The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

After my last couple of posts about the lack of customer service, including from caterers, it was refreshing to spend time with Mike, the owner of TableRock Grill & Brew Pub. I have clients in town from California who have chosen TableRock to provide the catering for their August wedding. A couple of months ago I gave the bride a list of caterers' web sites. After looking at menus, she e-mailed 5 caterers to set up appointments. Mike was the only one to respond. In talking with him, he said the others are surely not too busy to need the business. His business is down and he is sure theirs is too. We met yesterday so the couple could meet Mike and share their ideas. I was impressed with Mike's desire to serve them and help them have a successful wedding. He is bringing 5 people; they will handle rental of tables, chairs, and linens and they will set things up and take them down rather than leaving after a couple of hours, as many caterers do. They will cut the wedding ...

It seems the economy has had a negative impact, not just on the bottom line, but on customer service as well. Businesses are shortsightedly trying to save dimes at the expense of dollars, as experienced this past week. My last rant was about caterers; this one is about hotels. I managed a two-day conference for nearly 200 attendees held at a local hotel. The problems began before the event with the front desk employees, some of whom were apparently not trained in how to make a reservation. When attendees called to reserve a room, some employees transferred the calls to a toll-free number at a national call center rather than handling them locally. The call center had no information about our conference, the special rate we were receiving, or those individuals we were paying for (about 20), so they charged credit cards. Just try to get the charge reversed. That was like pulling teeth. One person called several times and insisted to the desk clerks that they make his reservation local...

The recent downturn in the economy will have an affect on event planning and on the business of merchants who depend on special events for their livlihood. People still get married, have parties and business events no matter what the economy, but many scale back on the size of the event and on spending in general. As we have seen in past economic downturns, they will choose a less expensive location, less expensive food, and cut back on serving alcohol (a budget breaker at most events). Unfortunately, they may also eliminate the “luxury” services that can add to the uniqueness of an event. What can we as vendors do to keep clients coming through the door? First, look at your customer service. If it isn’t top notch, customers will either choose one of your competitors or they will forgo your service entirely. You need to add value in some way that makes you stand out from your competitors. In recent months we have seen vendors who arrived late, who had a poor attitude, and those who ...