The GA Pig is a log cabin, yes, a real log cabin, just off of Interstate 95 in Brunswick, GA on route 17.  The Pig is known far and wide for its bar-b-q, as well as it’s down home ambiance.  If you doubt me, check out the license plates in the parking lot, er, the grass next to the building.  They are from all over the east coast and beyond.  One of our sales staff was at a meeting in Florida and the subject of restaurants came up.  Our staffer mentioned the GA Pig, and the other person exclaimed, “The GA Pig!  That’s my favorite road food spot!” 

I have been to the Pig at least 10 times.  The building looks like something out of the Beverly Hillbillies, before they got rich.  Everything looks old, handmade, and charmingly run down.  The staff is fascinating- from the burly man behind the counter with a big meat cleaver, a sure sign of good things to come, to the women who talk about their dysfunctional friends and relatives from the welfare rolls, to the customers that include U.S. senators and wealthy vacationers.  It is a sight to behold!

The food is high quality with a down to earth vibe.  I prefer the freshly hacked pulled pork sandwiches with sweet tea, and banana pudding for dessert.  Next to the original Boston cream pie in downtown Boston, this is the best dessert, a sweet top off to a wonderful BBQ lunch.

This is one spot you have to visit before it’s not there anymore!

Update:  You weren’t fast enough to visit!  The GA Pig apparently closed just recently! Check out what people have to say about it and where to visit instead on Roadfood.com!

Dr. Covey’s Seventh Habit teaches us the importance of self-renewal. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw explains the benefits of maintaining a balanced life, and what happens when we neglect our greatest asset- ourselves. In order to practice the other 6 Habits, we must maintain balance and renewal. Dr. Stephen Covey explains how there are four areas of our life that need consistent, balanced renewal and offers examples for how to maintain them:

1. Physical:   Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting
2. Social/Emotional:   Making social and meaningful connections with others
3. Mental:   Learning, reading, writing, and teaching
4. Spiritual:   Spending time in  nature, expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, or service

The idea is that something that doesn’t grow becomes stagnant. Anything stagnant cannot be highly effective. In nature, plants and animals have a maintenance instinct that is automatic. A flower grows toward direct sunlight, and its roots expand to find water. Though we, as humans, have basic instincts to survive, we could use some help with balance and maintenance. And the more complex life gets with technology, work, food choices, and temptations, self-renewal is more important than ever to stay on track, maintain balance, and be effective.

This same idea holds true for any business or organization as well. Dr. Covey relates the four areas of self-renewal to those of an organization that need to be sharpened consistently, at risk of also becoming stagnant:

1. Economics
2. Recognition, development, & use of talent
3. Human relations
4. Organizational integrity

An organization will suffer if only one or two of these areas are renewed. It is important for every area to be given equal focus and time for growth. At MSN, we hold monthly management meetings and review every area. Through our discussions, we strive to maintain balance between these areas and communicate openly about any ways in which we can “Sharpen the Saw.”

We thank you for following along with our book club as we reviewed one of the 7 Habits each week in Dr. Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. As it has been very informative and helpful to us, we hope that you have learned a few things to practice that will allow your organization to flourish and rise to a new level of effectiveness.

“It is not your customer’s job to remember you. It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t have the chance to forget you.”

- Patricia Fripp, award-winning business presentation expert

You could do an internet search of tips on customer service and read article after article on ways to improve your processes, but the core is simple—know your customers! Every organization has a target market, but sometimes they miss the mark (no pun intended!) on figuring out who it is. Check out these tips from What Is Good Customer Service? from desk.com, written by Thom Holland, co-founder and CEO of Beckon:

1. Start by targeting the right customer.  Don’t miss the mark on this one! Be very specific in targeting the right market and getting to know every single thing you can about who will be your loyal customers. You can do this by identifying the demand, understanding the trends, and developing customer personae.
2. Give your customer only what they want.  If you have loyal customers, they stay with you because they are happy with your current offering and it meets their specific needs. Remember that sometimes change is not accepted well, even with best intentions. Don’t try to sell something new to your customers unless you are sure it will add value, and most importantly, that it’s something they would want.
3. Create business processes that continually improve.  Your organization must be able to deliver consistent results to your customers to maintain satisfaction and loyalty. These processes must be repeatable and continually improve in performance. Make sure every process is measurable and use appropriate metrics to measure them.
4. Make communication easy for your customer.  At some point, every loyal customer will want to communicate with you. Make it as simple as possible and you will keep them satisfied. When considering what processes to put in place, consider response & resolution time, preferred communication channels, and your top performing agents.

Make sure to read his full article HERE. Remember that providing good customer service starts with knowing your customer. Take the time to do this—remember that there can be no business if there are no customers!

Are you California Dreaming down south?  No problem!  I ate at this wonderful restaurant in Duluth, GA last week with former customer, friend, baseball fan, and Atlanta Braves Baseball Chaplain Jay McSwain.  While the restaurant name escapes me given its exclusively southern locations, Jay’s recommendation of this location for lunch gave me the best and biggest salad I have found with quick and excellent service. 

The namesake California Dreaming salad is loaded: mixed greens, shredded ham and turkey, cheddar and monterey jack cheese, chopped eggs, tomatoes, and toasted almonds topped with warm Hormel ham and bacon.  Better for you than last week’s cheddar burger post, but probably ten times the size. 

The food was very fresh, the atmosphere was very upscale, and I would return often when given the chance.  One of my band in college’s favorite cover tunes, it also makes a ten out of ten score for a restaurant with multiple locations.  California Dreaming is big enough to have gotten it right, but not yet so big that the food tastes like chain food.