unfortunate since while Jake was only mildly annoyed, Joe was becoming increasingly upset.

Finally, after 15 minutes of trying to get through to you, Joe gave up and called one of your competitors.

If scenarios like this happen over your phones, you are losing business. Let's take a look at what the above events mean to you.

First, you have three irritated customers, from the mildly annoyed Jake to the extremely upset Joe.

No one likes to sit in front of their phone hitting redial. No one likes to hear repeated busy signals. No one likes to call their favorite pizza restaurant and repeatedly fail to get through.

Second you lost business. Tonight at any rate, Joe went elsewhere for his pizza. Maybe he'll be back, maybe not. But if it happens to him again, will he keep returning?

No business owner wants to annoy his or her customers. I know how hard it is to keep up with the Friday evening rush, but there are some actions you can take to manage the crush of calls during your peak hours.

The simplest and most obvious solution is to get more phone lines. Your phone company can set it up so everyone dials the same number, but the calls will come in on whichever phone line is available. if all your phones are busy, the phone company can give callers your recorded message.

If you are a very small operation, this is probably the least expensive option to keep up with peak hour calls.

If you are a larger and busier shop, you may want your own phone system. This is a box that has several telephone lines coming into it from the phone company. It manages delivering incoming calls to your telephones. If you have 3 telephones but 5 lines from the phone company coming into your telephone system, the fourth and fifth callers will still have to wait on hold, but they don't have to hear busy signals or dead silence.

Your telephone system can give waiting customers music or better yet, a sequence of announcements such as descriptions of your specials and offers. When one of your phones becomes available a waiting customer's call will then ring at that phone.

One problem with adding more phones is that this requires more of your staff people to answer them, usually when they are already trying to handle several other tasks at the same time. It creates more work without giving them additional resources to manage it.

Fortunately, there is a tool that can actually help reduce the workload on your staff. Send your overflow customers to online ordering. Either your recorded announcement from the phone company or one of your phone system sequenced messages can tell waiting customers to visit your website and order online.

Online orders are entered by the customers themselves and sent directly to your fax machine, ready for your kitchen to prepare. This can be a tremendous relief on Friday and Saturday nights, when your employees are already at their busiest.

It is also a tremendous convenience for your customers. They can browse your online menu at leisure and not have to deal with stressed out employees over the phone.

The importance of giving your customers easy and convenient ordering options cannot be overstated. If you eliminate busy signals, avoid leaving customers on hold listening to dead air and provide an online ordering option, you will certainly increase your revenue and keep your customers happy and coming back for more.


About The Author:
Rudy Vener is the president and founder of Pizza Galaxy. Pizza galaxy's services delight restaurant owners and their customers alike by making it fun and easy for a restaurant's customers to order online and helping restaurant owners build close relationships with customers. Visit rudy's website at http://www.pizzagalaxy.com to learn how he can help your restaurant and to read other articles, such as one on how to fuel your delivery vehicle for free.

Follow "The Phantom Writers" on Twitter (@phantomwriters)
to be notified when new articles are made available.


VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE
Needs Work >> 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 << Excellent Article

Tell our authors what you think about their article.


Top-Level Category: Business Offline Articles || Related Categories: Shopping Articles

10 Most Recent Articles Written by Rudy Vener

How To Save Your Pizza Delivery From Financial Ruin
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2008-11-13 | Word Count: 801 | Page Views: 747 | Votes: 7 | Rating: 2.43
There is not much you can do for the nation's economy, but your pizza shop is another matter. Every decision you make about your shop has a direct effect on its bottom line, and that's especially true for your delivery operation.

The Case of the Faltering Fax
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2008-09-03 | Word Count: 1020 | Page Views: 843 | Votes: 4 | Rating: 3.00
Most of my clients get their online orders on their fax machine. But like any technology, a fax machine can develop problems, and sometimes it takes a little detective work to figure them out.

Who Are Your Restaurant's Best Friends?
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-12-27 | Word Count: 539 | Page Views: 611 | Votes: 4 | Rating: 2.75
Who are your restaurant's best friends? Knowing this can help you boost your restaurant's profits.

Equal Opportunity Pizza Ordering
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-10-19 | Word Count: 629 | Page Views: 1548 | Votes: 8 | Rating: 4.38
With online ordering, your menu and restaurant suddenly become accessible to both the deaf and blind customers in your community.

Listen Up. They're Talking About Your Restaurant.
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-10-11 | Word Count: 776 | Page Views: 892 | Votes: 3 | Rating: 3.00
What do people say about your restaurant on the Internet? Don't overlook this source of valuable customer feedback.

Will Your Restaurant's Loyalty Program Flourish or Flop?
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-09-11 | Word Count: 869 | Page Views: 1841 | Votes: 4 | Rating: 1.50
With high volume and fierce competition the restaurant industry is ideal for loyalty programs. So why don't more restaurants use them?

How Do 89 percent of New Customers Pick Your Restaurant?
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-08-13 | Word Count: 676 | Page Views: 1785 | Votes: 10 | Rating: 3.10
The Internet is reshaping the way consumers find restaurants. Are you ready to do business online?

Whose Restaurant Can You Find Online?
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-07-09 | Word Count: 640 | Page Views: 1551 | Votes: 5 | Rating: 4.40
What is so significant about Pizza Hut's latest TV commercial?

Online Ordering? C'mon, This Is A Pizza Shop.
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-05-29 | Word Count: 749 | Page Views: 1579 | Votes: 11 | Rating: 2.91
What prevents the small, family owned restaurants from benefitting from the internet? Read how one restaurant overcame this obstacle.

Can Mom and Pop Restaurants Successfully Market Online?
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-05-07 | Word Count: 1045 | Page Views: 1492 | Votes: 5 | Rating: 2.20
How can a mom and pop restaurant compete with the big boys? The Internet can level the marketing playing field if you do it right.

All of Author's Articles on this site:

Most Recent "Business Offline" Articles

How To Build a Strong and Powerful Business During a Recession
Written by: Trey McMartin | Distributed: 2011-11-10 | Word Count: 987 | Page Views: 469
During a recession, most business owners pull the reins on advertising budgets, fearful of what tomorrow might bring... Those who remain fearful have forgotten what made them the success they are today... They have forgotten that they have a God-given talent to overcome the incredible obstacles in their paths.

SEO Lessons from Local Businesses
Written by: Trey McMartin | Distributed: 2011-11-09 | Word Count: 945 | Page Views: 871
More than once in the six years that I have been providing SEO services for websites, I have had the opportunity to discuss with individual business owners their search engine optimization needs. Now and again, I run across an individual business owner who is quick to say that SEO is absolutely worthless. When confronted with such an absolute statement, I like to press for details. It has been my experience that people who speak in negative absolutes will have a horror story to share.

Where Will FDA Target Next? What IVD Manufacturers Should Know Before Their Next FDA Audit
Written by: Norm Howe | Distributed: 2011-09-12 | Word Count: 706 | Page Views: 354
Medical device manufacturers are always interested in knowing what FDA's next area of focus will be. Well, if you're an In Vitro Diagnostic manufacturer you might review your measurement systems.

Online Fax - 10 Reasons To Get An Online Fax Service
Written by: Titus Hoskins | Distributed: 2011-09-12 | Word Count: 560 | Page Views: 366
Online faxing is the new more modern way to fax. If you or your company is not using an online fax service, here are 10 good reasons why you should get it.

Best Effort Essential for the Job Interview
Written by: Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC | Distributed: 2011-07-30 | Word Count: 676 | Page Views: 447
Interviewing will determine if you are the right person for the job. These tips will help you make the job interview a success.

Go Green With Your Career Search
Written by: Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC | Distributed: 2011-07-28 | Word Count: 636 | Page Views: 362
Many of the qualities of green living, like recycling and sustainability, can apply to a career search, even if the career is not directly associated with green industries.

ReCareer in the Second-half of Life
Written by: Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC | Distributed: 2011-07-26 | Word Count: 525 | Page Views: 424 | Votes: 1 | Rating: 3.00
Many of us worked the first half of our life to "fit" the job description. ReCareering is about finding the right fit, being selective, being creative, being fulfilled and being intentional about how you spend your time.

Up in the Air
Written by: Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC | Distributed: 2011-07-24 | Word Count: 678 | Page Views: 429
When looking for work or changing careers, go beyond researching on the internet and reading articles. Find out how you can learn from the art of listening and having a conversation.

Salon and Spa Owners: Which Monk Are You?
Written by: Dan Lok | Distributed: 2011-07-05 | Word Count: 477 | Page Views: 465
Too many salon and spa owners are carrying around a lot hurts, regrets, guilt, past failures and fears about the future. But no one is forcing you to carry these emotional rocks, so put that sack down!

The Single Most Profitable Day You Spend on Your Spa or Salon!
Written by: Dan Lok | Distributed: 2011-06-30 | Word Count: 470 | Page Views: 570
Salon and spa owners need to combine their marketing plan with marketing systems. A marketing calendar plans out strategies for a year, and is instrumental to the success of your spa or salon.

Most Viewed "Business Offline" Articles

How To Write A 300 Page Book In Four Months
Written by: Mark Silver | Distributed: 2008-07-15 | Word Count: 821 | Page Views: 36742 | Votes: 6 | Rating: 1.83
There's a lot of hoopla about becoming an author of your very own business book. The promise of fame and fortune is very alluring. Yet your book remains perpetually 'about to be' written. Meanwhile your business has ground to a halt. Hmmm... might there be a better way to get a book written?

The Best Marketing Book I've Ever Read (You'll Be Surprised)
Written by: Judy Murdoch | Distributed: 2007-05-09 | Word Count: 1522 | Page Views: 33880 | Votes: 15 | Rating: 3.60
From time to time someone asks me to recommend marketing books. Here's one of my favorite marketing books that always surprises people. Curious? Read on.

The Bizarre History Of The HOLLYWOOD Sign
Written by: Morris Timlen | Distributed: 2008-11-05 | Word Count: 1211 | Page Views: 28592 | Votes: 22 | Rating: 3.32
The most famous sign in the history of mankind is the one that graces the side of the hill above Hollywood, California. As famous a landmark as the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro, the Eiffel Tower in Paris France, the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, The Church of the Savior on Blood in Saint Petersburg Russia, and the Statue Of Liberty in New York City, the Hollywood sign is known around the world as the symbol of the American movie industry.

What Does It Take To Be A Successful Salesman?
Written by: Casey Moher | Distributed: 2008-08-05 | Word Count: 930 | Page Views: 16113 | Votes: 68 | Rating: 3.16
In the course of my average workweek, I meet people who tell me that they have no sales experience, and very literally, many will tell me that they could not sell if their lives depended on it. Do you fit into this mold? Do you seriously believe that you can sell me on the idea that you cannot sell things?

Selecting Between a 401(k) And 403(b) For a Nonprofit
Written by: Daniel Lamaute | Distributed: 2007-10-11 | Word Count: 333 | Page Views: 6845 | Votes: 17 | Rating: 2.65
Newly released IRS regulations impose several new requirements and fiduciary responsibilities on employers with 403(b) plans. While the regulations generally don't take effect until January 1, 2009, there are some provisions that apply sooner.

Pitch A No-Hitter With Baseball-Themed Flower Gifts
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF | Distributed: 2007-12-25 | Word Count: 413 | Page Views: 6114 | Votes: 16 | Rating: 1.94
Want to send a gift to the baseball fan in your life that's sure to knock one out of the park? Send flowers with a baseball theme! Everyone loves flowers and when you personalize them to include the recipient's favorite hobbies, like baseball, they're sure to make an even greater impression.

Never Write A 'Thank You' Letter Again
Written by: Perry Maisin | Distributed: 2008-08-12 | Word Count: 971 | Page Views: 5875 | Votes: 17 | Rating: 2.29
When I was in graduate school, I had a friend who interviewed at fortune 500 companies and succeeded at landing a great job. One day, I saw him sitting in the student union with a stack of cards. The cards said 'thank you'. He opened each card and signed his name. The inside of the card was blank. I asked him what he was doing and he told me that it was important to send a 'thank you' to every person you interviewed with. He believed that that was the difference between getting the job and being passed over.

Conducting Effective Career Aspiration Discussions with Employees
Written by: Andria L. Corso | Distributed: 2010-03-10 | Word Count: 690 | Page Views: 5333 | Votes: 8 | Rating: 1.88
Enhance your talent management and development programs through conducting career aspiration discussions with your employees. Find out where they want to grow their career to determine if it matches your business needs. This will enable you to differentiate your employee development to grow the future leaders of your company.

The Pros And Cons Of Postcard Marketing-direct marketing offline
Written by: Cheryl Miller | Distributed: 2006-11-29 | Word Count: 675 | Page Views: 4003 | Votes: 5 | Rating: 2.60
Postcard marketing is one of the oldest methods of marketing. Its concept is simple but can be quite effective. It is just sending out your message to your mailing list on a postcard. Postcard marketing is a powerful and cost effective way to advertise and will keep building in momentum when done correctly.

The Tea Room Business Plan – First Steps And Start Up Basics
Written by: Marcus Stout | Distributed: 2007-03-22 | Word Count: 1218 | Page Views: 3706 | Votes: 19 | Rating: 2.63
Every venture starts with the first steps and a business plan for a quality tea room is no exception. Well thought out first steps, properly implemented, will pay dividends in the business operations of the tea room in later years.

Highest Ranked "Business Offline" Articles

Why Businesses Need Receivable Factoring In Cash Flow Management
Written by: Toby Seibert | Distributed: 2007-08-08 | Word Count: 866 | Page Views: 1888 | Votes: 5 | Rating: 4.60
In today's business environment, many businesses need to fine-tune the process of getting paid on invoices, in order to improve their cash on hand. Improving cash flow can be an ongoing challenge for businesses of all sizes, and it is an issue that must be addressed to ensure the long-term viability of the business.

Whose Restaurant Can You Find Online?
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-07-09 | Word Count: 640 | Page Views: 1551 | Votes: 5 | Rating: 4.40
What is so significant about Pizza Hut's latest TV commercial?

Business School for Non-Business Minds: Got a NAICS Number?
Written by: Melissa Mashtonio | Distributed: 2008-04-15 | Word Count: 423 | Page Views: 1639 | Votes: 5 | Rating: 4.40
I’m a journalist. I spent a lot of my career in the news business. As my career has progressed, I’ve spent time at small and large companies, and I have sat through dozens of business meetings wondering what the heck the “money” people are talking about. They used acronyms as if they were a foreign language.

The Problem With Swiping Sales Copy
Written by: Scott Bywater | Distributed: 2009-12-03 | Word Count: 480 | Page Views: 1063 | Votes: 5 | Rating: 4.40
This is what people miss when they try to simply "swipe" sales copy from another advertisement.

Equal Opportunity Pizza Ordering
Written by: Rudy Vener | Distributed: 2007-10-19 | Word Count: 629 | Page Views: 1548 | Votes: 8 | Rating: 4.38
With online ordering, your menu and restaurant suddenly become accessible to both the deaf and blind customers in your community.

The Secret To Making Successful Business Connections
Written by: Kate Smalley | Distributed: 2006-10-11 | Word Count: 672 | Page Views: 1661 | Votes: 6 | Rating: 4.00
If you have a hard time making successful business connections, don't despair. Anyone can be good at meeting people-if they use the right technique. The whole secret to making a positive connection is knowing how to attract people and inspire them to want to give you a chance.

How to Build a Really Great Business? (Super Success Secrets from a Legendary Business Master)
Written by: Chet Holmes | Distributed: 2007-01-15 | Word Count: 1523 | Page Views: 1650 | Votes: 7 | Rating: 4.00
Times are tough. The economy is in a constant state of upheaval. Is your company doing better than most? Are you placing greater emphasis on pure performance?

Get the Balance Right
Written by: Rich Thawley | Distributed: 2009-01-28 | Word Count: 638 | Page Views: 1500 | Votes: 11 | Rating: 3.91
Do you build your business around your family or your family around your business? The choice is yours.

Online Copywriting Makes Content as the King
Written by: Steven Gerber | Distributed: 2006-12-11 | Word Count: 560 | Page Views: 1672 | Votes: 7 | Rating: 3.86
The inverted pyramid is basically the placing of 4 W's in the primary sentences of the articles, supported by the other W and H on the following discussions. Four W's consist of what, when, where, and who. The other W which stands for why on the other hand, follows on the succeeding paragraphs, including the elaboration for the H which also stands for how, if necessary.

Interview Coaching: A Home-Based Business on the Cutting Edge
Written by: Carole Martin | Distributed: 2007-08-24 | Word Count: 1400 | Page Views: 1416 | Votes: 7 | Rating: 3.86
You name it - Blackberry, Skype Connection, Cell Phone, iPhone - these are the tools of this trade. Who would believe that someone with a home-based business could reach out to someone in a far away country and work with a client via a Blackberry and a cell phone?







Article Reprint Rights
Creative Commons License

This work is
licensed under a
Creative Commons
License


You are not required to show the creative commons license notice when you reprint this work.
Article Publishing Tools
Print Article
Email-to-Blog
HTML Source Code
Text Newsletter Format
Link Back HTML

Blog Publishing Tools

Internal ID: #5106
Article Statistics
Word Count: 822

Total Views: 1165
Views This Month: 19
Views Last Month: 22

Article Rating: 2.89 of 5
Votes Cast: 9

Author Overall Stats:

Times Viewed Overall: 15354
Author Rating: 3.03 of 5
Votes Cast Overall: 74

More Articles By Author:




Article Title Search:

Widow Search
Right Blinker
Google
Yahoo!
Zuula
Bing
Cuil

Last Distribution Date:
2007-07-20 14:12:00






All Articles are Copyright © 2001-2012 of the Defined Authors.

All other material and images on this site are:
Copyright © 2001-2012, ThePhantomWriters.com

Local Marketing Consultant