Inform your staff before offering a Foursquare special

Not too long ago, Shelby and I grabbed lunch during one of our all-day meetings. We jokingly checked in on Foursquare (you know, in case the place had a special). Well, the joke was on us because they did have a special for Shelby because it was her third checkin. Now comes the fun part.

The server had no idea about the special

Before I go any further, to our server’s credit, she did not panic. She looked at Shelby’s iPhone and said something like, “Oh, I’ll need to check with my manager, can I take your phone with me?” So as funny as this sounds as you read it, in hindsight I’m impressed she didn’t panic. Shelby, a bit dumbfounded, said, “Um, sure.” Now if you know Shelby, someone asking for her iPhone was like them asking if they could cut off her right hand.

Inform and educate

I understand that not everyone is tech savvy. Heck, some folks still have flip phones. However, just because someone is not tech savvy does not mean you can’t explain the Foursquare special. You could even do a screen capture of the special and hand it out with paychecks before you start the promotion. It doesn’t have to be complicated and it could prevent your staff from walking away with a several hundred dollar piece of electronics for which you are then liable.

We got the special

The manager knew exactly what was going on. The Foursquare checkin special was honored and Shelby’s phone was returned to her in one piece. The problem is I still have this nagging sense that whoever set up this restaurant’s social media did a half-ass job. If they did it themselves, I’m more than willing to cut them some slack. If, however, they hired a social media guru (or worse yet a digital agency), I’m not so willing to forgive.

It’s not just about setting up the tools and walking away. You have to train folks how to use the new digital age word-of-mouth technology.

Image Credit: Foursquare Specials Page