Last night, I had great dinner with long time colleagues and friends. We gathered to celebrate the closing of a Montreal institution Le Mas des Oliviers. When I first started my career at STS Systems, Le Mas was THE restaurant we brought out of town guests to. The food was good, the service was impeccable and it felt like I was going to dinner at my French grandmother’s house.
As we enjoyed our last meal, we told stories of past dinners there. New friends made, ideas turned into products and deals closed. Le Mas was an integral part of our sales process – it transported our guests from the USA to another continent. Taking time to understand the menu written only in French, having the waiters explain the ritual of enjoying the Pescadou et sa Rouquine (fish soup with toasts, rouille and cheese) and of course the story behind the french fries. It was wonderfully unexpected, exotic, almost disorienting. I recently met a retailer who fondly recounted to me his meal at Le Mas many years after he had enjoyed it. We all concluded that creating these memorable experiences differentiated us as a technology provider. It created a special bond with clients many who ended up working with our team for decades.
Companies who want to build lasting relationships with their customers need to find ways to create these unexpected and memorable moments in the customer purchase cycle to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
For a full review of the restaurant – http://montrealgazette.com/life/food/le-mas-des-oliviers-prepares-its-final-course
Nathalie Belanger 