Soniccrew's Blog

How About Those Sonic Commercials?

David Williams — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:38:51 +0000

Ok guys…….I know you either love ‘em or hate ‘em!!!

Below are 10 examples of our “advertising dollars” at work. Check them out and let’s hear your “honest” comments!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjY9VGEUdGs&feature=related (tot rejection)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mtvvDQidGM&NR=1 (“HOT” fudge shake)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjHoxSKqE0M&NR=1 (Driving me….)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QiKcSe0rIA&NR=1 (DIY’er)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD6d4TZgOPw&NR=1 (Weatherman)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQS9QDjLOGk&feature=related (Meat rage)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvh4iyS1ajs&NR=1 (Big head)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAHjo9mlnTg&NR=1 (throwin’ a tot)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZIMd8iVARA&NR=1 (BLTizzle)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rA85iBd4RQ&feature=related (mustache)

Tutorial

David Williams — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:35:56 +0000

Certainly don’t want to insult anyone’s intelligence here…..but it occured to me that perhaps some of you might appreciate a little insight into exactly how this blog thing works. And to clear up any misconceptions. First of all, it’s basically just a web page that allows me to address the subject matter of my choice. And like all web pages, it’s visible to anyone who knows the address.

The big difference is the “interaction” which a blog allows compared to a regular web page. And that of course is the whole reason I started this to begin with….to be able to share information and my thoughts on a wide variety of subjects related to Sonic…and to allow anyone reading it to enter into the discussion and share their own thoughts and opinions. I think in way too many companies, there simply is no way for regular employees and lower levels of management, as well as customers, to have a voice that reaches the upper levels of management. And quite often, those are the voices that most accurately reflect what’s really going on in a company.

So basically, anytime I want to initiate a discussion on a particular topic, I write it up (just like an email), and “post” it to the blog. Once you read it, if you want to put in your “2 cents worth”, simply click the COMMENT link, type whatever you want to say and send it in! Now’s here one point I definitely want to clarify:

Any comments you make comes to me (the moderator) first….before it pops up for the world to see. So just to make sure we keep it tactful and on-subject, it has to be approved by me before it posts to the blog. I have the ability to approve or disapprove….or to edit and then approve. Kind of a safety valve. Also, just in case some of you are a little concerned about proofreading (since there’s no spellchecker), I will do my best to help you there also. Rest assured, my intent is to post appropriate comments in “as close to their original format” as possible. That’s the best way to get across what the author is “really” trying to say. Soooo……no unnecessary editing.

If you want to check previous posts, you can just scroll down the page. Also, there is a calendar where you can click on any date and see the posts for that day. They are also listed by month in the Archives and categorized by topic under Categories. Under any particular posts, it will show how many comments have been made in reference to it, and you just click the “comments” link to read them.

And finally, you can click the RSS links to sign up to be notified any time new posts or comments hit the blog, just to save you from checking in only to find nothing new!

I want to encourage everyone once again to PARTICIPATE…..don’t be shy. Surely you have ideas and opinions you would like to share with everyone. And remember, this is not just for managers, make your crew members aware of it so they can contribute also. This is your opportunity to “get heard”!

David

“Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.”

David Williams — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:54:42 +0000

Now think about that for a moment…..pretty simple concept huh?

****We don’t have to be perfect….we just have to make it right when we’re not!****

Surprisingly enough, 98% of the Sync reports I get are complaints of a non-serious nature (simply us “not being perfect”) that could have easily been resolved on-lot by a manager with the proper mindset.

What is the proper mindset? We don’t question, we don’t argue, we don’t worry about who’s right or wrong….we simply fix whatever it is that the customer “perceives” is wrong.

Notice that the customer’s “perception” is what matters.

Below is a copy of an actual Sync report I received today….detailing the initial complaint by our customer AND….the resulting follow-up call from the customer AFTER THE SITUATION WAS HANDLED CORRECTLY. Although the customer somehow got our manager’s name incorrect…..the point is that “LaTonya” did a textbook job on resolving a problem of this nature.

*Initial Comments – 11/09/09*

The guest called to complain that his wife’s M&M blast was prepared incorrectly. The guest stated that the blast barely had any M&M’s. I thanked the guest and explained that the information would be shared with appropriate management. I sent a “Thank You” postcard. Aleta F.

*Additional Comments – 11/09/09*

The guest called back to inform us that the manager, Valerie, called him within 10 minutes. She replaced the Blast and never charged him. Valerie was very friendly and helpful. The service was very fast and the Blast was excellent tasting. I thanked the guest and informed him that I would forward his comments to the appropriate management. Margaret E.

I guess what it boils down to guys….is why would we alienate a customer that could potentially spend $300 – $400 a year or more with us….over 10 cents worth of M&M’s? And I’m sure if any customers are reading this, they’re asking the same question.

Remember, let’s not make it any harder than it needs to be!

David

Your 15 Minutes of Fame!

David Williams — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:27:58 +0000

OK guys…..here’s your chance to strut your stuff!

I’m in the process of revamping our Stanfill Sonics website. It may be closer to the first of the year before I’m ready to go live with it……and even then it will continue to be a work in progress. One of the things I’m wanting to do on the new site is to focus on the outstanding people in our organization that do a tremendous job day in and day out of keeping our customers coming back for more! So I need to solicit your help on this one.

If you have a particular employee, managers or crew (including yourself), that you would like to highlight as a representative of your drive-in, here’s your chance. For the next month or two, and also anytime after the site goes live, I will be accepting pictures, videos and even audio recordings (if they’re a little camera shy) of our employees doing what they do best.

Now keep in mind, this is a reflection of your drive-in as well as our company. So keep it fun, positive, upbeat and professional…..while still allowing our folks’ personality to come through. We want it to be an accurate reflection of how they enjoy their job and how they go about the business of impressing our customers. Obviously, our goal here is to not only highlight our existing employees, but to impress upon the visitors to our site that Sonic is not only a great place to eat…..but an exciting and rewarding place to work as well.

Use your imagination…..it can be anything from a live action video of your star skating carhop in action to a video or audio of a top employee talking about their crew position or management career at Sonic. If you have customers that would give their permission to be filmed or photographed during their visit to be used on our site, that would be fantastic as well. Like I said, be creative!

Soooo……..GET BUSY! Send anything you would like considered for addition on our site to williamsd@sonicpartnernet.com. No limit to the amount you can submit for consideration, so have fun with it. Just remember please…..make sure it is something you’ll be proud to have associated with your business.

I’m really looking forward to checking out your submissions and…..THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

David

This is not supposed to happen on our own soil.

David Williams — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:09:41 +0000

Sonic Family: Please keep all those affected by the terrible tragedy at Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers.

How Important are Skating Carhops?

David Williams — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:30:50 +0000

In an industry where it is becoming harder and harder to differentiate ourselves from the competition…..food delivery by a skating carhop is unmatched. You can get a hamburger, fries & drink most anywhere, all of which are pretty good if done right. So….in order to not be just another burger joint, we have to do everything in our power to stand out.

So many of the items unique to Sonic have been copied over the years, for example, our drink varieties and Happy Hour. Seems like everyone is after that business. However, I have yet to see another major competitor that offers the fun and excitement of skating carhops.

Our customers have stated consistently in survey results that they really enjoy the novelty of the skaters when they visit our drive-ins. So I guess that explains the fact that: Drive-ins who skate on a consistent basis see significantly higher annual sales volumes than drive-ins that don’t!

Why would we not take advantage of the chance to “own” this niche in the market? Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to create some excitement around your drive-in. Your employees will enjoy it, your customers love it……and your sales will reflect it!!!

“Thought of the Day”

David Williams — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:56:28 +0000

Not sure if this is really just the “Thought of the Day” or my disguised attempt at advice, but take it for whatever it’s worth. Anyway, it’s one of my favorite sayings…..and it sure seems fitting not only in our business but in everyday life, huh?

“You have two ears, two eyes and one mouth. Use them in that proportion”

David

Over 14,500 Halloween Corn Dogs!

David Williams — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:48:15 +0000

And that’s just in our little group of 16 stores! Needless to say, I think this promo was pretty successful in driving traffic to our stores. I certainly hope everyone across the chain took advantage of the opportunity to impress existing and hopefully a lot of new customers with our hot, fresh food and exceptional service! This was a great chance to make a positive lasting impression for our brand. According to my calculations, our 16 stores sold 14,517 of the .50 cent corn dogs between 5 and 10 pm Sat. nite! Here’s the breakdown:

Adamsville: 850

Parsons: 1082

Lexington: 2156

North Highland: 1089

South Highland: 1397

University Pkwy: 1182

Vann Drive: 808

Chloe Place: 705

N. Parkway: 519

Madison Ave: 872

Ringold: 849

Trenton Rd: 720

Dover Crossing: 638

Wilma Rudolph: 589

Riverside Dr: 542

Oak Grove: 519

Congratulations on a great night! I’m sure many of you had some interesting and exciting things happen at your store during this crazy promotion. It was definitely a wild scene around Lexington…..with sales of almost 2200 corn dogs!

We would love for you to share your thoughts and/or stories about Halloween night at Sonic!!!

Have a great week!

David

Management Motivation

David Williams — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:14:48 +0000

A few thoughts on my perspective in relation to some previous comments concerning keeping lower level management motivated. First of all, even though you may think it wears thin, never underestimate the power of “Thanks for a job well done!” Personally, I like to think that our folks don’t do this just for the money. As far as what our entry level positions pay, there are certainly jobs out there that pay more. My point being…..a lot of people love the nature of our business but they certainly want to work in an environment where they feel respected as well as appreciated, and they in turn respect their upper management. So maintaining this type of environment in your restaurant goes a long way toward keeping your management staff motivated. In addition to this, you can certainly reward top performance with shift preferences, additional overtime, time off and pay raises (or any other monetary perks your payroll allowances will permit).

From a company perspective, our compensation structure is set up in such a manner to pay commensurate with their abilities and level of experience. Obviously, there are only ”X” amount of dollars to work with so we can’t just indiscriminately throw extra money at someone every time they do a good job. Those bonus dollars are pretty heavily top-loaded as far as rewarding for performance…..as it should be. Those people are supposed to be in those top positions for a reason! Entry level positions with minimal responsibilites pay at a reasonable level comparable to industry norms….and hopefully provide an incentive to continue to learn and improve and accept greater levels of responsibility with the corresponding pay. If they see the GM’s and First Assistants making these nice bonus checks and are motivated by that, then they certainly have the opportunity to work up to that if they prove themselves. The tremendous opportunities we have available….the potential of which I don’t think most people realize…. is a subject I’ll go into more detail about in another post.

Anyone out there have any additional thoughts or particular strategies you use to keep your management staff motivated?

Hello to Everyone Out There Who’s Part of the “Sonic Crew”

David Williams — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:33:08 +0000

Hi Everyone! This is my rookie venture into the blogosphere, and having spent the better part of my life affilitated with Sonic Drive-In in some capacity or other, I thought it would be interesting, enlightening and certainly entertaining to discuss “all things Sonic” with other owners, managers, crewpersons and customers (all the people that make up the Sonic Crew) of our favorite brand.

Not gonna get too long-winded in this first post, but I do look forward to discussing anything and everything about Sonic with the “Sonic Crew” in our area as well as across the country. I don’t know how often I’ll be posting……probably any time some random rambling pops into my head, but I certainly hope many of you will respond with your own thoughts on the subject at hand.

Talk to you soon!

David