As a restaurant owner, you can have the best ambiance, excellent menu, ample waitstaff coverage and still lose customers to your competitors.
Then again, you can have naive interns asking people if they’d like dessert after the main course and make a mint. The outcome depends on the quality of your restaurant's customer service.
According to a Deloitte report, 60 percent of customers will frequently visit restaurants where they had a positive experience. So a great way to drive repeat business and increase restaurant sales is to keep the quality of your customer service high.
In this post, we’ll discuss the 11 elements of excellent restaurant customer service.
In the restaurant business, providing excellent customer service is necessary since it affects the establishment’s overall success.
Exceptional customer service is vital for restaurant success as it:
Boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to increased profits and repeat business (5% retention = 25%-95% profit increase).
Promotes positive word-of-mouth and online reviews, attracting new customers (88% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations).
Mitigates negative feedback and reputational damage, protecting revenue. Poor customer service can lead to negative reviews, a drop in customers, and undermines the creation of loyal customers and valuable word-of-mouth marketing (68% of customers won’t return after a negative experience).
Improve staff morale and productivity, fostering a positive work environment and boosting efficiency (High employee engagement = 21% higher profitability, 17% higher productivity).
Increases customer lifetime value, generating more revenue from existing customers. Restaurant customer service training is crucial to ensure staff can deliver exceptional service, aligning the entire team with the desired restaurant experience and effectively handling customer interactions (5% retention = 75% lifetime value increase).
Now, let’s take a look at the top 11 great customer service examples below.
The following is a list of 11 examples of excellent customer service along with descriptions of each:
Proper restaurant etiquette is essential for creating a positive customer dining experience.
When your staff is well-trained in etiquette, they can help to create a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for your guests.
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Examples:
Here are examples of proper restaurant etiquette
Greeting customers politely: When customers arrive at your restaurant, they should be greeted with a warm smile and a friendly welcome. This sets the tone for their entire dining experience.
Speaking politely to customers: Your staff should always address customers with respect and courtesy. Avoid using slang or informal language, and always make sure to listen attentively to customers' requests.
Being attentive to customers' needs: Your staff should be aware of customers' needs and respond promptly to their requests. They should also be proactive in offering assistance, such as refilling drinks or clearing plates.
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Delight your restaurant customers by delivering excellent customer service and providing them with an exceptional dining experience.
This practice is important in creating loyal customers who will return and recommend your restaurant to others.
Examples:
Here are examples of how to go the extra mile for your customers
Identify what your competitors are neglecting: Take some time to visit your local competitors and observe their customer service. What are they doing well? What could they improve on?
Offer something unexpected: Surprise your customers by offering them something they didn’t expect, such as a free bottle of water, a complimentary appetizer, or a special dessert.
Use creative signage: For example, a sign with a sentence saying “Wait to be seated” can be reworded to “Please give us a few minutes as our awesome staff prepares your table.”
Personalize the experience: Take the time to get to know your customers and their preferences. This will allow you to provide them with a more personalized experience, which they will appreciate.
Go above and beyond to resolve problems: If a customer has a problem, don’t just apologize and move on. Make sure that the problem is resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Take a look at a unique example of a restaurant going the extra mile to help attract customers: @thedailystar A restaurant has found a unique way to have staff attract customers by acting like a robot waitress #dailystar#funny#robot#waitress♬ sonido original - aoh By going the extra mile for your customers, you can create a loyal following and ensure that your restaurant is the one they choose time and time again.
>>>Download our free guide on how to build a better experience
As a restaurant owner, you strive to provide exceptional customer service that sets your establishment apart.
However, you might find yourself in a plateau, wondering how to elevate your service from good to great.
The answer lies in guest data, a treasure trove of insights that can transform your customer interactions.
Guest data is the key to unlocking personalized experiences that make VIPs feel valued and appreciated.
By harnessing the power of this data, you can gain a deep understanding of your customers' preferences, allergies, dietary restrictions, and seating preferences.
This knowledge empowers your staff to anticipate needs and deliver an unmatched personalized experience.
Examples:
Utilize guest data for VIP treatments
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By implementing these strategies and leveraging guest data, you can transform your restaurant into a haven for exceptional service, fostering loyalty and driving long-term success.
Adding an element of surprise to your guests' dining experience can go a long way in enhancing their satisfaction and fostering loyalty.
By offering unexpected treats or recognizing their preferences, you can create a memorable and enjoyable experience for them.
Examples:
Delightful surprises for your guests
Here's a real life example of a restaurant that adds an element of surprise when you order one of their famous dishes.
It's also a great opportunity to make a birthday celebration unforgettable:
By incorporating these surprising elements into your service, you can create a memorable dining experience that leaves a lasting impression on your guests.
Adapting your menu and offerings to align with different seasons can significantly improve customer satisfaction and attract new patrons.
By showcasing seasonal ingredients and creating unique experiences, you can demonstrate your commitment to freshness and innovation.
Examples:
Improve customer experience with seasonal offerings
By embracing seasonal experiences, you can create a dynamic and engaging dining environment that keeps your customers coming back for more.
Invest in different technologies. Restaurants can significantly embrace their appeal and improve customer service by investing in modern technologies.
Examples:
There are many different technologies that you can invest in to improve your restaurant.
Some of the most popular options include:
In addition to these technologies, you may also want to consider investing in other things, such as a mobile app, a loyalty program, or a social media marketing campaign.
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By investing in the right technologies, you can make your restaurant more appealing to customers and improve your bottom line.
No matter how thoroughly you train your staff or how hard you work to provide exceptional customer service, mistakes, and complaints are bound to happen.
It is important to have proper protocols for dealing with customer complaints and feedback, and training your staff accordingly to ensure that the customer does not leave your restaurant unsatisfied.
Examples:
Here are tips for dealing with customer complaints and feedback:
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By following these tips, you can ensure that your restaurant is always providing the best possible customer service.
Show your guests that you care about their experience by providing good customer service
Slow service and lack of attention by the staff are major turnoffs for customers and can prevent them from returning to a restaurant. Good customer service, characterized by attentiveness and efficiency, is essential in creating a positive dining experience, accommodating customer needs, and ensuring their return.
Providing a seamless experience from beginning to end is important to ensure customer satisfaction.
Examples:
Here are some tips for being attentive and efficient:
Pre-plan your shift. Check the number of upcoming reservations and your restaurant data to identify the busiest periods and make staffing decisions accordingly.
Set up your table layout in advance. This will save time and ensure that your staff is ready to serve customers as soon as they arrive.
Train your staff to be productive. Each server should be responsible for a specific number of tables to ensure that each customer receives adequate attention.
Be proactive. Anticipate customer needs and address them before they have to ask.
Be responsive. Respond promptly to customer requests and inquiries.
Be attentive. Pay attention to nonverbal cues and body language to identify customer needs.
Be efficient. Avoid wasting time and moving tables unnecessarily.
Be organized. Keep your work area clean and organized to improve efficiency.
Be communicative. Communicate effectively with your colleagues to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
The customer should never have to make extra efforts to reach their server.
For customers who regularly patronize a business, personalized attention can significantly impact their experience.
Addressing them by name, recalling their order preferences and seating arrangements, and engaging in conversation fosters a sense of importance and encourages them to return.
Examples:
Here are a few useful tips
Embrace waitlist technology. Long wait times are a significant factor in customer satisfaction and their likelihood of returning to a restaurant.
Examples:
If your restaurant receives a lot of walk-ins, it's crucial to set up a waitlist management system that can help you handle crowds efficiently and ensure no one leaves with a negative experience.
Invest in a waitlist management tool that can help you maximize your floor setting and seat as many diners as possible, provide accurate wait-time estimates, and keep guests updated about their table with constant messaging.
This way, people are much more likely to wait to dine at your restaurant.
Integrating various systems and technologies within a restaurant can significantly enhance operations and improve customer experiences. By connecting different aspects of the business, restaurants can gain a holistic view of their operations, streamline processes, and personalize interactions with their guests.
Example:
Consider a restaurant that integrates its point-of-sale (POS) system with its customer relationship management (CRM) system.
This integration allows the restaurant to store customer preferences, order history, and dietary restrictions directly within the POS system.
When a returning customer places an order, the staff can easily access this information and tailor their recommendations and service accordingly.
For example, if a customer has a gluten allergy, the staff can immediately identify and recommend gluten-free options. This personalized approach demonstrates attentiveness and enhances the overall dining experience.
Benefits of Integrations:
While it’s tempting to associate great dining experiences with the selection and quality of food at a restaurant, that’s actually seeing less than half the picture.
A successful restaurant is also known for its customer experience, and they find pleasure in ensuring a customer’s journey from making a reservation at their eatery to walking out left the individual feeling good.
Improving your restaurant's customer service is the key to leaving guests amazed and satisfied, and the little pieces of advice mentioned above are a great starting point for illustrating the impact of this business function.
Benefits of Integrations: