Ken Bott is the definition of an expert in customer loyalty. Having worked for top brands such as Darden Restaurants, Bloomin’ Brands, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), and Continental Airlines, Ken has perfected his approach to developing strategies, organizations, and integrated marketing plans, focused on driving the bottom line. How does Ken do it? By not losing sight of the guest experience.

What is the most important aspect of the guest experience nowadays?

“That one-to-one connection. It’s the relevance and timeliness of messaging the guest. The ability to recover gracefully. People are forgiving of your brand, if they like you, especially if you go the extra mile to reach out to them; fast, efficiently, and over the top . . .

. . .And then there’s an opportunity for you to have the guest come back again by doing so.”

What successful strategies and tactics have you seen/tried?

“Taking advantage of new technology to really build on and amplify the brand experience . . .

. . .the other thing that we’ve had success with is allowing more choices. That includes the flexibility of rewards, flexibility in the experience, flexibility about how we’re addressing the issues that we’ve had and getting back to the guest.“

Who deserves an Ovation?

The brands that know themselves.

1.) Texas Roadhouse

” You know exactly what you’re going to get there, the service experience. If you’re going there you feel comfortable. They make you feel at home.”

2.) Raising Cane’s

“Very simple menu that has not changed at all and they hit a home run pretty consistently. Moreover, their ethos is grounded in being part of the community.”

3.) Shake Shack

“They kill it with their burgers and with the consistency.Obviously, the advocacy is there.”