250 replies to this topic

[DickeysFolsom]

I don't think you deserve to be flamed, but I disagree with the sentiment. It's not about the expectations of just people of Folsom, nor is it about the buyer being perfect or holier than thou. It is about a business wanting consumers to spend their hard earned money in their establishment and what the consumer expects in return.

In the restaurant biz, or most businesses for that matter, it's so competetive, and people have less time and money to spend, so they want the best experiences possible. That doesn't mean that they expect their butts kissed and given free champagne and caviar when they order a brisket sandwich, but they/we do expect good value and service delivered by courteous employees.

You can have the best food in the world, but if the service isn't good, or the place is dirty, it will be a turn-off. First impressions can be the last.

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect speed, cleanliness and courtesy.

I know that I've failed to make a good first impression a time or two in my business (and elsewhere) and it cost me. I couldn't be mad at the customer for my failure to meet their expectations or the standards they and my competitors had. I had to improve. I'm still trying to.

I am looking forward to trying Dickey's. I love barbecue, even though I can't eat it as much as I'd like to, and I'll have reasonable expectations; that I get good food and prompt service from courteous employees in a clean environment.

Is that too much to ask, even for a new restaurant?

And to Dickey's, welcome to myfolsom.com, although some of us may complain a bit too much, we really are a supportive bunch and really want local businesses to succeed. I'll do my part by trying you out and will recommend the place to others if my experience is a good one.

Hi Steve

Thanks for the welcome. As you can imagine we really tried so hard over Memorial weekend when most of these good folks visited. We simply got swamped - most people thought the food was wonderful and worth the wait and I honestly did not get any complaints from anyone. We don't actually put napkins on the beverage bar, we put kitchen towels on each table and I believe we were very proactive in ensuring they did not run low. The tables were bussed regularly - and I did it myself a great deal.

In regard to meeting a customer's expectations - it is always possible to fail, meet or exceed them dependant upon who the customer is - because we all have different expectations. Some people like to complain at the smallest of things, others have a high tolerance for poor customer service. When I first thought about opening a Dickey's I was warned that it would not be easy and some people would complain no matter what, others would be supportive and welcoming. Fortunately there are more of the latter than the former. It is hard though not to take it personally. Over the whole weekend no one was solicited for tips, no tipline on the credit card receipts, no tip jar at the register. The staff worked hard and I believe gave great service in the knowledge that it wasn't going to earn them a dime more. A customer actually insisted on bringing up a yellow cup and asking us to write the word tips on it so that she could leave her appreciation.

99% of people that visited loved the food. Many brought their friends the next day, and those friends in turn brought their own friends. We have seen the same faces 5 days in a row and a lot of appreciation of what we are trying to do. We have seen people who had finished their meal telling those in line that it was so worth the wait. I am really sorry that some people don't enjoy our restaurant, it saddens me, but this is the Land of the Free and perhaps the lines will be shorter if they don't return, it gives me the opportunity to serve those who like us that much quicker :-)

I am truly appreciative of all the people who came and supported us, and who continue to come back again and again. And I am sorry if I did not please everyone, but I can say hand on heart that we really tried and will keep on trying.

Best regards

Ray

[DickeysFolsom]

I would give a bit of grace to a new restaurant, but at the same time, one should not open until one is ready. This is why many places go through dry runs, test runs and soft openings, so they can get a feel for running the place.

Another option would be to acknowledge what's going on and make up for it by giving something extra, perhaps something along the lines of 'thanks for your patience while we work the kinks out, have a free (side, or desert or discount coupon for future visit) on us.

Otherwise, some people will give them only that one chance and never go back.

Speed, courtesy and cleanliness are as important as quality and price.

If the owner wants to stay in business, the owner wants feedback. I give, receive and value feedback, and if I owned Dickey's, I would appreciate asbestoshills comments and use them to improve my business.

Well what you don't know sir is that we actually gave away 100 free pulled pork sandwiches to the first customers in line. We also gave away over 500 free sandwich cards, free sodas, and as always our soft serve and pickles are always free. some 25 % of the food we served on day 1 and two was not paid for by the visiting public. Perhaps we should not have done that and then those who came for a free lunch would not have lengthened the lines!
Damned if you do - damned if you don't :-)

[Steve Heard]

Hey Ray, keep in mind that I have no compliments or complaints about the restaurant as I haven't been there. I was just responding to those who suggested it was wrong to give feedback, or to have high expectations because the restaurant was new.

Based on the fact that you have the guts to come on the forum and talk about it without getting defensive wins you points in the community.

By the way, we're having a company rib and chicken cookoff tomorrow afternoon behind our offices at 2365 Iron Point. It's not a huge event but all in attendance will be barbecue fans. Feel free to stop by and try some of our stuff, and bring flyers or sample menus. If you can't make it but would like me to put some flyers or menus out I'd be happy to.

[DickeysFolsom]

Great article in the Folsom Telegraph today. Nice to see Dickey's getting this exposure, although I wish the photographer had taken a photo of a table full of food instead of a nice family who had evidently already finished eating. LOL



By the way, can one of the moderators please put the apostrophe in "Dickey's" in the name of this thread so it comes up when people search for it correctly.

I agree the photo could have been better! Thanks for being a fan - it means a lot to me.

Ray

[DickeysFolsom]

Hey Ray, keep in mind that I have no compliments or complaints about the restaurant as I haven't been there. I was just responding to those who suggested it was wrong to give feedback, or to have high expectations because the restaurant was new.

Based on the fact that you have the guts to come on the forum and talk about it without getting defensive wins you points in the community.

By the way, we're having a company rib and chicken cookoff tomorrow afternoon behind our offices at 2365 Iron Point. It's not a huge event but all in attendance will be barbecue fans. Feel free to stop by and try some of our stuff, and bring flyers or sample menus. If you can't make it but would like me to put some flyers or menus out I'd be happy to.

Thanks for the invite Steve! What time is the event?
I am always happy to get feedback - it is how we grow and improve. I actually had to answer a complaint this morning - Customer was not happy because we don't serve tri-tip. :-) Dickey's control that one, not me - but they still put it as a bad mark against me. You may be interested to know that Dickey's monitors all comments good or bad and we get a real good slapping if any negative ones come in - even if they are beyond our control!

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

Thanks for the invite Steve! What time is the event?
I am always happy to get feedback - it is how we grow and improve. I actually had to answer a complaint this morning - Customer was not happy because we don't serve tri-tip. :-) Dickey's control that one, not me - but they still put it as a bad mark against me. You may be interested to know that Dickey's monitors all comments good or bad and we get a real good slapping if any negative ones come in - even if they are beyond our control!

This is a good reminder for those of us who are impressed with the restaurant to provide reviews. Too often people only comment when they've had a negative experience.

Dickey's is going to do well in Folsom. The food is good and the management cares! I have confidence you'll work out the kinks. And as was pointed out before, the wait in line was still shorter than the wait would be to be served at a table.

[DickeysFolsom]

Thanks for your response, Ray. I think the menu and its explanation is the problem, and the staff was too new to explain it properly. The only way to get the Polish sausage sandwich on a long bun is to get the Westerner, and as opposed to the menu's description of getting "two meats" we're getting a double portion of sausage... correct? And to get a single portion the sausage has to be sliced up to fit in a round bun...??? Odd -- but I think I get it.
The other thing the staffer couldn't answer for me (and I didn't press the issue because I had already held up the line)... is what exactly is the jalapeno beans? What kinds of beans? How spicy is this?



How crowded have you been for the lunch hour?




Thanks again! I wish you the best and will be back.

The other thing the staffer couldn't answer for me (and I didn't press the issue because I had already held up the line)... is what exactly is the jalapeno beans? What kinds of beans? How spicy is this?

Ray - Please just ask for a taster of any of the sides. The staff will be happy to accommodate you. The jalapeno beans are pinto beans in a tomato based sauce with a mixture of different herbs and spices. The jalapeno is ground so that you don't get a surprise chunk of heat. We also have ingredient lists for all the items that we serve so you can see for yourself. What is very spicy to someone is only mildly spicy to someone else, so the only way to tell is to have a small spoonful :-) If you want to try anything just find me and we will sit down for a tasting session!

How crowded have you been for the lunch hour?

Ray - It has been busy - but the lines are much quicker as the staff get familiar with the menu and the food prep.

See you very soon!

Ray

[keyplayer]

Had a great sandwich today with the Texas chopped brisket! The help was faster than I was making up my mind about what to have. The line was steady but not backed up, it was late lunch, after 1:30. I'll be going back.

[DickeysFolsom]

To The Owners of Dickey's:
Things to help your business:
1:Epedite faster! The two times we were there, granted it's a new place and you had more traffic then you will in the future, but there were issues with the line. While the preparers were timely, the cashiers had trouble ringing up both times I was there and really held up the line with no apology. There seemed to be confused employees both times. Think lunch rush and think timeliness-people have to go back to work and will not eat here if they can't get in and out quickly. This is why La Bou and all the fast food places do well.
2:Both times the station with napkins, sauce and pickle wrappers needed tending. Clean and tidy and well stocked (Chic fil a) does an excellent job of expediting and keeping stations well stocked and clean.
3: Your prices aren't the cheapest, which is fine as long as the quality is consistent. This means nice friendly employees (one time when I went the clerk didn't even hand me my to go order, so I had to grab it from the counter)
4:Have someone cleaning the tables and just greeting customers.
5: Your business is a niche and should do well in Folsom as long as you do the above.

Thank you for your constructive criticism. My responses

1We did indeed have staff on register that were unfamiliar with the system. Although we had five days training, people do get flustered when faced with a long line of hungry people and this tends to lead to ringing errors if they move too quickly. I believe that the cashiers are now proficient and you should see a significant improvement in the time from block to register.
I am sorry that the cashier did not provide the right level of service to you. I will be watching them closely and will provide further training as appropriate.

2. Am I right in thinking that you visited on the 1st or 2nd day of opening or perhaps Memorial Day? I hope you forgive us for underestimating the demand for the restaurant and the staffing level required. We believe we have it right now :-)

3. I am somewhat surprised that you think our prices are not the cheapest. Could you perhaps tell me what you are comparing us to? Have you seen the price of a side of ribs (uncooked) in Safeway :-) We are using the best ingredients - quality beef brisket, pork butt and ribs. I think that for this quality of meat as the main ingredient we offer good value for money. Chipotle has far cheaper ingredients (rice, beans, onions, cheaper meat) and is comparable in price. I think that all our meats are better quality and our prices are lower than say Back Forty or Lucille's. Where can you find cheaper pork ribs as good as ours? I need to go! :-)

4. I am sorry this was your experience. I spent a great deal of time doing this myself over the first 4 days so that I could talk to customers and get to know them. It was not my experience that sauces ever ran out - we did run out of pickles on Monday - some people do like to take 6 or 7 because they are free.....whether they eat them or not. We try hard to keep on top of everything - we would clean the ice cream machine one second only to have it completely covered in the stuff the second we leave. I have also cleaned barbecue sauce off the walls, (Lord knows how it got up there!. We will do better!

5. We run very tight on our profit margins in order to keep the prices as low as possible. We are told how many staff we should have on each shift when we first open. This will be adjusted as the weeks go by to ensure optimum levels of customer service while still remaining profitable.

The concept at Dickey's of always cutting the meat in front of the customer can slow the line at times. We could have pots of meat already chopped and sliced but when kept warm this would result in significant deterioration in the quality. The reason people love the meat (moist, tender and flavorful) is because of the way we cook it, it's storage and it's preparation. I have always thought that it would be a great set up to have two people on the meat block and two registers, or even two completely separate lines. This is something we are exploring for the next location.

[DickeysFolsom]

I'm looking forward to trying Dickey's. I was passing by the smokehouse in Cameron Park over the weekend and stopped in for a quick lunch - this kicked started my summer and yearnings for BBQ from the passing winter.

I can only hope that it's true to BBQ roots, whatever style it is, meats, sides and all. I would not want any 'California-ization' at all and hope it stays outside the walls of Dickey's. If there is a side of fruit there, it better be in a pie.

I don't believe in moderation, having something for everyone. It's analogous to the saying "if you make a product so simple that even a stupid person could use it, then only a stupid person will use it." Be bold, be unique, be real -- attract real BBQ aficionados. Make a Texan proud.

I don't expect BBQ when I go to Fresh Choice / Sweet Tomatoes. I don't expect salads when I go eat BBQ.

Show me a gorgeous smoke ring in the fork tender brisket or finger pull ribs. Give me some cheesy grits, greens (a little chili vinegar on the side), and beans. A shot of Jack and a frosty mug of Coke. And just let me eat.

Folks, let's give Dickey's a break -- he's been open less than a week. Enjoy the food and tolerate any operational issues -- it's no surprise. If there are still critical operational issues after a month, then feel free to offer some suggestions. The employees are probably still trying to get into a groove. Is any business really perfect from Day 1?

Thank you for your generous and kind words! I look forward to welcoming you to our humble establishment! Come find me and introduce yourself when you do. We have had a lot of Texans stop by and they are already loyal customers. One guy told me that our food made him quite homesick for Dallas and that he would be stopping by at least three times a week. Quite made me tear up :-)

Cheers!

Ray

Had a great sandwich today with the Texas chopped brisket! The help was faster than I was making up my mind about what to have. The line was steady but not backed up, it was late lunch, after 1:30. I'll be going back.

Yay! Glad to hear it :-)
Thank you for your review and your custom.

Ray

[DickeysFolsom]

I tired Dickie's for dinner tonight:

Ribs were moist and fall off the bone as advertised.
The original flavor BBQ sauce is good, but much thinner than I'm used to for BBQ sauce.
I tried the Virgina Style Ham, it tasted like Ham. Don't know what Virgina Style is supposed to be like.
The BBQ beans were good.
The Jalapeno beans, not so much, at least they didn't fancy my tastebuds.
I agree, the green beans are overcooked IMO, if that is how they are supposed to be, then I won't get them again.

My favorites are the BBQ beans..we cook them in the smoker under the ribs so that the juices drop into the pan...yum.. I also love the Mac'n'cheese and Baked Potato Casserole.
I will be honest and say I am not a fan of the green beans either (eek did I really say that?) even though Brits are supposed to boil every green vegetable until it is gray :-) I lobbied Dickey's today to add sweet potato and greens to the menu... we will see where that goes....

Thanks so much for your custom and review

Ray

[DickeysFolsom]

I noticed that too and immediately put up a good review (right after powering through a 2 meat plate and enjoying every bite). Yelp has a lot of influence over a restaurant's business these days. When I find a good restaurant, particularly one here in town, I make it a point to put up a positive review because I want the business to thrive here.

I use Yelp extensively to find good restaurants when I travel, and have never had a bad meal as a result. But I don't just look at number of stars. I look at how many reviews, and I also pay attention to what the good reviews and bad reviews actually say. I tell friends to do the same. It took me all of 5 seconds to see that Jeff K was just inventing crap to bash you. A meaningful negative review would actually say something of substance, and there would be other people agreeing with him. Oh well, there are always a few people like this out there I guess. I suspect his review will very quickly be drowned out.

Thanks so much for your support. It really does mean a lot to me and my wife. We have invested everything in this business and careless, thoughtless and spiteful remarks can do so much damage. It would not be so bad if there were any truth in it!

Cheers

Ray

[4thgenFolsomite]

okay, I've had the turkey breast, the brisket and the pulled pork. all were excellent. ribs are next! the baked beans and coleslaw are both so good, I can't make myself move on to any other sides! and the original dickey's sauce is fantastic.

Ray and crew, you are doing a FANTASTIC job! I imagine you haven't had much sleep. I have to say your crew has been thoroughly professional every time I've stopped in and I could see they were working hard under the watchful eye of a Dickey's trainer.

be seeing you soon! I'm also bringing some displaced Texans in the next few weeks, since I've been raving about your restaurant. They can't wait to check out the smoke ring!

[Steve Heard]

Thanks for the invite Steve! What time is the event?
I am always happy to get feedback - it is how we grow and improve. I actually had to answer a complaint this morning - Customer was not happy because we don't serve tri-tip. :-) Dickey's control that one, not me - but they still put it as a bad mark against me. You may be interested to know that Dickey's monitors all comments good or bad and we get a real good slapping if any negative ones come in - even if they are beyond our control!

430pm, 2365 Iron Point Rd @ Broadstone, out in the back parking lot. I'll be there.

As for the green beans, I grew up eating them boiled 'til dead with onions and bacon. It's the Southern way.

[eVader]

Had to try Dickey's for lunch today and overall - I will be back!

Their food is really good (pork ribs and beef brisket), good smoke, nice cuts and of course that nice smoke ring. The original sauce was good but thin for my preference (not looking for out of a bottle pour but...). The menu has many options and I found it pretty easy to order (1 meat, 2 meat, rib plate and a quarter plate) but agree the sandwiches could be confusing on first visit.

There are areas for improvement however while there was a wait today, I don't think it took more than 20 mins to get through the line. Once they get into the groove (and it sounds like they have already improved), I bet they will do very well.