Easy status boost: make friends with owners & staff
Some time ago John reasoned if it's not "strange" to go to the same place with different dates and potentially have the staff react badly to you.
Well, in truth, if the staff of your usual place is antagonistic or unfriendly, it might be a disadvantage (value-taking).
But like finding good friends or good partners, finding good places also entails some screening and selection. You wouldn't expect everyone to be a good friend, or a good relationship partner, right?
So you can't expect every restaurant, bar, or coffee shop to be supportive and value-adding. Finding great places to frequent is one of the goals of your life strategies for success and effectiveness.
Finding great places to go to is just one more application of the general rule of adding value-adding allies and friends to your circle.
It doesn't mean, of course, that you must always go to the same place.
Try as many new places as you want.
But it means that when you want or need to, you know that you got a friendly place where you can feel at home (host power), bet treated like a friend (status boost), and possibly be treated like a VIP (huge status boost).
Example: My Pasasa friends
Pasasa is an Italian restaurant near my current place.
They are the same folks of the "pink pasta" I mentioned in my first review of Seoul.
"Genuinity" of food aside, there are even more important considerations that should guide the choice of your favorite spots.
And one of the most important items to choose your favorite places is how they treat you, and whether you can build value-adding relationships with them.
Exactly, it's the same general principle we talk abut on this website which is applied across friendships, business relationships, and relationships.
This is just another specific application of the same general rule: seek collaborators with which you can develop value-adding relationships.
Back to Pasasa now.
On the second time I was there:
Owner: How was your meal?
Me: (smiling) Delicious as always, you guys are awesome. Thank you so much
Owner: (smiles)
"as always" indirectly frames you early on as a habitual customer.
I had been there maybe 3-4 times, when the owner recognized me and commented on me being an habitual customer.
You can always count on smart owners -or anyone with "skin in the game", for that matter- to cherish repeat customers (by the way, this is all the more true if you look and act high-power).
What do you do at that point?
You throw the basis for your win-win relationship, of course.
I replied:
Me: Yes, I come here often, I love you guys!
Unluckily, I didn't have small cash notes, but otherwise, that would be the perfect time to leave a tip.
Next time I was at Pasasa, I had a free wine on the house.
At the checkout, the owner was there to say hi. We exchange a few pleasantries, and I said:
Me: thank you so much, whenever I talk to my friends, I always say you're my favorite restaurant
After that, the wine on the house had become a staple.
By now, it's wine + a free dessert on the house (not even sure how good that really is from a health point of view, but from a status point of view, it does add value):
Both wine and dessert were on the house. It's always like that when I visit Pasasa.
Imagine what that would do to your status and value when you go there with a friend, date, or potential business partner.
The waiter comes walking towards you with two more glasses of wine, and says "on the house". Then comes again once more with desserts and says "on the house".
Then, on the way out, the owner is there to greet you and say hi as you exchange pleasantries.
You are effectively treated like a VIP, and your status in the eyes of your guest becomes that of a VIP.
The Machiavellian Ploy: Manufacturing Status
This is so effective that I can even see how one could manufacture this technique.
For example, you could approach the owner and say that if any time you go there with a guest you can get stuff "on the house" and be treated like a VIP, you will later pay them a certain amount of money.
I realized the power of this power move when my father, a former photographer, told teenager me that he was pretty sure a guy had paid the wedding band performer to pretend he knew him, and treat him like a hotshot.
That Machiavellian guy was wooing and trying to bang an attractive lady helping my father -and no, I'm pretty sure my dad has been faithful-. Eventually, that Machiavellian guy managed to bang her, by the way. And later the attractive lady ditched him for the owner of the company she was working for. Those who deny the power of power and status in dating success are obviously oblivious to reality...
very interesting
That Machiavellian guy was wooing and trying to bang an attractive lady helping my father -
she was helping your dad with his wedding or as a photographer?
Quote from Stef on August 30, 2020, 2:55 pmvery interesting
That Machiavellian guy was wooing and trying to bang an attractive lady helping my father -
she was helping your dad with his wedding or as a photographer?
Kinda of a "marketing help". Half of it was the actual work, like holding second flashes and refracting panes, the other half being pretty and attracting and making friends with potential future customers.
Great content Lucio. I couldn't agree more - it might depend on the staff or how's your relationship with them, but in my case it usually works wonders bringing dates to my fav places.
There is this cafeteria, serving best specialty coffee from Brazil, Colombia and all around the world. They have great wines & beers and the decoration is just fantastic, mixture of "ruined" yet fancy (similar to a ruin pub in Budapest). The staff is very friendly and know me quite well as I go most days, so whenever a bring a date there I feel it plays well for these reasons:
- Special treatment (social boost)
- I can be host - tell about the place, the coffee or even sharing anecdotes (value boost)
- They're allies to me - they also know I bring there people and I appreciate their service
- Special place - she feels you're caring to bring her to a fancy place and giving a good treat, instead of just any dusty cafeteria.
- I genuinely enjoy it and would go anyways, with the girl or not - I feel this is a big plus
Of course, it's my personal feeling on it, but would be great to see other POV from you all
Yep, great stuff Alejom.
For me, it's also about doing longer-term business with good people I like.
Having people in a place that appreciate a long-term, repeat and good customer to me is as important as the place/quality of the food/drinks.
Even if I like a place, I wouldn't make it my go-to and favorite place unless I see that the staff/owner(s) treat me well -the way I see it, it's just fair social exchange: I like you, I bring business, I bring new people, I treat you well... Treating me well in return is due -.