Legends Diner in Texas has a new surcharge: $50 – If I have to explain why masks are mandatory. It increases to $75 if owner Wayne LaCombe has to hear why you disagree.

The sign in Denton is creating quite a stir. One customer bristled at the “tongue in cheek” effort. He didn’t trust a restaurant owner-manager to give him medical advice. That’s when Wayne’s wife Kat jumped in on Facebook to call him out:

“Patrick Horalek this is Kat, owner of Legends Diner. I do have a Medical degree. 28 years as a Registered Nurse, specializing in Oncology. Also, 5 years teaching nursing. With my background in healthcare, I feel that we are doing the right thing. At the restaurant, we comply with city and state mandates. But some things must be done without someone telling you to… All we ask is that customers wear a mask as they walk past another person that is eating and not wearing a mask. Sure doesn’t seem like a lot to ask…but apparently it is. I with my husband try to protect and respect the people who come to our restaurant. … No one wants this world to get back to normal more than small business owners.

Takeaway – The customer always has the right to be heard, but it might cost them a little extra.

Bad service or smart marketing?

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Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

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