Pickles, Potbellies & Respect
August 8, 2008 · Print This Article
Posted by Mark Bennardo
All I wanted was a pickle.
Honest.
What I got was a lesson on one of the foundational elements that makes a great experience…or not.
For those living in the mid-west, you likely know about the joy that is Potbelly Sandwich Works—a fast-growing chain of over 200 restaurants that serves really, really good sandwiches. I love Potbelly, but not too long ago I had a disappointing experience there when I ordered, of all things, a pickle, with my meal.
Now, the reality is that it really wasn’t about the pickle, but rather the disrespectful way I was treated in the process of ordering it.
I was so disappointed that I wrote a letter to Potbelly’s CEO, Bryant Keil, to make him aware of my disappointment. Rather than tell the entire story in this post, you can read my letter here. It tells the whole story (and I think it was a pretty good letter, if I do say so myself).
As I mention in my letter, respect is one of those key elements that lay the critical foundation for a good experience. Without it, it doesn’t matter how good your product, conference, environment, church service, business meeting (or whatever) is. All bets are off.
Can I get a little “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”?
[UPDATE: To read Potbelly's response, click here.]