Building customer loyalty can be a daunting task for many businesses, but Peter Baghdassarian, the current head of family owned quick service Mediterranean micro chain Massis Kabob, has made it remarkably straightforward. Leveraging QR codes and a no-nonsense approach to technology, Baghdassarian is setting new standards for customer engagement and satisfaction.

Watch now to learn more about simplifying loyalty programs, the importance of functional technology, and building relationships with tech sales people.

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Chapters:

[06:46] - Maintaining Proximity to Brick and Mortar Spaces

[08:09] - Performing Spot Checks on Locations

[14:44] - Tech Trends in Hospitality

[27:09] - Deciding When to Implement New Technology

[34:19] - Interest in Biohacking

Episode Links:

• Massis Kabob Online: https://www.massiskabob.com/
• Peter Baghdassarian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-baghdassarian-a480728/
• Massis Kabob Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/massiskabob/
• Massis Kabob Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/massiskabobery

1. QR Codes: Simplifying Loyalty Programs - Having customers sign up for loyalty programs can be a complicated pain for business owners. With Massis Kabob, Peter Baghdassarian has streamlined that process with QR Codes and less data collection for frictionless customer experience.
2. Importance of Functional Technology - It seems like a simple concept to not release an app prior to it functioning correctly. However, it happens and Peter Baghdassarian firmly believes that it should not. With the increase in technology reliance, he believes it is important for companies to have technology that functions properly to obtain and maintain customer trust.
3. Honesty in Tech Sales - As you would imagine, Peter Baghdassarian receives quite a bit of sales calls with sales people attempting to sell the latest and greatest innovation. In the name of efficiency and relationship building, he believes it is best practice for sales pitches to be as honest and transparent as possible during their interactions.

ABOUT PETER BAGHDASSARIAN –

Peter Baghdassarian spent over two decades in the entertainment industry, contributing to live-action films, TV series, and major animated projects before fully transitioning to the restaurant sector. He now co-manages and expands Massis Kabob, a family-founded Mediterranean quick-service restaurant chain that started 48 years ago, alongside his brother. Under their leadership, Massis Kabob has grown to seven bustling locations in Southern California. Peter's enthusiasm for technology and cuisine drives him to continuously seek ways to enhance the business,

integrating new tech for improved efficiency and customer experience without losing the essence of what has made Massis Kabob beloved for nearly half a century. An alumnus of the University of Southern California, Peter holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Management from USC Annenberg School and a law degree from USC Gould School of Law, and he frequently shares his insights as a speaker on industry panels.

ABOUT DATA DELICACIES—

Data Delicacies is a weekly podcast that dives deep into the world of technology and data as it pertains to restaurants. Host Arun Kumar interviews some of the best and brightest in the industry about all things hospitality tech, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Data Delicacies on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/29ExS0n9X3Z3FyK4HuSPKH

Incentivio Online - https://www.incentivio.com/

Incentivio Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/incentivio/

Produced by Incentivio & Cali BBQ Media

In a compelling interview on “Data Delicacies” with host Arun Kumar, Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, shared insights on focus, customer-centric strategies, and the future of AI in personalization.

Watch now to learn about the importance of a singular focus, being the “anti-survey” company, and the future of AI in hospitality.

Follow Incentivio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@incentivio

Chapters:

[03:13] - The "Why" Behind Ovation

[06:51] - Balancing Work, Family, and Business Commitments

[10:35] - Becoming Obsessed with Building Value

[27:04] - Defining Loyalty

[35:08] - Closing the Education Gap in the AI Era

[45:16] - Utilizing AI Day to Day

Episode Links:

• Ovation Online
• Zack Oates Instagram
• Zack Oates Facebook
• Zack Oates LinkedIn
• Ovation Podcast
• Dating Never Works . . . Until It Does: 100 Lessons from 1,000 Dates (Book)

"You Can Do Anything. You Can't Do Everything" - Zack Oates’ dad Bart carved out a successful NFL career. Zack Oates attributes that success to Bart being able to do “one thing deep” and focus on being good at that thing. That mentality was passed down to Zack and it has served him well in his own business endeavors.

Surveys with the Customer in Mind - Zack Oates has branded Ovation as the “Anti-Survey” company. They have differentiated themselves from other survey companies by beginning with collecting data on how customers preferred being surveyed as opposed to simply forcing customers to inefficiently answer long questionnaires.

The Future of AI in Personalization - Ovation uses Artificial Intelligence, but Zack Oates values the personal touch of in person conversations. He does, however, see the future of AI adding to the personalization of hospitality by adding a layer to the customer satisfaction.

ABOUT ZAK OATES –

Zack Oates is an accomplished author, devoted husband, and proud father. Recognized as one of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs, he has had the honor of ringing the NASDAQ bell and winning the world’s largest business competition. With an MBA from BYU, Zack has founded three companies and provided customer experience consulting for Fortune 100 companies. His expertise in dating and customer experience consulting led him to create Ovation, a leading tool for actionable guest feedback in restaurants, where he serves as Founder and CEO.

ABOUT DATA DELICACIES—

Data Delicacies is a weekly podcast that dives deep into the world of technology and data as it pertains to restaurants. Host Arun Kumar interviews some of the best and brightest in the industry about all things hospitality tech, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Produced by: Incentivio - https://www.incentivio.com/

Alistair Levine is the CEO of multiple restaurant concepts and a Partner and Head of Business Development at KitchenSync. He shared his vision with Data Delicacies powered by Incentivio. A vision that includes leveraging a hybrid approach that capitalizes on the unique strengths of both technology and human expertise.

Listen now to learn about the importance of human touch and technology, the strategic usage of dynamic pricing, and making good decisions with good data.



Technology vs. Human Touch - Alistair Levine understands that both human touch and emerging technology are both important pieces of today’s hospitality industry. He has a goal at Kitchen Sync to create a hybrid approach that takes advantage of the strengths that both entities have to offer.

Dynamic Pricing for Better Guest Experience - When it comes to technology, Alistair Levine believes that as the options become more complicated, restaurants will have to narrow their focus to find root problems on the path to solutions.

Making Good Decisions with Good Data - Even though Alistair Levine believes that hospitality is a human driven industry, he also believes that Artificial Intelligence will serve a purpose of helping businesses make better decisions based on their ability to receive enhanced data from reliable sources.

Follow Incentivio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@incentivio

• KitchenSync Online: https://www.kitchensync.us/
• Alistair Levine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alistairlevine/
• Alistair Levine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-levine-6997b359/
• KitchenSync LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kitchensync3/
• Left Bank Brasserie: https://www.instagram.com/leftbankbrasserie/
• LB Steak Santana Row: https://www.instagram.com/lbsteaksantanarow/
• Meso Restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/meso.restaurant/
• Petite Left Bank: https://www.instagram.com/petiteleftbank/
• Rollati Ristorante: https://www.instagram.com/rollatiristorante/