10 Things Restaurant Guests Don’t Want to Hear
The restaurant industry is a highly competitive marketplace, and your guests have many options to choose from when deciding where to dine. Make sure your restaurant is the one they choose by accommodating your guests wherever and whenever possible. When it lies within the scope of your capabilities and business model, never say no to a guest request.
- “No, we can’t do that.” Probably one of the biggest pet peeves of many guests who interact with discourteous or poorly-trained staff in the hospitality industry. Your job is to anticipate and provide solutions to your guests’ needs, not tell them that you’re simply incapable of satisfying them.
- “Sorry, we’re just short-handed.” Your guests came to your establishment with the expectation of an experience, and they don’t care if a key employee didn’t show up for their shift. It’s your job to live up to the guests’ expectations without excuses why your food or service is slow.
- “Gluten-free menu?” In today’s highly competitive restaurant landscape, it is your job to cater to your guests’ special dietary restrictions, whether vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. It is imperative that you understand consumer trends so that you don’t disappoint your guests.
- “We’re not kid-friendly.” If you want to attract a balanced and diverse customer base, understand that many guests simply won’t frequent a restaurant that isn’t hospitable to their entire family. It’s up to you to not alienate any segment of your target customer base.
- “Sorry, no modifications.” Guests don’t care if your Chef was classically trained by the greatest culinary minds. If they don’t like the taste of truffle, then they don’t like it — and it’s up to you to tweak the dish to appeal to them. If not, perhaps another selection should be recommended.
- “We don’t have a happy hour.” Providing value is of utmost importance, especially if you want repeat business, and what better way to do that than through one of your products with the highest margins? People love to socialize and discuss their favorite places for a trendy cocktail. Why not make it yours?
- “We’re out of that tonight.” There’s nothing worse than going to your favorite restaurant to order your favorite dish, only to find out that they aren’t able to prepare it for you because they ran out of product. That’s a sure-fire way to create frustrated guests.
- “That’s just our policy.” I’ll say it: policies be damned. Policies never created loyal guests. Policies are all about what you can’t do, not what you can. Create an employee culture of innovative and resourceful problem solving, and you’ll inherit devoted guests.
- “I don’t know.” Whether you are a restaurant owner, manager or server…it’s your job to know. If you don’t know the answer to a guest’s question, the least you should do is respond politely and efficiently: “I’m not certain, but I would be happy to find out.”
- No feedback or information. The only thing that might be worse than hearing something bad is hearing nothing at all. Any time there is an issue or occurrence outside the norm, it is your job to keep your guests informed and up to date about what is going on. There’s nothing worse than sitting at a table hungry, with no idea why your food hasn’t arrived yet.
In case you hadn’t noticed a trend here, it’s all about saying “yes” to your guests wherever and whenever possible. When you consistently satisfy your most demanding guests, you build your business by creating loyal brand ambassadors who will return and bring their friends and family.
For more information about how you can drive profitability in your restaurant, or to contact one of our consultants, visit our website.
