Website: Workplacewizards.com
Email: Workplacewizards@gmail.com
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Many restaurants lack customer service and therefore either lose customers or eventually close their doors forever. I am a restaurant consultant with many years of experience in the food service industry. I dine out frequently, looking for that perfect restaurant. Every once in a while, I come across a worthy restaurant. A worthy restaurant is one who gives excellent customer service & great food served fast.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great restaurants out there, although there are also restaurants that lack great customer service & great food served fast. I am going to give you some pointers on how to improve your restaurants customer service.

1. Train the entire restaurant on greeting your customers at the front door. Initially, a greeter would be responsible in greeting your customers immediately upon entering your restaurant. The greeter maybe seating a customer and other customers may need to be greeted, that’s where a manager or server will help out in the greater role. The very first impression is greeting. If you fail in immediate greeting you may lose that guest forever.
2. Server initial greeting at the customers table. Upon the customer being seated at their table the server should greet them within 2 minutes. If that particular server can’t greet them, then a manager, greeter, or another server should. The manager or greeter, or another server needs to take and deliver a drink within 4 minutes to that table. If that server is unable to serve that table because they are in the hole, then give that table to another server who can handle it.
3. The server 6 steps of service. See the next page. It is vital that every server should be trained in the server steps of service. The server should memorize the server steps and work the steps from the minute the customer arrives at the restaurant up until they depart the restaurant. The owner and manager’s responsibility need to be to monitor the staff to insure they are working the steps. All servers should study and take that service step test periodically. Use service steps test page and have the server fill in the blanks. Verbally test the servers on the information under each service step. Require them to know this information in order to serve your customers. It will be much easier to require new hires to learn this information. Believe me the server steps do work.
4. Great food served fast. All recipes need to be consistent with the ingredients. Create a recipe book or a recipe cheat sheet for your cooks. Go through your menu and eliminate the dead weight. Also, for faster speed of service eliminate complicated recipes. The point is to make the menu manageable. The cooks need to prepare items quickly so that ticket times don’t fall behind.
• Breakfast ticket times are: 8 minutes or less
• Lunch ticket times are: 12 to 10 minutes or less
• Dinner ticket times are: 15 minutes or less. The exception is steaks, thick cut chops, etc. Inform the guest it may take longer to prepare. The other exception is your restaurant may be a fine dinning restaurant and therefore will take longer to prepare because most items are prepared from scratch.
5. The last item to talk about will be managers, interaction in the dinning room with customers and the employees. I can’t stress enough that the manager needs to monitor the employees to ensure they are doing the right thing for the right reasons. The manager also needs to do table touches to ensure the customer service is above standard.

Quick Reference Chart
WOW Steps of Service
Step 1
Greet-Seat
• Greet the guests immediately when they enter the restaurant
• Have a sincere, friendly smile and welcome the guests. “Hi, welcome to [restaurant name]. How many in your party?”
• Seat the guests immediately when there is an open table
• Stay within arm’s length of the guest as you are seating them
• Senior citizens or guests with walkers and canes should be seated up front, if possible
• Tell the server the table number and how many guests

Step 2
Sell-Tell
• Server greets the table with a sincere smile within 2 minutes of seating
• Server introduces himself/herself with the server’s first name
• If you do not recognize the guest, ask them if they have been here before
• Describe the features and specials (use details, such as how it is described on the menu)
• Start with the drink orders and suggest a specific appetizer

Step 3
Ring-Bring
• Server immediately places the drink orders and appetizers in the POS system
• Drink Orders delivered within 4 minutes to the guests
• Server takes the guest order from left to right, and suggests add-on items – up-selling
• Be attentive to children and senior citizens – and be aware of allergens
• Within 2 minutes enter all guest orders into the order system
• For children, deliver the child’s entrée as soon as ready–before adult entrée, if possible
• Deliver entrées to the guests within 15 minutes and observe plate presentation
• Hot food hot and Cold food cold

Step 4
Check Back-Refill
• Check back after 2 bites to ensure everything is okay
• Automatic refills when glasses are half full
• Remove dirty dishes immediately
• Be attentive to guests

Step 5
Tell-Sell Desserts and Check down
• Show dessert tray or suggests desserts within 3 bites of guests finishing the entrées
• Suggest coffee or milk
• If no desserts are ordered, drop off the check’ with the check presenter standing up (When ready to pay, the guest will place the presenter flat on the table)
• If desserts are ordered, serve desserts within 7 minutes of the order
• Check back within 2 bites and drop off the check, with the check presenter standing up
• If server banking, remind the guest that you will take the payment when they are ready

Step 6
Receive-Reset
• Receive payments and process credit cards and close the check out immediately
• Thank the guest with a warm, sincere smile and invite them back
• Immediately after the guest leaves clean the table per standards
• Wipe chairs, booths, high chairs and booster seats and clean floors
• Fill any condiments, as needed, including napkins
• Reset the table before the next seating

Quick Reference Chart
WOW Steps of Service Test
Step 1

_____________
• Greet the guests immediately when they enter the restaurant
• Have a sincere, friendly smile and welcome the guests. “Hi, welcome to [restaurant name]. How many in your party?”
• Seat the guests immediately when there is an open table
• Stay within arm’s length of the guest as you are seating them
• Senior citizens or guests with walkers and canes should be seated up front, if possible
• Tell the server the table number and how many guests

Step 2

______________
• Server greets the table with a sincere smile within 2 minutes of seating
• Server introduces himself/herself with the server’s first name
• If you do not recognize the guest, ask them if they have been here before
• Describe the features and specials (use details, such as how it is described on the menu)
• Start with the drink orders and suggest a specific appetizer

Step 3

_______________
• Server immediately places the drink orders and appetizers in the POS system
• Drink Orders delivered within 4 minutes to the guests
• Server takes the guest order from left to right, and suggests add-on items – up-selling
• Be attentive to children and senior citizens – and be aware of allergens
• Within 2 minutes enter all guest orders into the order system
• For children, deliver the child’s entrée as soon as ready–before adult entrée, if possible
• Deliver entrées to the guests within 15 minutes and observe plate presentation
• Hot food hot and Cold food cold

Step 4

________________
• Check back after 2 bites to ensure everything is okay
• Automatic refills when glasses are half full
• Remove dirty dishes immediately
• Be attentive to guests

Step 5

________________
• Show dessert tray or suggests desserts within 3 bites of guests finishing the entrées
• Suggest coffee or milk
• If no desserts are ordered, drop off the check’ with the check presenter standing up (When ready to pay, the guest will place the presenter flat on the table)
• If desserts are ordered, serve desserts within 7 minutes of the order
• Check back within 2 bites and drop off the check, with the check presenter standing up
• If server banking, remind the guest that you will take the payment when they are ready

Step 6

_________________
• Receive payments and process credit cards and close the check out immediately
• Thank the guest with a warm, sincere smile and invite them back
• Immediately after the guest leaves clean the table per standards
• Wipe chairs, booths, high chairs and booster seats and clean floors
• Fill any condiments, as needed, including napkins
• Reset the table before the next seating

I own a restaurant consulting called Workplace Wizards. We provide many types of services to restaurants, owners, managers and staff.

1. Free Restaurant Consulting
2. Traditional/Undercover Assessments
3. Restaurant Management/Employee Training
4. Food or Alcohol Certification Courses – All 50 States
5. Restaurant Startup
6. Discounted Quality Restaurant Forms, Checklists, Quick Reference Charts, Spreadsheets and Training Manuals

If interested visit:

http://www.workplacewizards.com
http://www.workplacewizards.com/restaurant-forms

Every restaurant is not immune when it comes to inferior customer service or food related issues.  I travel all throughout the United States, with that being said I do have to eat.

When I do visit a restaurant, I am very particular about the service and food. Most restaurant owners and managers critique the service and food as they visit restaurants.

I recently visited an IHOP restaurant in Winchester, Virginia, below is my assessment about the service and food.

 Customer Service

I teach restaurants servers to approach the guest under 2 minutes. The server approached our table within an okay time frame under 4 minutes.

The server took our drink and food order relatively fast. The drink order should typically be delivered less than 4 minutes. They server met that goal.  Breakfast delivery should be under 7 minutes.  The food was delivered less than 15 minutes. Lunch orders should be delivered less than 10-12 minutes or less. Dinner orders should be delivered less than 15 minutes or less. Meals that are more complex will take longer to prepare. Our breakfast came out fresh and hot, very delicious.

Overall, I give this restaurant a B- for customer service. This restaurant provided just okay service. The goal is to get the guest to embed into their mind exceptional customer service. If the restaurant manages to make that happen then there is a high chance of repeat business and word of mouth engagement.

The Customers Eye

The restaurant is over 25 years old. The condition of the restaurant is in terrible shape.  Customers will not revisit the restaurant if it is not up to their standards. That is why it is important to have the restaurant in a pristine or a as new condition.

What is the Customer’s Eye?

Viewing the restaurant through the customer’s eye; understanding their perspective. It is very important to eliminate all issues that the guest can see.

Some of the issues that I saw were:

1. Several booth cushions had large tears in them.
2. Carpets were in terrible condition, rips and holes.
3. Tables had chips and table bases were dirty.
4. Our menus had food debris on them.
5. The service aisle and kitchen was in view; countertops were clean, although the floors were dirty. The drains were rusty and worn out. The server area walls had several small holes in them.
6. The men’s restaurant was really bad. There was an employee cleaning the restaurant using a pine soil scented cleaner that masked the odors. It was clear the 25 years of wear and tear was presented.

As I paid the check at the register, I asked to speak to the restaurant manager. I gave my business card to the employee to give to the general manager. A few minutes went by and the GM approached me. I introduced myself and explained that when I visit restaurants I like to point out the good and the bad.

I did mention that the food was delicious and the service was just okay. I also mentioned the areas of opportunity. I told the GM that in the restaurants that I ran we always kept backups of 2 tops, 4 tops and 6 top booth cushions on-hand. If there were booth cushions were in bad shape we replaced them with new ones.  In this particular restaurant you needed a divined intervention to correct the issues. It seems that the worn out booth cushions were budgeted in the Feb 2018 budget. A budget should not include issues that can affect repeat business or what the guest can see.

Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth is a very powerful advertisement or repeat business tool.  If the restaurant and the employees provide exceptional service, then the guest may tell their friends, family and co-workers about the restaurant service and food, this will impact repeat business. On the other hand, below average service & food will create the opposite effect, causing declining sales & customer counts.

I will not recommend this restaurant and most likely will not return. This does not mean that all IHOPS are in the same situation at this restaurant. It is clear that the service needs to improve and that the corporate offices need to prioritize in fixing the issues that can affect sales and repeat business rather than treating these issues as a budget issue. Not sure if it is a management issue or a corporate level issue. In most cases, these restaurants are mis- managed. These restaurant managers are complacent because they either don’t care or they are wearing side blinders or they are not trained correctly.

There are many corporate, franchise and independently owned restaurants that fall under the same category in providing just okay service/food or terrible service & food.

Restaurant Consulting
Workplace Wizards
Jeff & Donna Schim
http://www.workplacewizards.com
http://www.workplacewizards.com/restaurant-forms

Quality Restaurant Employee

Restaurant Hiring and Training

Inferior restaurant training can establish or ruin your bottom line earnings. I have witnessed restaurants use little or no training in their restaurants. That is a restaurant killer. Quality restaurant employee training is an investment not an expense.



Quality restaurant employee training is considered a return of investment (ROI).  Invest time and money in training your restaurant staff the correct way.  When training your staff members remember the term high standards.  Never settle for less go for the gusto.  

Start-Up Revenue: 

What does start-up revenue have to do with training, EVERYTHING.

For restaurant start-up’s it is vital to have enough start up capital to hire the correct amount of restaurant managers and staff along with training them. You have to have enough cash on hand to train your employees and to pay them.

The first thing that you need is to obtain the correct permits. Do you want to open up an existing restaurant or do you want to build a restaurant from the ground up.  A turn-key restaurant is: buying an existing restaurant, basically you are just changing hands.

If you are constructing a restaurant from the ground up, the start-up expenses could be $100,000 to $300,000 and that depends on if you want new equipment, refurbished or used. It also depends the type of restaurant you want to open, along with the menu prices. Either way make sure you have enough capital to get you through the first 6 to 12 months until you begin to turn a profit. You need to pay your employees, vendors, rent, utilities, and so on.

Quality Restaurant Employee: Hire and train your staff members:

The best way to begin this process is to commence training with managers and key employees such as:

• Certified Server Trainer
• Certified Cook Trainer

Once you have fully trained those key employees they can train the rest of the staff members. It is recommended both the owner/district managers and managers go through the same training as both the front and back of the house positions.

Your restaurant will experience employees quitting, call outs and higher sales than expected.  When these events occur, then management needs to work in these positions so that customer service is not jeopardized.  Owners and District managers are expected if they are in the restaurant to pitch in and help stabilize customer service.

You can close the restaurant for the day; think about the revenue you will lose. Closing the restaurant is not an option, preparing for those events is key to continuing the interrupted service that your guest deserves. When hiring make sure you hire ACE employees.

Do thorough reference checks and if necessary background checks. You will filter out individuals by making reference checks and background checks. Just because the candidate told you or wrote on their application that they are great employees with a good work history does not mean it is true. Call those references to verify that information.

Restaurant turn around will break your piggy bank. Remember, you need to hire the very best, so do not hire the first person you see. Take your time and hire the right person with the most experience and the person who possesses integrity along with work proficiency.

Training your employees consistently and correctly will save you money in the long run because you will have less turnover providing that your employees are happy and your managers observe and correct the staff members. Managers need to respect their peers and treat them with dignity. There are some many factors that will ultimately decide your employees happiness in your restaurant.

Use the follow forms to help you in the hiring process and training process:

Restaurant Forms and Checklist

Restaurant Application
Restaurant Telephone Reference Form
Restaurant New Hire Checklists
Restaurant New Hire Orientation Checklists
Restaurant Server Training Checklists
Restaurant Kitchen Training Checklists
Restaurant Training Feedback Form
Restaurant Employee Performance Review 
Restaurant Manager Performance Review
Restaurant Manager 360 Feedback Form
Restaurant Employee Exit Interview    
Restaurant Server Steps of Service and Answer Key
Waiter and Waitress Competency Test and Answer Key
Restaurant Mystery Shopper Form Lunch or Dinner Dining Room No Alcohol 
Restaurant Mystery Shopper Form Lunch or Dinner Dining Room With Alcohol
Restaurant Mystery Shopper Form For Bars
Restaurant Cook Test  and Answer Key Version 1
Restaurant Cook Test and Answer Key Version 2
Restaurant Service Steps Of Service Chart
Restaurant Greeter Job Description Form
Restaurant Server Job Description Form
Restaurant Cook Job Description Form
Restaurant Prep Cook Job Description Form   

Visit Restaurant Forms and Checklists for more quality forms, checklists and spreadsheets

For more valuable information and how to hire and train your staff members click on the following links:

http://www.workplacewizards.com/restaurant-training/  
http://www.workplacewizards.com/hiring-quality-employees/   
http://www.workplacewizards.com/the-application-and-interviewing-process/ 
http://www.workplacewizards.com/forms-for-restaurants/  
Effective Restaurant Training Techniques: Jump-Start Your Training Program Today  
Driving Sales by Service Magic: Implementing Sales Techniques in Your Restaurant  
Customer Service Tips: How to Handle Irate Customers  
Restaurant Customer Service: How to Get Repeat Customers   
Restaurant Management: Five Key Tips For Managing a Restaurant

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Email is at: workplacewizards@gmail.com