Preserve the evidence. Often, if the condiment is already stale or the hotdog is burnt, the first reaction is to throw it to the trash bin. If the rotten food is served, then at the first instance, you need to keep the food intact. Apologize profusely to the customer and provide an add-on to replace the returned food. Keeping the evidence would determine if the concessionaire was at fault or the purchaser deliberately made the food the subject of the consumer complaint.

Get names. Many consumer complaints consist of invectives and raised voices. In order to get to the heart of the matter, you need to ask for the facts and get the names of the complaining customers. By sticking to the facts, you are able to determine where the fault originated and review how it occurred. This removes the emotions behind the issues and keeps everything under control.

Review Processes. This is essential to avoid the repetition of the complaint. In this review, you can find out how the problem occurred and institute the proper measures to prevent problems from arising. These may be as simple as hand washing procedures to as complicated as the proper settings for refrigeration. This closes the whole consumer complaint process and resolves the issues straightaway.

So when a customer comes up to you with a complaint either of the food you have served or the service provided, then you need to preserve the evidence, get names and later on review processes in order to determine fault and prevent its repetition. If you fail to address the complaint, then this can be the straw that may break your financial back in the long run.

Cost. This is one of the primary concerns that a business should always be acutely aware of and be considerate about in the day-to-day operations. The bread delivered to you by your baker suddenly increases in cost, even by cents, can have an exponential effect on your overall revenue. Even the timing of payment has an attendant cost which needs to be computed so that your overall cash flow is not affected. In simpler terms, you need to always be aware of the cost of your inputs and any changes would necessarily affect your final product costing. Since you can’t just increase your prices without losing customers, your profits would eventually suffer. Always be on the lookout for other cheaper suppliers, not only in per item cost, but also be mindful of payment terms (the longer the better), which can certainly help your bottom line.

Quality. This is very important especially if you want to maintain a regular clientele. You need to check the delivered supplies to see if there are short cuts made or any changes in the quality and make-up from the time you originally engaged the business partner. If the quality has changed, then this has an attendant effect on your final product. Quality checks are important to maintain the quality of your hotdog sandwiches offered to the public. Change your supplier at the first sign of deteriorating quality, lest you receive any complaints from your buying public and thus lose business.

Reliability. Another aspect important to your business is the reliability of the product delivered. This includes prompt deliveries and accurate best before tags for the items used in your hotdog stand. Prompt deliveries ensures that your supplies do not run out thus making your food orders complete and of the same quality and quantity. As for the spoilage tags, this needs to be clear and precise because your inventory needs to stay fresh and edible for human consumption over a number of days. Besides, you will lose a lot of revenue if you eventually have to throw these food ingredients to the trash without turning a profit with them.

As you can see, business partnerships, especially in the hot dog concession business need not be permanent. If the cost increases, then you need to find alternative suppliers for your ingredients. Should the quality deteriorate then you need to find better suppliers for your customers. Finally, if the deliveries or the spoilage directions become unreliable, then you would have to bear the brunt of the losses due to these unusable ingredients. Rest assured, there is always some business partner out there ready, willing and able to provide you a product best suited to your hot dog concession needs.

Put up shaded areas. Depending on the model of the hotdog cart that you have, having an umbrella would help give shade and thus allowing a cool area for yourself and your patrons. If you have a larger concession stand, then having awnings would help in providing shade against the glaring sun. Shade would help provide respite against the ultraviolet rays and the increased temperatures.

Hydrate. If there are no shaded areas aside from your umbrella, then the next best way to beat the heat is by keeping hydrated. With the increased heat sources, you need to always have a quick drink to allow your body to produce sweat. This bodily process maintains the body’s internal temperature to allow you to keep cool. As for your clientele, offering drinks with their food is their best defense against being overcome by the heat while outdoors.

Location. Another way to beat the heat is by adjusting the location of your hotdog stand during the different times of the day. You can do this by studying your location compared to the sun’s position in the sky during the business day. Since you have a mobile concession cart, adjusting the position of your cart is key to keeping cool. You do this by having the clientele area away from the sun, allowing your patrons some form of protection against the sun’s glaring rays.

As you can see, the sun need not be a nuisance when doing business out in the open. You can put up shade for your clients while they enjoy your hotdogs. Or you can offer water or other cold beverages to help you and your patrons keep cool while enjoying the sun. As an astute businessman, your clientele’s comfort is of primary importance and since you have a mobile restaurant, adjusting your location according to the sun’s position would certainly help in beating the heat while at the concession stand. Not only would you earn with these simple tips, it would also help in keeping your clientele happy and content.

Families go outdoors. Be it a staycation or an actual travel, many families come out of their homes to enjoy the sun and the outdoors. Since your business is outdoors, being where families go is the way to earn your profits. These include being near beaches or parks, where many families go. Just make sure that you have the proper licenses and permits to operate in these high volume areas during the springtime.

County Fairs and other celebrations. Spring is the time of celebrations. Many county fairs and parades are scheduled around this time. With these celebrations come the crowds to see and enjoy and this is the opportunity for you to earn a lot more. These events often extend well into the night that extends your income opportunities. If winter is the lean season, then springtime is when the torrents of profits roll around.

Springtime is easier. As an outdoor business, you need fair weather to become profitable. Thus sunny days and balmy nights are the best times for your grilling business. You can even expand your selling space by putting out chairs and tables nearby. Deliveries come on time since there won’t be issues, unless there are just too many deliveries. Clients and regulars go out of their way to enjoy and partake of your hotdogs. All in all, springtime is much easier for business in general. This is the time to make hay while the sun shines.

As you can see, for an outdoor entrepreneur, springtime is the best season for business. Families go outdoors and enjoy the weather. It is also the time for county fairs, parades and other celebrations. Finally, doing business is much easier as the weather is much more cooperative. So when springtime comes around, it is best you prepare your hotdog stand for the onrush of business and the profits you would be making.

Checking Sales against Inventory. This will only operate if you already have a system for the start of the day, which is a listing of the day’s cash on hand and inventory available. During the business day, all sales need to be recorded as to volume. At the end of the day, you need to check on the amount in the cash register. Then you need to deduct the start of day’s cash on hand to see how the day’s sales are. Comparing that with the items sold for the day, you need to find out if the amounts and the items balance. Then you find out the amount of inventory available by deducting the items sold (and its components) to see what is needed. With this simple system, you would be able to find out if your business is earning and weed out undesirables from your business, such as waste, rejects and losses.

Checking on Utilities. As you operate your business, you would be using up basic utilities required to prepare your hotdogs. These include fuel, paper products and water. With fuel, you can check on it if you have a gauge or by the weight method. In the weight method, you lift the bottle to see if you need to order a refill. As for water, since it is a necessity for preparing the hotdogs and for washing and cleaning. A simple visual examination would suffice for this. As for paper products, you need to determine the volume needed for a day and see if the projected utilization is at par with the actual use. Remind your staff that they need to observe the quantities when serving in order to keep your costs down after your examination.

Checking on Cleanliness and Storage. One of the important aspects of your business is health safety. Since your business is about food, you need to ensure that what you sell is safe and edible. Safety starts at the end of the day, as you need to ensure that all the nooks and crannies of the food preparation and service areas are spic and span. Food particles left overnight would become hotbeds for microbes and other harmful bacteria that can eventually contaminate your food. Health safety also includes proper storage of food and other implements for your business. If these items are not properly stored, vermin may infect them and cause problems for your business. Finally, waste needs to be properly bagged and disposed of at the end of the day. Leaving trash bags filled with refuse will only cause you problems and the wastewater needs to be properly thrown away in drainage areas.

As you can see, there is still much work to be done at the end of the business day. You need to review the sales and inventory performance for the day to see how healthy your business is coming along. You need to review your utilities so that you would not be left hanging for the next business day. Finally, you need to be sure of the cleanliness of your hot dog concession so that you would not have problems in the long run. Doing this each day would make your weekends unharried and stress free.

The New York Dog. The New York topping includes a smear of hot mustard with a little sauerkraut. There is even a derivative to this, seeing that the region has a special affinity for hotdogs, is the Coney Island style dog. This preparation includes a foot long hotdog with chili, onions and mustard. An option is the inclusion of cheese.

The Chicago Dog. The Chicago style dog has toppings of mustard, pickle relish, onions, chopped tomatoes and banana pepper rings with a siding of dill pickle. The secret ingredient for these kinds of dogs is the sprinkling of celery salt on the toppings.

The Los Angeles Dog. This is the very different taste of LA captured in a hot dog. Often, the toppings include mustard, mayo, grilled onions, and peppers with shot of hot sauce. Some would even include blue cheese crumbles instead of the mustard and mayo combo. For some hard-core dog lovers, there is a topping of jalapeno peppers that can really fire up your palate.

The Southern Dog. Like many things from the South, the basic taste is barbecued. Thus the Southern dog includes a smear of barbeque sauce, shredded cheddar, bacon bits, onions on top of a grilled dog and bread. An option is the inclusion of corn relish over the top for a true Southern dog delight.

The Mexican Dog. The first step here is wrapping your hotdog with bacon and then grilling the hotdog. Then the toppings would be American cheese, diced cucumber and sour cream. You also put in salsa, some diced avocado and some peppers for a truly Mexican flavored dog.

The Pizza Dog. First you fry your dog and then lay it out on the bun. Afterwards, the toppings would be marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, diced green peppers, onions, black olives and pepperoni for a truly pizza flavored sandwich.

These are but some of the famed toppings used for the more popular hotdogs in the market today. You can make your own, so long as you have the palate and imagination to create your hotdogs that would click with your clients.

Listen to the Facts not the Emotion. Since the client would be angry or peeved, you need to listen to what the issue is. Try to keep your calm amidst the emotional outbursts of the customer. Do remember to apologize for the inconvenience and reassure that action would be taken on the complaint.

Action to Take. Once you have obtained all the necessary facts, take the necessary action. If the hotdog needs to be replaced, then replace the item and add on a complimentary item for the inconvenience. Properly note the action taken so that it would be counted in the end of day sales and inventory review of the hot dog business.

Review Processes. Since this problem has come up during the business day, you would need to identify where the problem arose and correct the issue right away. If it is due to employee error, you need to remind the employee of such error and if need be, require further training.

Customer complaints, especially for a small business such as a hotdog concession, can spell doom when word gets around. Thus when a complaint has been made, you need to listen to the facts and not the emotion. Then you need to perform the action that needs be done and then for the long term review processes of the hot dog concession in order to correct the problem and prevent it from recurring. Once these steps have been done, you are now equipped to handle customer complaints at your business.

Overall Look. Having your employees wearing spiffy uniforms would be a great attraction for your clientele. Well-kept and clean uniforms are sure-fire signs of reassuring your customers that your business is professional as well as compliant with health regulations. How your employees groom themselves is also one aspect of the food concession business that would ensure clients returning to purchase your hotdogs. Clean fingernails, hair in a hair net, clean look are but some of the simple ways that your representatives say we are healthy without saying a word.

Respectful Tone. Dealing with customers needs to be consistent, cordial and respectful. After all diners are expecting full on service so having your employees being attentive and courteous to your clientele would surely help in the dining enjoyment. Even if at times that there are irate customers, your employees need to keep their cool and respond to the complaints. This can be done by properly training and guiding your personnel on how to handle customers while on the job.

Cleanliness is Key. Since the hotdog concession cart is located outdoors, you need to keep your food preparation area clean. Always keep the water in the boilers at the right temperature, making sure that the surfaces are clean and free of food particles can ensure the prevention of the proliferation of germs and bacteria. This not only prevents your clients from getting sick, you would remain compliant with health safety regulations in your area.

As you can see, these are but simple steps that would surely reap dividends for your food concession business. In keeping a clean overall look for your employees, you can impart to your clients the comfort that you are preparing safe and clean food. In having training on customer handling, the clients would be courteously served by your employees. Finally, maintaining high standards of cleanliness would also help in keeping your clients safe and healthy with the food you serve. All these would only help your business become better and in the long run, earn profits for you.

Productivity Bonuses. This may make some employers grumble, as this requires some capital outlay on the part of the owner. Do remember that this system only becomes effective when an individual employee exhibits above average performance. The system may include points for attendance, customer feedback, skills testing and overall performance reviews by peers. Once the employee meets the effective criteria, then a small raise would definitely provide incentive for not only the benefiting employee but also other members of your staff to do better on the job.

Career Path Management. It may seem laughable to many that having a career plan for hot dog concession employees in your business. This is a good incentive for individuals as this provides hope to employees in improving not only their skill set but also their overall welfare. This can be done by determining which aspect of your business requires improving skills, such as dishwashing and trash management, food preparation and then counter supervision. Having these three areas for career pathing would be a great incentive for performance improvement for employees.

Manager of the Day. Having employees perform managerial duties at certain times of the business cycle can provide an insight as to the managerial acumen of employees. You can also observe how the individual employee can perform in the high stress job of managing a going concern. Giving them a taste of how it is at the top would whet their appetite on improving their performance to eventually head their own food concession store.

These may seem to be up in the air concepts for such a small enterprise. But look at the bigger picture as these techniques would certainly help motivate your employees. Productivity bonuses would provide immediate gratification for good work. Having a career path plan also would provide employees the gusto to do better in their job to be promoted. You also can give them a taste of the reins of the managerial duties and determine if they have both the skills and abilities for it. These would certainly be good and effective ways of motivating your employees in your business and give them tools to improve themselves in the long run.