empty plate = good food

Last Friday I ate lunch at one of my favorite Lake Martin lunch spots – Green Valley Market and Deli.

To me it is a joy to experience any business or effort that sincerely tries to give great service, every time.  This time they did not disappoint. I was craving their Reuben but feeling guilty about my cholesterol count from my diet of the day before (below) .  So I asked the waitress (she must be new, I didn’t recognize her) if they can fix me a turkey Reuben – off the menu.  She said, “let me ask.”  The answer came back, “sure.”

The result was I was happy and with a few less grams of fat flowing through my bloodstream.

“Big deal, John,” you say. “Anyone who can make a Reuben should be able to turkey-ize it.”

Not so fast.  I have been in plenty of places that don’t make even the slightest concession on their menu.  Those places are either really good (think the original Dreamland) or really closed. Further, I celebrate the culture of a place where the employees are obviously trained to Look For Yes, not only when they are feeling in a good mood, but every time.

It makes me think about my real estate business. Am I doing enough for my sellers?  Am I asking the right questions to help my buyers whittle down the list?  Am I giving the same pat answers to Lake Martin real estate questions, or am I taking the time to listen to each person‘s wants and needs, every time?

Essentially Green Valley, Catherine’s Market, Oskar’s, and ME, we are all in the same business.  People don’t come to Lake Martin looking for a restaurant, they come looking for a good dining experience.  They also don’t come looking for a realtor or a team or company, they are looking for a waterfront home or lot.  I try to continually remind myself to get out of the way and help them get their turkey Reuben.

PS – I also have to give out some props to Catherine’s Market at Russell Crossroads.  I was there last Thursday.  The tea was better.  The burger was excellent.  It was hand patted and served with fresh fixings.  By the way, it was better than the burger I had that night at home.  I fired up my grill and cooked some patties from a very high end, fancy Dan steak place in Montgomery.  Catherine’s beat mine, no questions asked.  That’s hard for me to admit as a prideful griller.  Plus, I ran into Scott Goslin at Catherine’s.  He is doing a great job there and was extremely hospitable.  Scott knows me and my family and how cheap we are, so he will appreciate it when I say that I now realize that Catherine’s can make a better burger, for less money, than I can for myself.