I’ve just come back from another trip to my favorite sub shop. If you live in the Northeast of the United States I suggest you look up your nearest Dibellas.
Their fresh baked bread is to die for and ingredients are top notch. It’s obvious that they pay a premium to produce quality subs.
But if that was all that made it great, it wouldn’t be the best for long. Anyone can copy that model. Dibella’s doesn’t have a monopoly on quality ingredients or suppliers.
So what makes them truly special?
It’s something that any other business can have, but not many do. It’s something that takes commitment and dedication is not proprietary to Dibellas.
It’s their customer experience.
It starts when you walk in the door. There’s a “Welcome to Dibella’s” from at least one employee but often two of more.
They can make subs and talk at the same time. They know how to smile, joke and even talk about the weather.
The experience is consistent from one visit to the next and between stores.
When Dibella’s came to Cleveland, my wife and I went out of our way to visit the first store. The experience was just as I remembered it from when we lived in Rochester 6 year earlier.
How do they do it? Through interaction with the managers and employees I am confident it goes something like this:
- Hire the right people.You have to screen your applicants. Other than having a required set of skills, they must also fit into your company’s culture. Your employees have to share your values.
- Train them and hold them accountable. Don’t assume they’ll somehow figure it out. If you do, you’ve set them up to fail and have no right to complain when you don’t get the results you want.
Let me know about some you your best or worst customer experiences. I look forward to reading them.