Two
Fish Tacos Por Favor
Dear
Associate,
My
internal instinct says: If you don't have money coming in—don't
go splurging. Sounds rudimentary... wouldn't you agree? Well
many of us independent business owners and freelancers have
experienced what I call going on frugal phase. You live on
the cheap. (If you've never been there, I applaude you.)
A
trip to Blockbusters becomes more attractive than the theater.
A vacation at a local bed and breakfast seems more appealing
than a romantic stroll along the Champs Élysées
with your lover. And you order the two-topping pizza special
instead of the Triple Cheese Extra Meat Lovers Combo Delight
with extra thick crust. But hold the garlic bread since you're
cutting back on carbs.
Know
of anyone who's been down this road?
One
of the places I've eaten at when I find myself in this phase
is Cotija's Mexican Grill. For 99-cents you can order a fish
taco. They make them fast, fresh and filling. It's tasty and
wipes out the low-fuel warning from my stomach.
When
placing my order I strike up small talk with some of the gals
who work behind the counter. They speak just enough English
to get by. They work very hard and often receive little appreciation.
I
began going in the mornings and Sandra would always be up
for a conversation. She's a single mother of two looking to
improve her financial situation. I looked forward to seeing
her and the cook. Together they are a very cohesive team.
Whenever
I sauntered through the doors she knew what I wanted to order:
two fish tacos. And so did the cook. Did they possess ESP?
No, but I think they were on to me.
When
I'd walk in and Sandra had momentarily left the counter, the
cook would take my order. He'd make a signal with two fingers
and I nodded. That was the okay to begin cooking my order.
(I think they're starting to like me.)
One
day I decided to order a breakfast burrito instead. Sandra
was surprised. She smiled and commented on its grande size.
What
I didn't realize was the cook began making two fish tacos
for me when he saw me come in. He was unaware I ordered the
burrito instead.
When
I got my breakfast burrito, Sandra explained what had happened.
Immediately I felt responsible and offered to pay for the
fish tacos also. But that's when they surprised me. They gave
me the fish tacos on the house.
I
felt like Tony Soprano...
They
were under no obligation to give me the mistaken order. I
was willing to pay for the misunderstanding. They could have
kept silent about it—but didn't. (Maybe they do like
me.)
At
this point I hope you're asking these three burning questions:
Do
you think I might return to Cotija's?
Do
you think I'll try the other items on their menu?
And
most important of all:
Do
you think I might recommend them to people I know?
For
the price of two fish tacos, they get plenty of word-of-mouth
advertisement. Because one happy customer can't help but spread
the word on a good thing. And isn't this the kind of low-cost
leverage you're looking for in your business?
Warm
Regards,
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