How to build trust and loyalty in tough times

The Aquinnah Shop Restaurant, which sits at the west tip of Martha‘s Vineyard, boasts great food and a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean, particularly at sunset. Locals and vacationers have been flocking to the casual restaurant to enjoy the blackened bluefish sandwiches, spicy shrimp and hand-cut onion rings for nearly 80 years. But this year the restaurant couldn’t hire enough staff at its remote location to offer full table service.

Rather than disappoint customers who would have to wait an unreasonable amount of time for their food, management decided to eliminate wait staff and stop taking reservations. Instead, diners now order food online or at the counter and bring it to their tables on a first-come, first-served basis. A message on the restaurant’s website states, “We hope that this small change will allow us to continue serving our customers by offering great food and a breathtaking view! We are grateful for your business and appreciate your understanding.”

I learned about the Aquinnah Shop Restaurant from my friend Susan Silk, an island resident who recently visited with a group of her friends. She was impressed with the restaurant’s honesty in setting expectations for customers. “I was struck by how brilliant it was — almost everywhere else they were pretending that everything is normal. I was perfectly happy picking up a bag at the counter, and they found a way to keep their business vibrant,” Silk said.

Whether you’re running a small business or a Fortune 500 company, the management lesson is the same: your customers — and your employees — deserve to be told the truth, even if it’s bad news. Not only does that build trust, it also fosters loyalty.

According to restaurant manager Tipaphai Nirandone, it now employs seven people, compared to 22 when it offered full wait service. The volume of customers has remained the same as in past years.

“At first I was nervous people weren’t going to like it; they were used to table service,” Nirandone said. “But everyone is happy that we’re open. They say really nice things when they leave — and we’re happy to hear that.”