This year, it won't be a spring like any other.
All businesses have adapted to the current situation and BBQ Québec is no exception. Although we do not have BBQs smoking outside our stores, we continue to serve our customers with the same energy and passion. Spring 2020 at BBQ Québec will be a time when we will have been able to adapt and continue to serve our customers, always with the same promise of service while sharing our knowledge, different techniques and recipes but this time, remotely.
We have not given up, oh no! We are even more on fire than ever. With the challenges of the current situation, I realize even more how much my team and all our partners with whom we do business are creative, resourceful and leaders in their sector of operations; they are all essential.
We're going through this as a team. I see it a bit like a hockey team, some have had to keep their place on the bench, because we need them less in overtime, and others who have essential tasks have stepped up, and taken a little more on their shoulders, to make sure everything works.
The success we have experienced so far and the way we are managing the current social situation is 100% thanks to all these people, both those in customer service, who had to adapt to BBQ Québec's temporary 100% digital shift, and my directors who are masterfully managing the situation.
My chat and phone team is at the forefront of defining our service offering and service is BBQ Québec. We don't sell to customers, we advise them, share BBQ recipes and teach them how to become THE KING OF BBQ!
At BBQ Québec, every employee has a role to play. If these employees are inspired by their leaders and everyone pitches in, we influence and progress quickly! Our success and the popularity of BBQ Québec is an achievement that we all share together, including the members of the teams behind the scenes who are just as important! BBQ Québec is like a huge ship and everyone rows in unison.
From the moment we knew we had to close our physical stores, we didn't say to ourselves "oh no, what are we going to do", but rather "okay, how are we going to do it, and how are we going to get through this".
Even though we are not considered an essential service by the government, but for our customers and the people who follow us, we help them eat well, take their minds off things and enjoy the moment. Normally, on a weekend day, we will start a brisket on the BBQ, open a beer and enjoy the moment. In times of crisis like now, this ritual should not change. On the contrary, you should increase it and make sure that on Sunday, you grill a piece of meat that will be memorable for dinner and incredible for lunch, the following Monday, Tuesday and Thursday! It is therefore a question of focusing on the positive and turning the situation around to take advantage of the opportunities we have in the present moment. In the end, it is the desire to surpass ourselves, to overcome obstacles and to continue to share with our BBQ community that motivates us and pushes us to continue. Our customers and subscribers are the reason why BBQ Québec exists; they are also a large part of the recipe.
More than ever right now, we feel more connected with them, we receive positive messages every day, photos of people in #BBQRetirement and their BBQ setup, and it really warms our hearts!
Throughout my last two weeks in quarantine, following my return from HPBExpo in New Orleans, we did live videos on Facebook. We made sure to connect with BBQ lovers in Quebec. The support of the people who followed us every day is a big part of what kept us optimistic! Let's face it, when the BBQ is on, we are in creation mode. We are 100% focused on what we are doing, in the spirit of sharing and it takes our minds off things.
As I was driving home to join my family last Sunday, it was raining outside. There were several puddles on the highway. I was thinking that in the end, the current situation is like the puddles that can cause your car to veer off course, you can take all the precautions and be prepared, but you don't just hit the road when the sun is shining; you adapt, you manage, you learn and you come out stronger!
Good behavior dear friends, for the days to come. Remember that BBQ is above all a way of using fire to create a unique moment. Whether with the most intense fire that the earth has known and that will seize your Tomahawk in a few minutes, or with pieces of charcoal that burn gently for hours, delicately smoking your brisket rubbed with your favorite dry marinade, making the most tender and tasty meat of your life, fire will always succeed in creating unforgettable moments and fulfilling you like no one else.
Fire allows you to feed yourself, warm yourself and light yourself, to create moments with family and/or friends, offering them a complete culinary experience and above all, for a moment, allowing you to truly enjoy the present moment.
Together, let's change the world 1 BBQ at a time.
May the BBQ Force be with you!
#itisgoodtogo