'Restaurant Stakeout' star to present keynote at IGC East

Willie Degel, renowned restaurateur and star of Food Network's popular TV series Restaurant Stakeout, will give IGC retailers a customer service wake-up call during his high-energy keynote, "Willie's Secrets to Stellar Customer Service," at IGC East, Aug. 5 to 7 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at his proven strategies for instilling a consistent culture of service excellence that yields returns in customer loyalty and long-term sales success.

How do independent garden centers provide the customer service that's critical in setting their stores apart from the boxes to draw new customers and assure repeat business? Round-the-clock scrutiny of staff performance is key, Degel says. As the owner of Uncle Jack's Steakhouse, with three locations in New York City, Degel canvasses his restaurants with hidden cameras to keep an eye on his staff's performance. During Restaurant Stakeout, he takes the cameras on the road and shows challenged restaurants how their employees act when management isn't in sight, and how it affects the way their customers see their businesses. What he finds will jolt any garden center owner to action.

Additional keynotes for IGC Chicago and IGC East will be announced soon.

For more information about IGC Chicago and IGC East and to register, visit www.IGCshow.com.

Photo courtesy of the IGC Show.