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How to Deliver Perfect Customer Service in Your Local Restaurant

By Robert Harrington posted 05-02-2021 22:42

  

If you own a local restaurant, customer service is essential to your success. How you treat your customers is as important as the food you serve them if you want them to come back time and time again. Customers won’t return if they receive bad service, even if they enjoy your food. Here are some ways to ensure your customer service is excellent.

It starts with your online presence

Diners will often search online for a local restaurant. From the minute they go to your website page, the experience you offer them counts. Your website must be mobile-friendly because most diners will search using their mobile phones. They should easily find what they’re looking for, such as your menu options and where you’re located. 

Using Show My Map’s map creator allows you to create an interactive map you can embed on your website. This allows diners to see where your restaurant is located and how much time it will take them to drive to it. 

Value and train employees

To offer great customer service, it’s essential to teach staff essential customer service skills, such as being polite and informative without being intrusive. The needs of diners must be at the forefront from the time they walk in the door. They should be greeted warmly before being politely ushered to their seats. 

Staff should be thoroughly versed in the menu and listen intently to what diners want without interrupting them. They should ask questions and repeat orders to make sure they’re accurate. If a diner orders a meal that takes longer to cook, they should know they must inform the person in advance. 

Address any issues immediately

No matter how hard you try, problems will arise. If diners have to wait too long for a first round of drinks or a meal, it won’t matter how good the food is when it finally arrives as they will probably be too irritated to enjoy it. 

Don’t ever let customers get so angry that they walk out as they’re likely to spread the word about what happened to them. Listen intently to the problem and acknowledge it. Stay calm, especially if you don’t agree, and let them know you are very sorry. 

Keep eye contact and don’t let your body language give a different impression than your words. Try to find a solution quickly and with as little drama as possible. 

Get customer feedback

Talk to your customers on a regular basis and give them the opportunity to provide feedback. By using customer comment cards, you can show diners that you value their opinion. 

Good restaurants always want to know exactly what kind of experience their customers had so they can keep improving it. Customer feedback can help you to find out what you need to work on and where you’re succeeding. 

By seeing through the eyes of your customers, you have a valuable way to make sure you’re offering them the very best service you can provide. Consider offering an incentive for any suggestions you adopt, such as a free round of drinks on a future visit. 

Use technology to improve your customer service

Giving your customers the opportunity to order from your online menu gives them easy access. It allows them to browse for as long as they like before ordering. Many times they will spend more if they can order online as they’re tempted to try out more.

Offering free Wi-Fi in restaurants is becoming more of a necessity today than a benefit, especially as more and more people start working remotely.

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