It was brought to my attention this evening that a certain company wants to start using a texting service to draw more customers into restaurants. The idea is that you every time a restaurant has extra food, it sends out a text message its audience for a sale of that food to get rid of it for a discounted price as opposed to just have to throw it out.

Now, this is something that is already possible with Twitter for free. Twitter can be accessed by both computer and cell phone. So, if a restaurant can already do this for free, why set up a service to do it, charge $1,000 to set up the service and $200/month to maintain it?

Well, here's one problem? Suppose you do not want folks seeing your message online? With Twitter, all tweets are normally viewed online.

Here's another problem. How's the restaurant supposed to get news of a special offering to the company that is providing this service? Should a restaurant send an email? Should it pick up the phone and leave a voicemail message?

How should the restaurant message be sent to its opt-in audience voice-mail or text message?

I think the coolest way to do it would be via voicemail that is forwarded from the restaurant to the cell phone client. I think the voice of the restaurant chef or owner is important as a means of "branding" the announcement. I think Pamela Systems can do this. I am not sure that Jott can forward someone else's voicemail message. But, I intend to find out.

Due to the need for considerable bandwidth - you have hundreds of restaurants each with hundreds or more customers - is this something that will require "cloud computing?"

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

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Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

You are creating a restaurant system. Does that mean the system works on a per restaurant basis? If so, my question is coming from a third-party perspective. It's not the restaurant that really does the work - with the possible exception of a phone call from the restaurant chef (for the purpose of branding) - it's the third party. The third party handles all of the data.

I understand that there are doctors and dentists who use cell phones to notify their patients when it's time to come for an appointment. Patients receive a text message on the cell phone and press "C" on the phone to let the doctor or dentist know they will be coming for the appointment. Perhaps this could be applied to a restaurant scenario. A restaurant has left-over food. They prefer to sell it at a discount before it goes bad. So, a message goes out to all the double opt-in fans of the restaurant to "come and get it."

Is this even being done successfully in the restaurant world? I really do not know.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

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Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

@Lamar. .... Text certainly can be used to fill facilities.

A Restaurant can easily fill seats on short notice .... (Although not my first choice for a restaurant;   The street eats vendors in NYC are using Twitter hang on to their customers when they've changed location).

A restaurant that isn't using cheap technology to nurture their business is snoozing and will soon awaken to discover that someone who is will have stolen their business.

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Teddy,

A friend referred me to this site - Foursquare.com. This is based in New York City, but it is also in major cities all around the world - including San Francisco. This is not a Twitter app, but the site does have a Twitter site.

I cannot figure for the life of me what the name, Foursquare, has to do with the service. Or, why they feature bowlers. Makes no sense to me. But, what does fascinate me is that they have found a way to attract traffic to restaurants using online social media site together with offline tools - like a big dry erase message board outside a restaurant.

Be sure to check out "the mayor" idea and share your thoughts. For all I know, Foursquare may be operating right there in Toronto.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901