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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Maintaining a high standard of customer service while expanding can be a daunting task for local businesses. Tony Gemignani, owner of Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, experienced his fair share of challenges when creating a restaurant he believed in despite the naysayers.
"Tony's is unique," Gemignani says. "It's the first restaurant of its kind, and nobody really believed in it — multiple styles, multiple ovens, from gas, wood burning, coal, electric, rotating gas. Depending on the style of pizza that you like, we pretty much almost have that on the menu. Fifteen years ago, you never really saw a Roman and Neapolitan guy get along. It was like, 'I make New York, I make Chicago.' You never brought them all together."
With so many choices on the menu, Gemignani knew his staff had to be able to articulate the differences in pizza styles and, more importantly, find the perfect fit for each customer.
"I like to tell my servers to go to a table, ask them where they're from, how they're doing, and say, 'What kind of style do you like? Do you like it thick or thin? You like it in the pan? Do you like it round or square?'"
This approach personalizes the customer experience and helps guide them toward a pizza they will enjoy, thereby increasing customer satisfaction.
Another key aspect of customer happiness is adaptability. During the pandemic, Gemignani notes that many well-known restaurants that relied on regular clientele were at a loss for how to stay afloat because they wouldn't change their business model, such as packaging food for delivery.
Gemignani, on the other hand, did what many resourceful business owners saw as their only option and quickly pivoted to new methods of service. This ensured that his high-quality food was still accessible to customers through delivery despite the challenges involved. He also underscored the importance of having a digital presence so new customers can find you no matter the circumstances.
Yelp reviewer Dominic B. echoed this advice, noting that when a business engages with its audience on social media or platforms like Yelp, it helps consumers put a face to the company, hear the mission statement and get a better idea of the quality they can expect.
"Seeing what happens in the kitchen, behind the bar, behind the operations… I think that's all super fascinating and a great way to show people how authentic your ingredients are and where it [all] comes from," Dominic says. "It's much more accessible to hear about that on a social media platform than having someone go to your website, go to the about section, and then read multiple paragraphs about it."
When discussing the advantages of building a digital presence, Gemignani highlighted the importance of engaging with customer feedback, particularly online reviews. He understands that not all feedback will be positive but sees critical reviews as opportunities to improve and connect with customers.
"I have people now that look at them every day and address them as quick as we can," he says. "Am I looking at them every day? No. Once in a while, my managers come to me and say, 'It's been awesome. We've had 20 5-star reviews, and then we had a bad one.' Maybe something wasn't clean, or it was loud. I get it. It's kind of out of my control, but we do take it to heart. I do look at the ones that are serious, and we want to make [the experience] better, and we want to educate the customers and the team."
Gemignani has relied on these small business strategies to enhance operations and sustain growth, even in challenging times:
- Educate your staff. Ensure your team is knowledgeable about your products or services so they can assist and advise customers confidently.
- Adapt and innovate. Be ready to adapt your business operations to meet changing circumstances, demands and limitations.
- Hire for fit and willingness to learn. Hire employees who are skilled and eager to embrace your business's methods and culture.
- Engage with customer feedback. Regularly review and respond to customer feedback. This shows that you value customer input and are committed to improving their experience.
Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Gemignani and Dominic, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora and Soundcloud.
This article is part of our ongoing series highlighting family-owned and operated businesses.
Editorial contributions by Kristi Lindahl
