5 Brand Experience Lessons from a Brazilian Churrascaria

To celebrate our anniversary, my husband (a big carnivore) and I decided to try our local Fogo de Chão, a southern Brazilian churrascaria. Never having been there, we really didn't know what to expect, except lots of meat.

As soon as we sat down, our waiter, Lupe, began his spiel. He explained how the meal would work: we first visit the salad bar and enjoy ourselves. Then, when we were ready for the parade o' meat, we would flip over our coaster to green and the gauchos/chefs would begin proffering their mouthwatering meats.

Game on.

As he left, he said, "Make yourselves comfortable. This is your house."

It struck me as unusual for a waiter to say, but it made me feel welcome.

The meal was a whirlwind of delicious meats, and we enjoyed every second of the experience. It was unlike any restaurant we'd ever been to, and while I'm not overly fond of chain restaurants, it had an authentic feel that inspired me to take some lessons in brand experience that I'd like to share.

Lesson 1: Make the Guest Feel at Home

Whether it's a churrascaria, a retail store, or an online site, the way a customer feels in your business will determine how much she spends and whether she'll come back or not. Consider a contrasting example: have you ever been in a store that was crowded with merchandise, or where the sales clerk was clearly bothered that you'd interrupted her from checking her Facebook page to ask a question? I'm willing to bet you didn't spend a lot, and you never went back.

Now, that's not the experience you want to provide, is it? No! You want to give the "mi casa es su casa" feel that Lupe did for us. While you don't want your customers camping out in your business, you do want them to feel so at ease that they come back again and again.

Lesson 2: Treat Each Customer Like the First

I am sure that Lupe gets tired of reciting his five-minute introduction to the Fogo de Chão concept dozens of times each night, but he made us feel like we were the first and only people he gave it to. It's a small thing, but it makes a big difference when you and your staff take a refreshed attitude for each and every customer. Even if you're tired from a long day, make that little extra effort to treat every customer like they're your first.

Lesson 3: Keep Happy Employees

I can't say for sure, but I think that the staff of Fogo de Chão are pretty happy with their work. It's obvious when an employee isn't (have you visited McDonald's lately?). But they seemed to take pride in their work and function as a team, rather than competing for tips. Lupe introduced us to the others on his team who would be available to help us, and at one point, when we engaged with Bethany, Lupe took the tray she was carrying so she could better assist us.

Lesson 4: Don't Skimp on Quality

I joked that the restaurant wanted us to fill up on the cheaper salad bar items rather than the costly meat, but in fact, the gauchos were pushing the meat pretty hard. They clearly hadn't been instructed by a skinflint of a manager to slow down on the meat delivery so they'd save profit. While meat is the biggest cost for them, they in no way were ready to pull back when the meat extravaganza was the entire appeal for guests.

Lesson 5: Interact with the Customers

Once we'd turn into overstuffed sloths, the manager came over to check on us. Typically I dislike these conversations as they feel forced, but he seemed genuinely happy that we were happy. Again, it's the little things. He asked us to come back and wished us a happy weekend.

You take a simple thing, like a meal out (replace that with your product or service), and you can elevate it simply by providing the best darn brand experience possible.