You may serve the best food on the block, but if your restaurant doesnt match its dishes with plausible customer service, your customers may never come back.
Thats why its important to provide an outstanding dining experience from the second your customers enter your restaurant, till the moment they leave. Keep reading to learn how to do just that, as we cover what to do pre, during, and post dining service.
Providing amazing customer service is crucial for restaurants wanting to stand out in a crowded market. With over 1 million restaurants in the US alone competition is fierce. Fortunately, delivering exceptional experiences can set your establishment apart.
Research shows that nearly 60% of consumers consider customer experience an important factor when choosing restaurants. Further 81% of diners are willing to pay more for better service.
So what does high-quality customer service look like in the restaurant industry specifically? Here are 15 real-world examples of excellent customer service at restaurants.
1. Warmly Greeting Guests
A friendly greeting when customers enter your restaurant immediately makes them feel welcomed. Hosts should make eye contact, smile and address guests promptly. If there’s a wait, provide an estimated time and apologize for the inconvenience.
Small touches like addressing customers by name or introducing yourself provides a personal touch. This warm welcome sets the tone for the rest of the visit.
2. Attentively Listening to Guests
Failing to listen to customers is one of the top complaints about poor restaurant service. When taking an order, servers should give their undivided attention. Make eye contact, repeat back details and ask clarifying questions if needed.
Active listening shows guests you care about accurately meeting their needs. It also demonstrates personalized service, rather than just going through robotic motions.
3. Following Up After Taking an Order
Following up after taking an order prevents confusion and shows you strive to meet expectations. Servers should recap the order, highlight special requests and provide an estimated cook time. This quick check-in gives guests a chance to modify or add to an order.
Following up also manages expectations upfront. If an item will take extra time, it’s better to inform the customer instead of having them wonder where their food is.
4. Proactively Refilling Drinks
Staying on top of drink refills improves service by preventing guests from having to continuously flag down servers. Staff should proactively monitor and refill beverages when about two-thirds empty.
For larger tables, assign one person to oversee refills. Or provide water pitchers and extra glasses so guests can self-serve. Anticipating this common need shows you’re paying attention to detail.
5. Checking Back Throughout the Meal
Periodically checking back allows you to monitor and promptly respond to any issues. Briefly touching base during the meal provides an opening for guests to request sauce, napkins or other needs. This proactive step prevents minor issues from escalating.
When checking back, read body language and other indirect cues. If guests seem displeased about something, politely inquire if any adjustments could improve the experience. Your goal is to fix problems immediately, not wait for complaints.
6. Treating All Guests Equally
All customers should receive equally prompt, friendly and attentive treatment regardless of appearances, group size or other factors. Servers should never make assumptions about tipping likelihood. Discriminating service risks dangerous negative reviews or civil rights complaints.
Furthermore, smaller groups may include influential people like restaurant critics. One poor experience can permanently lose their business and lead to bad word of mouth. Treat each guest with equal importance.
7. Accommodating Special Requests
Satisfying unique customer requests within reason shows flexibility. When possible, servers should oblige modifications like dressing on the side or extra sauce. Customers will appreciate the effort to personalize a dish to match their preferences.
Before promising anything, verify with the kitchen whether special requests are feasible. If accommodating a customization would cause undue delay or difficulty, politely explain this and offer menu alternatives to still meet the underlying need.
8. Being Knowledgeable About Menu Offerings
Customers expect servers to know the menu thoroughly. Staff should be able to speak to ingredients, how items are prepared, which dishes are most popular and differences between similar options. Possessing this menu knowledge enables giving spot-on recommendations.
Managers should regularly train staff on new offerings. Encourage servers to try items so they can describe firsthand taste and textures. An unaware server lacks credibility and comes across as disconnected.
9. Admitting and Apologizing for Mistakes
Everyone makes the occasional mistake, but how you handle it determines customer satisfaction. Servers should own up to any errors and sincerely apologize. Don’t try covering up mistakes – transparency is key.
For minor issues like incorrect side items, immediately replacing the dish is sufficient. For bigger errors, offer reimbursement or free dessert as an olive branch. Customers will appreciate your earnest response more than a flawless experience.
10. Handling Issues Patiently and Professionally
How staff handles problems also profoundly impacts impressions. No matter how unreasonable the guest, maintain a polite, patient tone when addressing complaints. Never snap back or act defensive – killing with kindness defeats negativity.
Empathize by imagining yourself in their shoes. Then focus on a quick resolution. For example, if a customer claims their steak is undercooked, immediately replace it and offer a gift card for the trouble. Going above and beyond transforms frustration into delight.
11. Reading Signals When Guests Are Finished
Attentive staff should be sensitive to cues that guests are ready for the check or boxes for leftovers. Notice body language, stacked dishes or guests putting on coats. Timing is key – you want to act before they have to flag you down.
Yet never rush guests who are lingering and conversing. Discreetly inquire if they would like anything else first. However, avoiding unnecessary delays when guests are clearly finished demonstrates consideration.
12. Thanking Guests and Bidding Farewell
A sincere “thank you” leaves customers feeling appreciated, not just processed. Servers should make eye contact and express gratitude for the patronage and opportunity to serve. If you chatted with regulars, reference enjoying seeing them again.
At the door, hosts should also bid farewell using the guest’s name and a remark like “It was a pleasure”. These personal send-offs culminate the visit on a high note and get remembered. Little frictions are forgotten but great endings are recalled.
13. Receiving Feedback Openly
Solicit feedback by asking if everything met expectations. This shows you welcome constructive criticism for improvement. If a complaint surfaces, remain engaged and avoid acting defensive.
Thank guests for voicing issues and emphasize how seriously you take feedback. Take down details and assure them you’ll share their comments with management to address systematically. Follow up on promises to maintain trust.
14. Following Up After the Meal
Following up by email after a guest dines demonstrates you value ongoing relationships, not just one-off transactions. Thank guests again for visiting and include a survey link to invite candid opinions. Consider offering a discount on their next visit as an extra goodwill gesture.
Post-meal surveys identify areas for improvement while guest recollections are fresh. The invitation to share feedback makes customers feel invested in your success. Follow-ups set you apart from competitors only interested during the actual meal.
15. Rewarding Loyal Customers
Recognizing loyal, regular diners with special perks increases the chances they refer friends and family. For example, offer free desserts on their birthday, discounted specials customized to past orders or priority reservations during peak hours.
Loyalty programs that track visit frequency and spending can automate rewards. However, personal touches like checking on their family or remembering their favorite table build emotional connections that keep customers coming back.
Customer Service Drives Restaurant Success
In the crowded restaurant space, customer experience is often the differentiator between thriving establishments and ones that struggle to survive. Guests have unlimited competitive options for dining locally and online reviews influence decisions.
By implementing these 15 examples of excellent service, you can create raving fans eager to return and refer others. Small gestures demonstrate you care about more than just serving food – you aim to consistently make guests feel valued. Developing genuine customer relationships, not just serving diners, leads to enduring success.
With staff training, leadership commitment and upholding service standards, your restaurant can earn distinction through customer service. Diners will dine at alternatives when disappointed but become brand ambassadors when delighted. Aim to WOW guests and let word of mouth become your most effective marketing channel.
Word-of-mouth and online marketing
Word-of-mouth is essential to growing your restaurant business. But, the catch is, in todays world word-of-mouth isnt always face-to-face. People take to online platforms, like Yelp and TripAdvisor, to voice their opinions on their restaurant experiences. And by expressing their thoughts this way, they share them with a much larger audience.
Although its true that people trust the opinions of friends and family members, dont expect them to ignore the opinions of people they dont even know. According to BrightLocal, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Clearly, you need to be cognisant of what people are saying. And you have to go further than just that. You need to respond accordingly to accept praise or address issues. 85% of consumers are more likely to visit a restaurant that responds to reviews. Do you want to risk losing business because youre ignoring your customers online?
Its a good idea to have a plan in place to read and respond to all reviews, whether theyre positive or negative. Remember that there are multiple review platforms to monitor, so dont let any slip through the cracks.
Make it a point to check in on reviews often and respond in a timely fashion. Your customers will appreciate that you took the time to address their thoughts or concerns, and if need be, went the extra mile to provide a solution.
If you dont want to go to multiple sites to see your reviews, there are solutions that can help. Review aggregators will get all of your feedback from different sites into one location so you can ensure youre staying abreast of them all.
The Keys to Improving Your Restaurant Customer Service
Accuracy is key in a world where 80% of consumers lose trust in a business if listing contact details or business name is inaccurate. Dont leave your potential customers frustrated with inaccurate information by providing the wrong restaurant address or an old phone number. And dont make the information difficult to find.
When a hungry consumer is searching for a place to eat, the essential information they want to know should be easy to discover whether theyre performing a Google search, reading reviews on TripAdvisor, or poking around your website.
With technology available, people are more impatient now than ever before. Avoid disappointment by providing correct information in all necessary places online. And of course, make sure the information youre providing is accurate and up-to-date.
Claiming your business on these different search, review, and travel sites is also wise. It helps ensure youre in control of your online identity and allows you to interact with customers online.
Worrying about your online visibility, along with everything else youre taking care of as a business owner, may seem like a hassle. But, it doesnt need to be. There are other companies and people out there who are able to do the work for you. And SinglePlatform just happens to be one of them.
Theyre going to use these sites to find the information they need before going any further. And you should be present in all those places so they can find you.
RESTAURANT CUSTOMER SERVICE: GREETING TIPS
What are examples of good customer service in a restaurant?
Here is a list of seven examples of good customer service in a restaurant, with explanations for each: 1. Greet the customer with a smile Example: As a family of four walks into the restaurant, the hostess smiles and welcomes them. She then asks the family if they prefer a booth or a table.
Why is restaurant customer service important?
Today, restaurant customer serviceis not only your foundation but a necessity to see success among the competition. The American Express 2017 Customer Service Barometerfound that Americans tell an average of fifteen people about a poor service experience – meaning good restaurant customer service is key.
What makes a good restaurant customer experience?
When you think about your restaurant customer service and experience, you probably think about how your staff conducts themselves, how the food tastes, and the reception of the ambiance in your restaurant. But today, the customer experience begins long before guests are seated.
How to improve customer service at a restaurant?
Considering this trend, the staff work together to create new recipes for the smoothies, then offer free samples to those same customers to see if they like the changes. Explanation: Feedback can be crucial to improving the restaurant and exemplifying good customer service.
