Allen Stern has posted an interesting entry on his blog at CenterNetworks, entitled “Will you eat where the rats are? How long do we hold a grudge?”.

Notwithstanding that we shouldn’t be eating at unhealthy trans fat friendly establishments, as a restaurateur I know this is a nightmare that could happen to anybody in the food service business. The real test of a good business person when it comes to something like this is:

1. Did they do all they could’ve to prevent this?
2. Can they REALLY solve this problem?
3. Do they have the balls to do the right thing now?

Let’s assume that the owner/management at this lovely eatery did all they could’ve to address this situation (it’s better to give them the benefit of the doubt). Now we have to determine if they can REALLY solve this problem? But what does it mean to REALLY solve this problem?

Putting mouse traps out does not solve the problem (and I’m not sure if it is really humane to do so but that’s a issue for another day). If they get rid of them, can they ensure that they rid them permanently? What’s to prevent the rats from going a few stores down and hanging out until everything is settled and then heading back home?

If they could successfully get rid of them and ensure that they would not come back, then I would renovate the store, make it much nicer and better inside, open up the kitchen to let everybody inspect it and give out free food… this, IMHO is THE only way to earn back the trust of your patrons. I would also give the early visitors a bunch of 2 for 1 coupons to entice them to come back. Then, I would work day and night to get the press in and have them do a thorough check, etc. It’s going to be a lot of work, but then who ever said success was easy?

But, my take is that they can not get rid of them. It looks like the area is infested with rats and there really is nothing that can be done about it… at least not that the owner/management can control. To get rid of these unwanted guests, in a situation like this, you need a bigger and more concerted effort. One that requires the city, and all the neighbors and will take months if not years.

So it leaves us to the last question “Do they really have the balls to do the right thing now?” The right thing in this scenario is to shut down operations. Take the loss, hand over the business to somebody that can make something of it….. maybe a business that can manage with rats around. Maybe a business like some of the others in the neighborhood that don’t handle food?

So now we sit and wait… to see what the owner/management will do. But as business people, we can learn a valuable lesson from this: Perception is much bigger than reality. You can’t control perception, but you can influence it. Just do the right thing and it will all wash out in the end.