10 restaurant customer service ideas that will increase guest retention in 2022 (2023)

As a restaurateur, you can have the best atmosphere, a great menu, extensive service staff coverage and still lose customers to your competitors.

Then again, you can have naive interns ask people if they would like a dessert after the main course and make a sweet treat. The result depends on the quality of your restaurant's customer service.

according to aDeloitte Report 2017, 60 percent of customers frequently visit restaurants where they have had a positive experience. Therefore, a great way to generate new business and increase restaurant sales is to keep the quality of your customer service high.

In this post, we will discuss the 7 elements of great restaurant customer service.

But first, you'll learn about the different types of restaurant service, what service style is, and the role restaurant owners play in shaping the customer experience.

Meet guest expectations

When customers walk into a restaurant, they come with certain expectations. Think about your expectations as a restaurant customer. You are likely to expect:

• a warm welcome
• Team-focused care
• Prompt service on all fronts - from sitting down to receiving the check and everything in between
• A pleasant and comfortable environment without unwanted disturbances
• High quality food that is up to restaurant standards.
• Friendly and cordial treatment by the restaurant staff throughout your dining experience.
• Easy payment methods

Your customers are likely to come to your restaurant with similar expectations of exceptional service. Paying attention to these factors is an integral part of a restaurant's success, as customer service and satisfaction levels significantly determine whether or not they are likely to return to your restaurant.

But before employing ways to improve customer service, it's important to have a good understanding of restaurant service and how it works.

10 ways to improve customer service in restaurants

1. Train your staff on proper etiquette

if you really wantusual customers,so you should definitely educate your staff on restaurant etiquette. Begin withtrain themon the appropriate customer label, such asHow to speak politely to customers.🇧🇷 Ideally, they should be polite and greet arriving and departing guests with a warm smile. Nobody likes to eat surrounded by grumpy servers.

It can be helpful to identify specific team members who need additional training. Consider using an online service management system to keep track of which server each table is assigned to. If most of the bad reviews seem to be coming from the desktop of a certain server, give them a few extra hours of training to help them perform better.

Make sure everyone on your customer support team is as friendly and welcoming (and well-dressed!) as possible. It is also important to ensure that each team member is aware of thecore valuesand represents them when interacting with guests.

2. Go further

Take a look at your local competition to find out what they lack in customer experience, then offer it in your restaurant. Something as simple as offering a free bottle of water to every customer can earn you extra brownie points.

Another thing you can do is try to stand out with your restaurant signs. For example, a sign with a sentence that says "please wait to be seated" could be rephrased to read "please give us a few minutes while our amazing team gets your table ready." Or something more attractive.

>>>Download our free guide on how to build a better experience

3. Leverage guest data to improve customer service

As a restaurant owner, you will often find yourself in a situation where your customer service is stagnant. He's embraced all the "best practices" and built a good customer service system, but isn't sure how to take the next step from good to great. Sounds familiar? The good news is that the key to this problem is already in your hands: guest data.

Guest datait's the key element that helps your restaurant's customer service break down barriers and reach new heights.Powerful information for guestsHelping restaurants gain deep insight and a deep understanding of their customers' behavior, enabling them to provide a personalized and personalized experience.

There are several data elements that can help you improve your service standards, onedetailedGuestprofile databasebeing one of the most important. The creation of detailed profiles for each guest, including a wealth of information about their personal details, allergies, food, drink and seating preferences, etc. Unmatched personalized experience.

ServersYou should also be encouraged to add special notes about each guest and reservation as needed, and attach custom labels like "VIP," "High Spend" or more for each guest to ensure their current and future experiences at your restaurant run smoothly. The goal should always be to collect as much data as possible and use it to provide the best possible customer service. If you're not sure how to collect this data, many online reservation systems now come equipped with advanced analytics and reporting features that can help you collect crucial guest data.

One of the most important guest information points is feedback. Listening to what your customers have to say about their experience can help you identify problem areas (or even winning areas) about your service that you don't know about. Use post-dinner reviews to collect crucial feedback and analyze it daily to improve your customer service.

Ultimately, guest data can help you not only provide enhanced service to customers during their dining experience, but also keep them coming back for more through targeted messaging.Advanced CRM Systemsoautomation platforms for restaurantsit can help you segment and target your customers accordingly to make them feel special and keep them coming back for more. Do you have some loyal customers? Send them a special discount. These little additions to your service experience will help your restaurant build a list of loyal customers.

4. Throw a surprise or two

After guests are seated at their tables, try to delight them by letting them know about daily specials or ongoing discounts and promotions. This can make them feel like they did the right thing by choosing to dine at your restaurant.

A popular way to attract customers is to offer a "plat du jour." For those unfamiliar, a plat du jour is a meal offered by a restaurant on a certain day of the week. It includes a main dish, drink and appetizer or dessert at the same price, which improves the customer experience due to the potential savings.

If they are regular customers and often order the same dishes, consider providing them with that signature dish to show that you pay attention and care about each visit.

5. Offer seasonal experiences

One of the easiest ways to improve your customer service is to adapt your business strategy to complement the different seasons. For example, you can add a Thanksgiving or Christmas special to your menu.during the festive season.

Another idea is to offer outdoor dining during the summer months and enhance the customer experience by serving fresh produce. With long wait times being a major cause of customer frustration, offering table service outside can reflect positively on your bottom line.

6. Implement new payment technologies

Invest in different technologiescan significantly increase the attractiveness of your restaurant.One option is to get a modern POS solution that functions as a cash register/PC hybrid, with the ability to print receipts, process credit card transactions, function as a server station, and display data in a user-friendly interface.
Control Panel.

Another is to allow customers to pay via mobile using contactless payments such asapple payment🇧🇷 For advance reservations, you can take advantage of payment gateways such asRayamiPayPal.

Also, consider the impact that digital reservation systems can have on your team's ability to provide better customer service. Effective customer service is much easier if your staff have access to customer information before serving the customer. That means anything from caller ID, restaurant history, and past spending patterns at your restaurant. Being prepared is often half the battle, andReservation systems can help make a difference.

7. Learn to deal with customer complaints and criticism

No matter how much you train your staff or how hard you work to provide exceptional customer service, there will always be mistakes and complaints. You need to have proper protocols in place to handle customer complaints and feedback and train your staff accordingly to ensure that the customer does not leave your restaurant unhappy.

A good tip is to listen to customer feedback and criticism and offer to make it up to the customer with a complimentary plate or coupon as a gesture of apology. This will make the customer feel heard and important and will increase the likelihood that they will return to your restaurant despite a negative experience.

It's also important to collect as much feedback as possible and respond accordingly. Consider setting up an automated post-dinner survey to gather feedback from as many diners as possible, analyze the data daily, and make actionable decisions accordingly.

8. Be considerate and efficient

One of the biggest drawbacks of a restaurant that keeps customers from coming back is slow service and inattentiveness from the staff. If customers have to wait for their food or wave their hands and yell 2-3 times to get the waiter's attention, then customer satisfaction levels are definitely in trouble.

providing aperfect experiencecustomer service from start to finish it is very important to ensure that your customers leave your restaurant with a smile, this includes paying due attention to each person who enters.

All the timepre-plan your shift, take a look at the number of upcoming reservations, and analyze your restaurant data to identify your busiest periods and make staffing decisions accordingly. You can also set up your table layout ahead of time to make sure your staff don't waste time moving tables after customers arrive.

Train your team tomaximize your productivityand have a designated server for each customer and try not to overcrowd the servers to make sure each individual customer gets enough attention, from greetings to check delivery. The client should never have to make extra efforts to access your server.

9. Appreciate and reward loyal customers

For regular customers, an extra personal touch can make all the difference. Addressing them by name, remembering their regular orders, table preferences, and communicating with them when they walk by will really make your regulars feel important and keep them coming back.

Areservation CRM systemYou can help ensure your team has this information on hand when regular customers return.

Other gestures, such as a complimentary dessert or a personal greeting from the restaurant owner or manager, can also increase customer satisfaction levels and build long-term relationships at almost no cost. Offerloyalty programsCustomer loyalty is also another great way to maintain a good relationship and high levels of customer satisfaction.

10. Better manage walk-ins with waitlists

One of the main reasons people don't return to restaurants is long wait times. If your restaurant gets a lot of visitors, it's crucial to set up a waitlist management system that can help you manage crowds efficiently and ensure no one leaves with a negative experience.

invest in onewaiting list management toolwhich can help you maximize your floor setup and accommodate as many customers as possible, provide accurate wait time estimates, and keep guests updated on their tables with constant messages. That way, people are much more likely to wait to dine at your restaurant.

Increase revenue with customer service

No matter how perfect everything is in your restaurant - the food, the setting, the atmosphere - it's always the customer service that keeps people coming back. When people feel welcome and important in your restaurant, that's when they go from occasional customers to regular customers.

The role of the restaurant owner in customer service

As the owner of your restaurant, it is your responsibility to ensure that your staff provide the best possible service to your customers. A casual look atyour restaurant reviewscan give you a good idea of ​​its performance.

In addition, you can take extra measures to ensure the quality of your restaurant.
the service continues to improve, some of which would involve individual efforts on your part, as well as investments in technology.

Conclution

While it's tempting to associate great dining experiences with the selection and quality of food in a restaurant, it's actually less than half the picture.

A successful restaurant is also known for customer experience, and takes pride in ensuring that the customer's journey, from restaurant reservation to checkout, leaves you feeling good.

Improving your restaurant's customer service is key to leaving customers happy and satisfied, and the little tips above are a great starting point to illustrate the impact of this business role.

What do you think of these restaurant customer service strategies? Did you know the importance of proper etiquette? Let us know in the comments section.