It was a hectic week and at 1pm on a Saturday I was still working away. I decided to make a booking at a restaurant for that evening.
Making the reservation.
“O Trattoria” (not the real name out of courtesy) was the lucky winner! I quickly jumped online to book a table since I was already in front of my laptop. When it came to choosing “How many people” and for “what time”, it was cumbersome to see what was available. I had to enter a few different options for the times and number of people before getting a picture about what was available. After some time fiddling around with the options, a table available at my preferred time was available but for only if we had an additional person. To me that didn’t make sense, business priorities were impeding on my customer experience and I haven’t even arrived at the restaurant yet. Within a few minutes, I picked up the phone to complete the reservation.
The technology used, in this case, made my task harder. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The dining experience
We were kindly greeted by the host, a familiar face, upon arrival and were taken promptly to our seat. A few minutes later the wait staff proceeded to introduce us to the menu and asked for our drink order as if we were first time diners. As we read the wine list, I couldn’t help but notice the many new faces rushing from table to table. It had been about 6 months since my last meal there and I did not recognise anyone except for the hostess. The head and sous chef had also changed.
Anyways, so you can imagine how the meal service went with ordering mains, getting our main dishes, order more wine, clean the table to then present a dessert menu. All pretty standard and nothing special. But the moment of delight for this dine out experience was when a waiter instantly “got it” when I made a request for additional fresh focaccia. After a few words, he brought some over to us quickly. Some of you might think it’s silly but those who love wiping the sauce from your dish with bread will not:) This waiter was attentive and realised that meals were taking longer than usual to come out. He made sure we were looked after so we looked after him at the end of our meal.
Personalising your service
“I just felt like another diner taking up space at table.”
In the dining experience above, it was a pretty good one overall. We had delicious food and wine with a moment of delight. But could it be better? Of course, I had been there at least 5 times before but yet they “didn’t know me”. I just felt like another diner taking up space at table.
As technology becomes more dominant in different industries to enhance and improve the way businesses operate, there is huge opportunity in the hospitality space. Nobody seems to have really “innovated” yet. Technology in restaurants has an opportunity to reduce the hundreds of tasks performed by wait staff so that they have time to build relationships with customers. As a result, restaurant staff have more time to add value to the customer’s dining experience in addition to providing more meaningful recommendations (aka “up-selling” but in a non-intrusive way).
“Customer service is marketing.“
When someone has gone out of their way for you, it’s the best feeling. Perhaps you feel important or just simply cared for. It may also make you want to reciprocate the kindness in some way.
That feeling of “importance”
As a customer, there’s nothing more special than the restaurant staff making you feel important, whether you’re a first time or returning customer. Even better, what if the wait staff made you look important in front of the guests you were dining out with?
Using data to build a picture about customers that visits your venue or a sister venue gives restaurants the power to deliver a more unique and memorable experience. Data, also referred to as “actionable insights” enables informed decisions. I’m sure we could all agree being informed is better than just guessing.
Whilst some may think collecting data about customers is creepy, the truth is many businesses already do this today either with pen and paper or spreadsheet. It’s called customer service. Believe it or not there are restaurants who are trying to ensure they can provide their customers an even better experience each time you return to dine with them. N/Naka, a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles is an excellent example of this. With the increasing number of options and increasing demands of customers, restaurants are pressured to be better but only have so much time and money. So why not find the right technology for your business to “go beyond just average” or being “good enough”?
Restaurants change, people change faster
As we waited for our wine, the wait staff rushed from table to table and up and down the stairs. I observed that they would often squeeze in a quick stop at a table or two on their way back to the service counter or run down to the kitchen to get the dishes that were ready to be served. Not a single familiar face in sight.
For a long time now, it seems that restaurant staff turnover continues to cost the business a lot of money. For the regular customers, who are well-known by a staff, can have their experience change overnight when their usual staff is no longer with the business. I have rarely seen a restaurant ensure that their repeat customers are looked after when new staff come on board. Not only is that a huge loss to the business but it’s big reason to give that regular customer a reason to not come back should the quality of service decline. It often costs restaurants a lot of money, probably a lot more than they realise as it’s not all immediately visible. According to a study conducted by the Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at Cornell University, the real cost of restaurant staff turnover is 146,000USD per year.
Customer Service is one of the most important factors in the success of any company.
Whether it’s a thoughtful gesture from a wait staff or a special occasion ended with a surprise complimentary dessert, restaurants can be enabled to do more with the power of technology. After all, isn’t it about making the experience in your restaurant memorable for the guest as well as the delicious food?
Being better than average helps to stand out. When you stand out, that’s what people remember. How was the customer service at the last restaurant, cafe or bar you visited? Dare I ask if there was any customer service.
It’s astounding how many companies never fully grasp this point. But the best companies do. And the ways they express great customer service is a lesson for all of us.
Let’s make the foodservice industry go beyond just average together!
Feeling inspired?
Click/tap that ❤ to help others find this article. Read more about how technology can help restaurants run a more profitable business. Technology doesn’t have to and should not be a burden, a huge investment or a threat. It can make many operations of a restaurant business more efficient and pleasant.
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References:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/tales-of-customer-service-1.2801772
http://www.therail.media/stories/2016/3/17/hidden-costs-restaurant-staff-turnover
