UNITED KINGDOM: Restaurant chain Pizza Express has engaged a communications expert to teach staff the art of seductive conversation

Record ID: 830596

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Restaurant chain Pizza Express has engaged a communications expert to teach staff the art of seductive conversation
  • Date: 14th December 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) MALE DINER, SAYING "For me good food and reasonable service is more of a priority. But other people enjoy the communication and whole experience so I guess it is worth while." HAND OF MALE DINER PUSHING ATTENTION BUTTON
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom, United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA6HN5E0UYU6M40RFY9L325KF8D
  • Story Text: A British pizza chain is teaching its staff the art of seductive conversation, it says, to make them more relaxed.
    Many of the restaurant chain's young staff are experts at social networking via the internet but some aren't so hot on face to face chat.
    Pizza Express have recruited communications expert Karl James to run a series of workshops teaching staff like Ruth Minkley the art of conversation. "It's about contacting people, you know really being with them and so lots of the skills we've been talking about describing things really well, listening to people. These are quite seductive things to do to people, we're not doing them because they're seductive, we're doing them because we're interested, genuinely interested in the individuals that walk in here." says James.
    He says it's also important to strike a balance. "When you walk into a restaurant if you're greeted like you're a long lost member of the family that might be a bit too much particularly if you're British so actually some of the well intentioned hello hello hello welcome, it's like whoa too much too much, give me some time, so we talk about navigating, stepping in and stepping out of the conversation. There are times when its best to leave people alone." James added.
    With austerity measures being introduced in the new year attracting - and keeping - customers is crucial.
    So Pizza Express is investing in new ways to keep ahead of the competition.
    "We're trying out lot's of different things here so we're trying out acoustics to try and take the noise out, we've got these acoustic parobolic's where you can sit under a very tightly controlled space so we're taking noise out of the dining occasion." says marketing manager Emma Woods.
    "It's absolutely important for the whole overall experience. You wouldn't go back anywhere you had a bad experience from before," said a diner.
    "For me good food and reasonable service is more of a priority. But other people enjoy the communication and whole experience. I guess it is worth while," explained another.
    With its new charm offensive, Pizza Express hopes its pushing the right buttons to keep customers coming back for more.
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