Is it the product or the production?

When I go to a restaurant and I use that term loosely here. I mean a place you get food. Not a white linen and table comb type of place but the type of place that comes with comical mascots and pictures of your food on the menu. (I think the pictures are there so that we only eat fried things, not fry our brains trying to decide what to order by actually reading about it.) Where was I? OK so when I go to these places I know what the food tastes like. It is always the same the menu rarely varies and as long as the food is hot I am happy. Or am I? I have come to the realization that if my server, waiter, food purveyor has a "schitck" or does something really special that makes my 45 minutes enjoyable I like the food much more.
Psychological mumbo jumbo I know but let's translate it. I am actually going for the experience. Yes, the ease of food sliding in front of me merely by asking for it is quite nice but I can make myself a hamburger. I want to interact, I want to be entertained. I want them to make me laugh, tell me a story, tell me how great they look in the reflection on my head. Heck, if they can juggle Jalapeno Poppers I want to see it. The key to my return business isn't in the free refills or crispness of the chicken fingers. It is in the experience. That's what I will remember. Sure the product counts but even if I sent something back in one of these restaurants, which I am not sure I recommend, the way the server handled it would be much more important to me than the food itself. Not how did it taste but how did it feel.
So much can depend on the experience itself and not the mission at hand. The feeling we leave people with is the reason they will return to us again and again. If you can affect their mood or shine positive light on them, they will be yours for life.

A great asset

Hey there,
Just wanted to give you some quick info. Inc. Magazine (Inc.com) has a great site online. They basically take their entire magazine and put it on display. There are a lot of really innovative minds working for Inc. The magazine is written for entrepreneurs like yourself. Check it out.
Below a fun article about harnessing creativity in the work place.

Unleashing Employee Creativity