Restaurant Social Media
Customer service, why is it easliy overlooked?
Customer service, personally I feel it as the underlying principle of any restaurant or service related business. If and when service standards are not properly executed and followed through, even with the best combinations of food and beverage, it will negatively impact the dining experience as possibly mediocre, if at that. However, if food and beverage is mediocre, but with exceptionally engaging customer service,the overall dining experience will be praised and awarded.
Customer service is easily overlooked for many reasons, one of which is focusing on the wrong objectives, as business grows and sales increases on a short term basis, are customers in return receiving higher quality service, better quality of products and consistently receiving the same amount of service they come to expect. Service and training should always be ongoing, and management needs to follow through to ensure service protocols are performed, and specific standards are achieved. As business grows, management needs to realize additional staffing may be required, and also the importance of cross-training for staff members so they are familiar with operating the cash register to making a foamy latte.
Every business owners and managers all know the importance of customer service, but who really focuses on service as much as they focus on the net profit at the end of the day. One has to believe in order to make a dollar at the end of the day, providing customers with the ultimate dining or shopping experience is the most important criteria before making a buck at the end of day. Providing friendly, engaging customer service, delivery of valuable products or services as promised in a timely and efficient manner. I feel this is the basic fundamental principle for achieving customer service. Once you get the customers in the door, they become your regulars, and from this point on, management takes this opportunity to go above and beyond the basic service standard, and deliver more than what the customer came to expect, offering greater value to the customer's purchasing experience, hopefully resulting in a guest for life.
What are your thoughts and "Customer Service standards" for the restaurant industry? Love to hear your top 10 list...
Customer service is easily overlooked for many reasons, one of which is focusing on the wrong objectives, as business grows and sales increases on a short term basis, are customers in return receiving higher quality service, better quality of products and consistently receiving the same amount of service they come to expect. Service and training should always be ongoing, and management needs to follow through to ensure service protocols are performed, and specific standards are achieved. As business grows, management needs to realize additional staffing may be required, and also the importance of cross-training for staff members so they are familiar with operating the cash register to making a foamy latte.
Every business owners and managers all know the importance of customer service, but who really focuses on service as much as they focus on the net profit at the end of the day. One has to believe in order to make a dollar at the end of the day, providing customers with the ultimate dining or shopping experience is the most important criteria before making a buck at the end of day. Providing friendly, engaging customer service, delivery of valuable products or services as promised in a timely and efficient manner. I feel this is the basic fundamental principle for achieving customer service. Once you get the customers in the door, they become your regulars, and from this point on, management takes this opportunity to go above and beyond the basic service standard, and deliver more than what the customer came to expect, offering greater value to the customer's purchasing experience, hopefully resulting in a guest for life.
What are your thoughts and "Customer Service standards" for the restaurant industry? Love to hear your top 10 list...
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Carol Ott on -
1. Treat your customers as you would treat a guest in your home.
2. Always keep in mind that when people have a bad experience, they'll probably put you on the internet somewhere...and that's available to people all over the world.
3. Try your best to make everyone happy, but don't give in to bizarre and unreasonable demands.
4. Smile. No need to be surly from the outset.
5. Understand on a very deep level that some people will never be happy no matter what you do. Know when to say "Enough's enough."
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Permalink Reply by Michelle Poteet on -
Being a part of a company that prides itself on the "customer experience" and for the most part, delivers... Our values relating to customer service are as follows: No Jerks, Rule #1-break any rule to satisfy the customer, No shortcuts-to mention a few. It all sounds great (in theory), until you are in the middle of a $1500 dinner hour, two people have called in, your key day people are about to clock out for the day and you just ran out of a very important product. One can plan and pre-plan for the upcoming shift all day long, however when the actuality of "real life" starts to transpire, customer service often takes a back-seat to "getting through" the rush. I agree, customer service is essential for any service-related business. Hence the term "service" industry. In my humble opinion, I feel that we are set up to fail where delivering consistent customer service is concerned. One complaint at my cafe' and something that I have personally noticed at a few other restaurants is that the service on the weekends and at night is quite poor. We utilize our "key" people during the week days and what's left over, we try to fill the weekend/night shifts. Mostly unmotivated, not-so-great performers. I know, it's our jobs as managers to motivate. Honestly, there are those out there who you couldn't motivate with a cattle prod. Let me pause for a moment and clarify-I don't personally have anything against any particular working group/people. However, the facts are these-certain people work because they want to/they love the service industry. Others work b/c they have to. The level of responsibility/commitment ranges from one end of the spectrum clear to the other. So what type of employee do you think you get when their passion is to represent your company with that unforgetable customer service experience vs. the one who dreds yet another day at the grindstone. So what's the solution? I thought you would never ask! It seems very simple to me; space these "key" people out. Since when does the restaurant industry promise Monday-Friday
9-5's?? I must have missed that memo. If you take one day a week from these "day" people and give them a night shift...problem solved! I don't know about you, but the "creating a memorable experience" and providing excellent customer service is exactly what drew me to this profession. (and I knew the hours when I signed up!)
I appreciate your ears. Let me know what you think.
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Permalink Reply by Carol Ott on
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Michelle, what happens when one of your terrific "day" people stops giving great service because they're stuck on a night shift one night a week? I wonder if sometimes it isn't the job but the hours that make people start to slack off. We all have our "peak performance" times of day (mine seems to be between 10 AM and 2 PM these days, for some odd reason) -- maybe shift one of the slacker people to a "better" shift and see if their performance doesn't improve because of the change in hours?
Of course then you have the group that would just slack off, day or night...and they can go work elsewhere. :)
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Permalink Reply by Andy Swingley on -
I have to agree with Jeffrey on this one....service is not a task but an attitude that permeates the leadership and the staff. It would never get so busy that you would put a raw steak on a plate and service to the guest has to achieve the same mindset as that. Once you have the right people on board, they can't do anything but provide great service. Uncaring staff will be uncaring not matter what.
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Permalink Reply by Amanda Vroom on -
Amen! If you surround yourself with people who reflect the right attitude and mentality you can do anything!
It makes me think of an exercise we did once...selling the unsellable...amazing what people will agree with when you are enthusiastic and FUN!
Hire the good ones, develop the okay ones, get rid of the bad one!
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Permalink Reply by Kristen Siqueiros on -
All you have to do is ask yourself, what am I looking for when I go out to eat? What would make me come back? Chances are that if the Guest Service is great then you will over look the small stuff!
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Permalink Reply by Adam R. Cox on -
To me, in my life, I have always been in customer service. Some people are into SALES. If you look at the two, you are always using customer service to get SALES. You are selling yourself (not that way) to invite people to buy into what your selling.
I am a trainer (a lot more than that, but that will suffice for now, for Xerox. Not a food company. I used to be in the business and got out about 15 years or so ago. (AARRGHH the truth comes out). However, since then I have been in call centers (netscape/Apple), desktop support (nike) and now Xerox. I was in a call center (2nd level) and now in the field for 5 years.
I train people who know copiers or really do not know a thing about a copier. What do I instill in them and what do I do while training?
I get to know them. I want to know what makes them tick, what they did before this what they like. I do not go into personal or pry into their life. That's an HR thing. (Man, have I got stories.. You would think I was a hair dresser!)
You show a person respect and get on their level and they open up, and are more receptive to learning and take you serious!
I like blank slate type people. I can teach, train and explain how to print, copy and do anything. All the time, I am pointing out Customer Service.
What makes the customer want to come to you. Perfect example today.
Opening a store in Oregon and we get talking about CS and the other local same corp store. One lady I am teach worked at Red Robins and other restaurants and is a bartender. She likes getting her food/drinks out as soon as she can. She does not say no.
During her training at the other store the one person she was under kept telling people that there was a 24 hour turn around for very simple jobs. (No Corp rule about that I am aware of) It was very clear that they coudl do the job within 15-60 mins depending on what it was.
OTher guy she wanted to work with would do jobs right then.
Who do you think had customers wait for until they came in to do their jobs.
This lady has perconcieved ideas on how it should work and work around HER! Wrong, it works around the customer.
WHen I am training, the store employees usually will tell customers to wait until they can get someone to help. I will tell the store employee that I work around them. I am not making them money. The person ont eh other side is.
If it's busy, I will help out as I can. Make copies, start projects and point people to what paper would be the best. UPSELLING is a form of customer service. You are telling the customer how to improve their print job to get money!
Ok, long post, but Customer Service is vital and the people who cannot do it, need to be dish washers!
Carry on!
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Permalink Reply by Brook on -
Just as a different perspective: You cannot provide customer service unless you know what the customer wants.
That is not a falacious comment.
Far too often we merely talk to each other. We hang out at professional forums like this one and Cheftalk.com. We go to trade meetings, or hire consultants, or just swap horror stories over a beer. But do you ever ask the customer what he or she really wants? Or what turns them off?
I hang out at a lot of foodie forums, and site where at-home cooks discuss things. And you'd be amazed at what they have to say about dining-out experiences. For instance, anyone care to guess what---from the standpoint of a guest in your restaurant---is the most damaging thing a server can say?
Believe it or not, the most dreaded phrase is: "Is everything alright?"
There are a lot of connotations to that phrase that you may not be aware of. For instance, consumers percieve it as insincere. They also wonder, "why is (s)he asking? Is it possible something isn't alright?" And then they start looking for things that are wrong.
Sounds petty, I know. But customer service is all about such things. It means making the customer happy and satisfied with the service you provide. And if it's something petty like that, you need to 1. learn about it, and 2. do something about it.
Numerous studies have indicated that restaurant customers who are dissatisfied by and large do not complain. They just don't return. And they tell their friends and family all about their bad experience. And very often it isn't a big thing; an improperly prepared dish, or a fly in the soup. It is little things, like how the server inquires about their satisfaction.
So it really behooves all of us to determine what does or does not constitute good service in the eyes of the guest.
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