how branding myself made pizza ordering easier

By Jason Sherrill
Posted on May 21, 2007

I usually eat pizza two or three times per week, always from the same pizzeria. My order is always the same: a large, round deluxe, pickup. Every time I call in an order, I go through the same routine. Hundreds of pizzas later, and it's still the same.

After calling in an order last month, I wondered, "Why don't they recognize my voice by now?" Why can't I just call and say, "This is Jason, I'm ordering my usual." They always recognize me when I walk into the pizzeria, but never when I call. I tested a theory last month, and today I proved the theory true. Now when I call, they recognize me immediately and ask, "The usual?" Let me tell you how I did it.

My pizza ordering routine goes like this:

Pizza Person: "Hello, [pizza joint's name], this is [person's name], how can I help you?"

Me: "I'd like to place an order for pickup, please."

Pizza Person: "Ok, go ahead."

Me: "I'd like a round large deluxe."

Pizza Person: "Would you like anything else with that?"

Me: "No, that's it."

Pizza Person: "Could I have your name?"

Me: "Jason"

Pizza Person: "Could I have your telephone number"

Me: "810-555-5555"

Pizza Person: "Ok, that's one round large deluxe. That'll be $12.18. Give us about 15 minutes."

My name is Jason, just like thousands of other people in metro Detroit. There's nothing unique about someone named Jason ordering a pizza. On several occasions, I've had to tell them my name and my phone number when picking up my pizza because they had orders from multiple Jasons at the same time.

The pizza joint I order from is about 1/2 way between my office and my home (roughly 12 miles from my house). There are at least six pizzerias closer to home, but I like this particular pizza joint the best. But since it's so far from Almont - that's where I live -, they get very few orders from people in Amont.

Last month, I changed how I order my pizzas. I still order the same pizza, but the conversation goes like this now:

Pizza Person: "Hello, [pizza joint's name], this is [person's name], how can I help you?"

Me: "Hi, this is Jason from Almont."

Pizza Person: "Hi, Jason. Round large deluxe for pickup?"

Me: "You've got it."

Pizza Person: "Ok, we'll see you in 15 minutes."

Last month, I was just another Jason to the pizza joint staff. But by branding, or differentiating, myself from the other Jasons who order from my pizza joint, I've made myself memorable. Marketing your business online is not much different. Unless your visitors see something unique about your website, your message or your products, you're forgettable. You'll have a hard time becoming the first name they think of when customers need your services.

A useful exercise to evaluate your website content is to substitute your competition's name in your key positioning statements. If your message applies equally well to your competition, then you're probably not memorable. For example, if your website says "XYZ Company provides the best customer service in the Tri-County area", replace XYZ Company with "ABC Company" and see if the statement still holds true.

"Best customer service" is a sujective term. The person receiving the service judges whether it meets his criteria as "best", regardless of your claims. Perhaps your measure of "best customer service" is answering your telephone 24/7/365. If that's the case, then instead say "XYZ Company is the only screen printer in the Tri-County area that you can reach 24/7/365." If ABC Company can't make that claim, then you've successfully differentiated yourself. The next time your customer needs screen printing services at 3:00 a.m., he's more likely to think of XYZ Company than any of your competitors.

Side note: I think my pizzas have more plentiful toppings now that they recognize me when I place the order. :)