The Answer Is Yes... What's the Question?

Whether it's the restaurant business, like Othello's, or any other business that depends on customers to succeed, we all must learn the art of meeting customer expectations. When we meet or exceed those expectations, we earn the customer's continued business. More importantly, we gain another positive voice telling friends, family, and associates about the great experience they had.

For years, I preached a simple concept to all of my employees: "The answer is yes. What's the question?"

This philosophy was born from a personal experience my wife and I had while dining at a local hamburger restaurant. I ordered a Caesar Burger, and the server immediately told me they didn't have one. I replied, "You have Caesar salad, and you have hamburgers. All you have to do is put the Caesar salad on the burger."

The server responded that they couldn't make it because there wasn't a Caesar Burger button in their point-of-sale system.

That moment stuck with me. The restaurant had all the ingredients necessary to satisfy the request, but a system limitation had become a customer-service limitation. I left determined that, whenever possible, our response at Othello's would be different. We would be flexible and do everything we reasonably could to fulfill a customer's request.

One example occurred when a customer asked for a Diet Dr Pepper. We didn't carry Diet Dr Pepper at the restaurant. Rather than simply telling him no, I ran down the street to a convenience store and bought a six-pack.

When the customer asked why he received a can while everyone else at his table had fountain drinks, we explained that we didn't stock Diet Dr Pepper, so we had gone to the store to get it for him.

That customer became a regular. More importantly, he became an ambassador for Othello's, telling others about the experience. We didn't just meet his expectations—we exceeded them.

Building a successful business happens one customer at a time. Every interaction is an opportunity to create a loyal customer or lose one. Saying "no" is often the easiest response, and over time it can become automatic. Of course, we can't fulfill every request, and there are times when limitations are unavoidable. But before saying no, we should ask ourselves a simple question:

Is there a way to say yes?

The businesses that consistently grow are the ones that look for solutions instead of obstacles. When customers feel heard, valued, and appreciated, they remember it. And when they remember it, they come back—and they bring others with them.

At Othello's, we've always believed that customer service starts with a simple mindset:

The answer is yes. What's the question?