Chef knows how to make things right

04:42 PM CST on Monday, January 7, 2008

The human cell consists of millions of chemical agents whizzing about in every direction, constantly whacking and nicking our DNA. One of the keys to our longevity is how well humans recover from these mishaps. The same is true - only on a slightly grander scale - with businesses that cater to consumers. Mistakes and nicks occur. The key to the longevity of business-to-consumer enterprises, therefore, lies in their ability to recover.

Kent Rathbun, executive chef of Abacus, corrects problems quickly, connects with diners and builds on his celebrity.

Case in point: the renowned five-star restaurant Abacus and its executive chef and co-founder, Kent Rathbun.

Mr. Rathbun grew up in Kansas City in a family of great cooks. His mother managed a tony French restaurant, and she used the family dinner table to experiment with big-production table-side French cooking.

At age 14, Kent began working as a cook in a restaurant chain similar to Denny's. Over the ensuing 32 years, Mr. Rathbun studied at or directed some of the finest kitchens in Kansas City, New Orleans, Bangkok and Dallas. He has been designing his own food creations since he was 20.

In 1995, he joined forces with the late arts patron Robert Hoffman to create the 1717 Restaurant at the Dallas Museum of Art.

The pair then decided to collaborate on a stand-alone, world-class restaurant for Dallas. In October 1999, they opened Abacus on McKinney Avenue.

Mr. Rathbun works tirelessly on three aspects of his business.

Recovery

When dealing with humans, the potential to err is high; their tendency to forgive is decidedly less so. Unhappy or slighted guests are mercilessly quick to dump a restaurant.

Mr. Rathbun has to deal with variables that are largely beyond his control, such as shipping, finding fresh produce, staffing, unreasonable expectations and even losing electricity one unenchanted evening. "The potential to blow an experience is high," he says.

"Good restaurants are all about recovering from problems that are inevitable." The same thing is true for virtually any consumer-centric organization.

Mr. Rathbun trained his staff to alert him to any problem affecting a guest. Mr. Rathbun takes care of it personally and immediately. First, he asks what happened so he can make sure the problem doesn't recur. Second, he asks how he can resolve the problem.

In one instance, a woman celebrated her birthday with seven friends at Abacus. The next day, she called to complain of poor service. Mr. Rathbun offered to redo the birthday party for the same group. The meal he prepared, at no charge, "blew their socks off."

This is how long-term customer relationships are forged. It's not when all is perfect but in the bonding miracle called recovery.

Connectivity

Every consumer-based business needs a loyalty creation device, something that induces the customer to repeatedly select your business. But it's important that the loyalty program not become so bottom-line-oriented that it undoes the connection it was intended to preserve.

Mr. Rathbun is a master at connecting with customers. Giving in to that primordial urge to venture outside the kitchen, he has visited tables since he was 21. He chats with every guest every night that he's in the restaurant. It makes the guests feel special, it gives Mr. Rathbun direct feedback, and it lets him know instantly of any issues requiring his attention.

Lest you think such connectivity is reserved for celebrity chefs, we maintain that every executive should do the same. Business leaders are lost without direct feedback.

To enhance the Abacus experience, Mr. Rathbun offers other events such as wine tastings, all-day cooking classes and trips. He sends a newsletter to 27,000 customers. Guests can even book dinners at Mr. Rathbun's home.

Mr. Rathbun maintains a database of customers' tastes, and before every night's seating, waiters learn the likes and dislikes of the customers coming in.

Abacus guests become insiders, and they spread the good word.

Celebrity

Abacus was built around Mr. Rathbun and his eclectic food designs. This was daring at the time, as diners were accustomed to selecting restaurants after deciding on a cuisine.

This chef-centric design propelled Mr. Rathbun's status. At the same time, high-end chefs were carving out a name for themselves nationwide.

"There has never been a better time in history to be a good chef," Mr. Rathbun says.

Abacus and Mr. Rathbun are used to being in the spotlight, and this year it got brighter while the restaurant's chef de cuisine, Tre Wilcox, was a contestant on Bravo's Top Chef reality show. Mr. Wilcox, who's been cooking at Abacus since 2000, recently said that he's leaving the restaurant next month to pursue a television career and other opportunities.

"We are very proud of Tre, and obviously he helped us," Mr. Rathbun says. "The bottom line is that Tre came as a very inexperienced young cook, and from what he learned from me - and others around me - he has turned into a fine young chef and has done a very good job."

People adore sharing space with celebrities - it's infectious. Mr. Rathbun uses his status as a magnet for the restaurant. Other business celebrities are reluctant to trade on it, thereby wasting an important enterprise asset.

Mr. Rathbun sets high standards and keeps careful vigilance over quality of food and service. But so do others. The differentiator for Abacus and other successful businesses is using recovery, connectivity and celebrity as spices to enhance product delivery.

Pauline Graivier is president of Dallas-based Verbal Communications Inc. Rob Hoffman is a partner with Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP.