Jim Rohn once said, " If you make a sale you make a living, but if you make an investment of time and good service, you can make a fortune."
The customer is the soul of any business. A business cannot thrive and be recognized without satisfied customers creating future customers. For any business, customers should be their top priority, especially if they want a long-standing in the market. This is more pertinent to a service providing business like a restaurant business. A slight mistake arousing dissatisfaction with your customer might have a catastrophic effect on your restaurant's reputation.
In the world of the internet, where trends, tastes, preferences, behavior changes in an eyeblink, your businesses still need ideas to enhance your customer service. Of course, Word of Mouth is powerful. If you render the most precise customer service, you tend to create a word of mouth, hence drawing the best customers. But if not, you got to psych yourself up. Have a look at the given below ideas, that might help you to earn Brownie points:
Your Behavior is the go card
Customers are there to be liked and like what you have. No one will ever like it if you serve the food rudely and in an indecent manner. Value your customers- they are your God.
What customers love:
Representative listens to everything that the customers have to say and then proceeds forward.
The representative goes above and beyond to provide personalized help.
Instead of arguing, submit yourself to resolve the problem and apologize at the same time, and Smile.
When representatives are empathetic and are too polite.
They are full of etiquettes and manners.
What you should do:
Customers consider reps as the extension of the company. It's likely possible that customers may use abrasive behavior. Stay calm and don't take them personally.
Greeting your customer with gestures and kind words may add stars to your service.
Choose your words very carefully before you speak.
Learn the etiquette of serving, talking, asking, etc.
Make waiting hours not like what it means
There are times when you are full and hardly have space left for accommodation. If someone is waiting for you, reward them for their wait. It can have a drastic effect on your reputation. Even if it's a delivery, you can still enact them in your procedure.
What customers love:
Short waiting hours
Keep them informed about their time to move in or the time of reaching the delivery.
Keeping them busy in their waiting time(dine-in), maybe some recreational activities.
Giving them the accommodation or delivery a little ahead than it was pretended.
Enjoying some complimentary drinks during the waiting period (dine-in)
Free internet can be fun for them (dine-in)
What should you do:
Getting introduced to some entertainment like games, TV or a local music band to keep them engaged.
Soft background music should always run in the background. This increases their patience level.
The internet however can do wonders. Provide them with free Wifi, a cell phone can do wonders to pass time.
If you can manage to have an app that takes orders online, your customers can order before coming and enjoy the hot delicious dishes as soon as they get seated.
Taking Feedback from your Customers
It is a great idea to enhance their experience with you. Be it food or service, don't hesitate to ask them. "Table touches" or directly asking your customers about the food they ate can actually leave your customers with a good impression of you. You need their feedback to improve your customer insights.
What customers love:
To make them feel equally important by taking their feedback.
Getting back to them with a makeup plan for their unsatisfied experience through calls or emails or the place of their writing.
A simple, short yet interesting feedback template, used at both online/offline platforms.
Incorporating their suggestions and advice along with mentioning them an appreciation and thank you token.
If you mention your customers in any of your social media posts or their pictures (with permission) on their page.
Showing off their visit to the restaurant, or writing reviews and experience online like on google or other restaurants screening rating apps.
What should you do:
Ask feedback to all customers, whether it's their first visit or maybe their 18th visit.
If you receive any complaint or negative feedback, put yourself in customers' shoes before enacting.
Prepare a short and simple feedback template for online and offline use, where customers can avoid writing much.
If your customer has a solution for any problem and you are possibly taking that into account, thank them enough by writing them a personalized email or offering them a 5-star meal.
You can also add an incentive like a discount, a special offer for all those who give you the highest ratings on Google, or other rating apps.
Reverting them with an apology and a make up a plan on their bad experience with any of your services.
If they are encountering any problem they know where to go. Live chats while delivering service and help desk while a dine-in service can help to keep the function smoother.
Remember them
Everyone has a busy life but who doesn't like to be recognized? That's it. A personal touch is the best way to let your prospects know that they are a priority. In short, remember their names.
What customers love:
They love to be addressed by their names. This might make them fall for your decency.
If you remember the time and day of their last visit.
If you remember the orders of their last visit.
If you remember their choices and preferences and their taste for spicy or non-spicy food.
If you suggest something as per their taste or maybe something new and different in your menu.
Personal Birthday, Anniversaries or their big day wishes.
Invites on their favorite events (as mentioned as interests in templates) sponsored by your restaurant.
What should you do:
Maintain a proper record of customers. This will help you to check back their status of being a new customer or old.
Use the best customer management tool, to record all the important information
Don't be too personal. Avoid talking about their families or have long gossip or leaking out other customers' information.
To show that you’re listening, mention something they said earlier. Your regulars will appreciate this personalization and will likely rave about your company.
Send them personalized gifts, wishes, personalized videos, cake, or flowers, on their big days like Birthdays and Anniversaries.
Clarification
This is the best you can do. This creates the best impression. To be heard for the very first time, proceeding without chaos and confusion can actually seem plausible for your restaurant's reputation.
What customers love:
A proper note of the dishes ordered and workout of the mentioned precautions.
When the food reaches the address without fuss (delivery)
Keeping the exact change ready for the bill.
The correct bill delivered to the exact customer.
When their problems are taken immediately hand to hand and smooth solutions.
When they are provided with a clear and proper solution for their unpleasant experience or negative feedback.
What should you do:
Note and store all the precautions mentioned, orders, information in the restaurant management software or tool.
Check and Recheck with customer's names, address, and other personal information.
Review the bill and the order before releasing for delivery or clearance of tables.
While dealing with complaints and feedback, use automation only where it makes sense. Instead of automating customer interactions, try automating how your team collaborates.
Instill and Impress
Every business and brand has a vision, mission, and unique objective that is maintained by the service and product the brand provides. This also goes for Restaurant businesses.
What customers love:
When every employee reflects the core values of the restaurant brand.
Each service chores facilitated reflects the same.
With every chain and every employee, it's all the same.
When they see the core values of the brand is mixed with their personal take ups.
What should you do:
Train your staff and employees thoroughly and strictly with the core values.
Try to recruit those candidates who already reflect the values your brand owns.
Keep a check on how employees deliver it.
Sanitization, Health and Hygiene Customer Value, Quick and Satisfied Service, Quality and Quantity, Customer friendly all these should be inhibited by employees.
These should also be reflected in your promotional posts, Social Media Posts, and Marketing.
Always make your customers happy. Make their experiences wonderful and surreal with you. So plan properly and decide wisely. Leave no stone unturned to make your customer experience a clean five out of five with your customer service. Give them reasons to get back to you. The way you treat them is the way they are going to treat you. A happy customer walking out of your restaurant is surely going to come back the next day or tell about you to friends and acquaintances. In brevity, keep your customers satisfied and let them do the marketing. An excellent dining experience can contribute to huge profits. After all, Guests are Gods.