Can I speak to the manager?
What a week.
Our new king got the full Zadok The Priest treatment in the most elaborate cosplay since Marie Antionette.
We loved it.
Less so the Coronation Concert which promised the best of British but featured a bloke who looked like Lionel Richie but sounded Karaoke, the remnants of Take That, and some bloke called Olly something.
It had all the energy of what was left on the cutting room floor.
Let’s lift the mood.
I want to introduce you to “The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders” (RMO)
Despite its light-hearted name I want straight faces now.
RMO is a pop-up restaurant in Japan where there is a fair chance that the dish you order won’t be the dish that is presented to you ten minutes later.
Why?
Because it’s almost entirely staffed by people living with dementia.
It’s all about social contact. People who would otherwise remain isolated find it very therapeutic to have social contact.
So the lottery of service is a feature, and its one we would tolerate readily and with a smile.
And if you’re the Karen who couldn’t bear the idea of getting the wrong dish, don’t fucking go there. It’s not difficult.
It's not you. It's us
If you were served the wrong dish at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, you’d kick off.
Why?
Because you’re paying over £100 a head for a slice of great food and impeccable service pie.
That’s his contract with you.
"I’ll make it special, but if you’re not ready to stump up a shed load for the pleasure don’t bother."
In their own way, The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders and Gordon Ramsay are using their messaging to tell us who they want to serve and who they'd rather went somewhere else.
The second bit is just as important.
We all want what we can’t have. Pushing away people you don’t want to serve, makes your product exclusive.
It is easy to do without being horribly offensive, although that also works.
Like this:
The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders:
“We’re open for benevolent people who want a feelgood experience. If getting the right dish is an important part of your evening, this probably isn’t the place for you”
Gordon Ramsay:
“We’ll give you a night to remember, but we're not cheap. If eating on a budget is where you're at, you may have a more relaxed evening somewhere else”
Your coaching practice:
“We help executives with 5 years of leadership experience in sales at a big brand to start their own business. If you don’t have that experience, we’re probably not right for each other at the moment”
Bold AF:
“We help people write bold copy that will get them noticed above the noise. If you’re not ready to take some uncomfortable risks in your messaging, please don’t waste your time”.
Telling the right people you want to work with them is as important as telling the wrong people you don’t.