· It's convenient and close. All of these answers define a possible brand space in which a particular restaurant might wish to operate: convenience, good value for the money, a friendly environment, a place to meet your friends. If you study the responses, you'll see that many have an emotional component to them. And most also imply that the diner has visited this restaurant several times. Intended versus perceived branding Brand experts say that brands belong to the public, that they are what custom-ers think about us. We can tell the public through advertising that we are friendly, clean and offer good value for the money. But the public has to form that conclusion them-selves— through their own experience—to become regular, loyal customers. Branding starts when organizations de-fi ne their brands and then attempt to deliver the promises that are implied with the brand. Ultimately, however, it is through use and experience that the true brand or reputation is formed. By asking your regular custom-ers You'll learn what the public thinks both about your brand and how you deliver it. If they point out things that you had no idea you were delivering, it's time to notice them and perhaps start enhancing those attributes. There may be something that the public knows about your brand but about which you don't have a clue. why they keep coming back, you'll have access to some very inexpensive research. For example, if your customers tell you that they like coming to your place because they feel connected while there, it might be a good idea to look at how you make that happen. Those small round tables might be contributing to people sitting, snacking and talking. It might be the banter you and your staff engage in that enhances the feeling of connectedness. Then again, it might be the way you put out the extras such as napkins, ketchup, or sugar packets. Discovering customer preferences You're never going to see your place the way your customers see it. Asking customers why they return will give you answers that you simply cannot predict, which is what you get with a set of three or four choices on a feedback card. So you defi nitely should ask them what they like, and be sure to invite your staff to ask your customers as well. It gives staff something real to talk about with customers. They can put it this way: "Hey, I notice you come here quite a bit. We're trying to learn as much about our customers as possible. What is it that makes you come back? Maybe we can make it even better for you." Then be sure to discuss the responses with your staff in whatever type of preshift meetings you hold with them. A couple of things will hap-pen. Your staff will become aware of repeat customers and feel more engaged with them. They'll also feel more responsible for getting them to come back. One more thing: Use language that eval-uates your service based on whether the ser-vice delivers your brand promises. I strongly recommend using the terms "on-brand" and "off-brand." It's very easy language to use. These terms get rid of judgments about good and bad service. And the use of this language will position service in your employees' minds in a completely different way than if they evaluate their relationships with cus-tomers as being good or bad. If you do this, your staff will begin to understand that you are serious about creat-ing a defi ned experience—a brand experi ence—for your customers that is clear and repeatable. Remember, brands are largely formed based on customer experiences. The best way to reinforce the positive parts of that experience is to repeat them over and over again. Relating through Personal Experience Ask me why I like flying United Airlines, and I will tell you I like its safety record. I like the way its pilots kiss the tarmac when they land those big jets; they don't drop their planes on the landing. And the United staff—every once in a while they treat me magnifi cently. The rest of the time, I just feel at home in their airplanes, treated largely with respect and friendliness—and as an insider. United cabin crews tell me about their business. I feel I am a part of it. My rea-sons for being a United fan are largely emo-tional, and they aren't diffi cult for United personnel to deliver over and over again. Most of the books written about strong brands recommend elaborate pro cesses to survey customers and complicated service delivery strategies in order to gain enviable brand loyalty. My own experience is that informal conversation with specifi c questions being asked will get you some surprising answers and a high degree of engagement. As you do more of this type of "partnership" questioning with your customers, you can begin to form the type of almost cult-like brand relationships that some companies enjoy. And they'll never say, "I keep coming back because I'm not dead yet!" The writer is co-author of "Branded Customer Service: The New Competitive Edge."