What makes your favorite restaurant your favorite? When you think about it, it’s probably more than just good food. When creating the ultimate dining experience, it’s usually the little things that have the most impact.
If you’re looking for ways to delight your customers and keep them coming back for more, you’ve come to the right place.
Below are three tips to keep your customers happy and the rave reviews coming in.
Attention to Detail
A great dining experience begins and ends with the details. Restaurant goers want to see that their presence matters.
For instance, if your restaurant is always busy, where customers wait is just as important as how long.
The waiting area should be warm, inviting and most importantly, comfortable. No one wants to be wedged in between other hungry customers who are eager to eat.
You also need to check in and let them know when their table will be ready. You can also offer a free drink or appetizer, which will make the wait worthwhile.
Once seated, servers need to stay one step ahead. The best servers think like their customers and know how to answer their questions even before they’re asked.
Offering water refills, clearing dirty dishes and asking if they’re happy with their meal makes for a memorable dining experience. In fact, even if the food wasn’t cooked right, customers will remember quality restaurant service.
Cleanliness
You probably don’t need to be reminded, but cleanliness should always be your top priority. In the wake of COVID, keeping your customers safe needs to take precedence. Swap out tablecloths and make sure the silverware is always clean.
Your restrooms also need to sparkle. Dirty mirrors and overflowing trash cans don’t leave a good impression. Most guests will wonder whether the kitchen resembles the restroom and may not want to return.
Enhanced Staff Training
How your staff behaves says a lot about you. Far too often, new hires don’t receive in-depth training, which can lead to unpleasant exchanges with customers. Every part of your team needs to be on the same page when it comes to work ethics.
Enhanced training should start with an employee handbook. It needs to include proper table etiquette, how to handle disgruntled customers as well as the do’s and don’ts of 5-star restaurant service.
More importantly, it also needs to define your core values.
How you treat people and the reasons why you opened a restaurant is more important than your ROI. And since most millennials say they’re willing to work for less if their employer’s values align with theirs, you need to be passionate about hiring people who feel the same.
You also need to train servers separately. Give new hires a tour around the restaurant. Even though their role is front and center, they still need to know what goes on behind the scenes.
The Takeaway
In the restaurant industry, success comes down to one thing: the customer experience. Provide guests with a memorable experience and you’ll have a customer for life.
By mary
What makes your favorite restaurant your favorite? When you think about it, it’s probably more than just good food. When creating the ultimate dining experience, it’s usually the little things that have the most impact.
If you’re looking for ways to delight your customers and keep them coming back for more, you’ve come to the right place.
Below are three tips to keep your customers happy and the rave reviews coming in.
Attention to Detail
A great dining experience begins and ends with the details. Restaurant goers want to see that their presence matters.
For instance, if your restaurant is always busy, where customers wait is just as important as how long.
The waiting area should be warm, inviting and most importantly, comfortable. No one wants to be wedged in between other hungry customers who are eager to eat.
You also need to check in and let them know when their table will be ready. You can also offer a free drink or appetizer, which will make the wait worthwhile.
Once seated, servers need to stay one step ahead. The best servers think like their customers and know how to answer their questions even before they’re asked.
Offering water refills, clearing dirty dishes and asking if they’re happy with their meal makes for a memorable dining experience. In fact, even if the food wasn’t cooked right, customers will remember quality restaurant service.
Cleanliness
You probably don’t need to be reminded, but cleanliness should always be your top priority. In the wake of COVID, keeping your customers safe needs to take precedence. Swap out tablecloths and make sure the silverware is always clean.
Your restrooms also need to sparkle. Dirty mirrors and overflowing trash cans don’t leave a good impression. Most guests will wonder whether the kitchen resembles the restroom and may not want to return.
Enhanced Staff Training
How your staff behaves says a lot about you. Far too often, new hires don’t receive in-depth training, which can lead to unpleasant exchanges with customers. Every part of your team needs to be on the same page when it comes to work ethics.
Enhanced training should start with an employee handbook. It needs to include proper table etiquette, how to handle disgruntled customers as well as the do’s and don’ts of 5-star restaurant service.
More importantly, it also needs to define your core values.
How you treat people and the reasons why you opened a restaurant is more important than your ROI. And since most millennials say they’re willing to work for less if their employer’s values align with theirs, you need to be passionate about hiring people who feel the same.
You also need to train servers separately. Give new hires a tour around the restaurant. Even though their role is front and center, they still need to know what goes on behind the scenes.
The Takeaway
In the restaurant industry, success comes down to one thing: the customer experience. Provide guests with a memorable experience and you’ll have a customer for life.