Restaurant Customer Service
Restaurant Customer Service Expeditions?
When a customer dines at a specific restaurant I am sure that most guests expect above average restaurant customer service. On top of that the ambiance of that restaurant is also at the top of that list.
I know when I dine out I expect top notch service because I am spending my hard-earned money there. When you buy a brand-new vehicle you expect perfection, especially, when you saw a commercial on television about that car describing the features and guarantees. It’s the same thing when you dine at restaurants and spend the money you earned at your job, you are expected to enjoy great service and exceptional food served hot and fast.
Restaurants are opening at an alarming rate. Where I live there is a stretch of road where you can find all kinds of restaurants and car dealerships. Competition is fierce, that’s why most restaurant operators are trying to outdo their competition when it comes to service and food. I have dined in restaurants where the service and food were beyond terrible. Sometimes it’s a hit and miss scenario meaning, I will visit a restaurant and the service and food was great and then I will revisit that restaurant weeks later only to receive below average service and food.
For information on restaurant customer service – the do’s and don’ts : www.thebalance.com/restaurant-customer-service-2888415
What happened to consistency?
Where was the manager on duty? The managers sole responsibility is to ensure that every customer receives exceptional service by monitoring the employees. If necessary the manger will jump in and bail out certain positions so that customer service is not jeopardized.
The manager may have to help out greeting the door or help servers with order taking and delivering food. The manager also might have to help cook due to call outs or higher sales then expected. Once the kitchen checks are caught up in standard check times the managers should break off and continue with their figure eight rounds throughout the restaurant.
Employee Schedules
Maybe the mix of employees that were scheduled effected the service and food. In the customer’s mind they don’t care about the why’s, it more I expect great service and food served fast. Yes, there are some customers that will sympathize with the situation, especially, if that restaurant is their favorite place to dine.
The general manager should review and approve each schedule front and back of the house. The mix of employees on the schedule needs to balance out, seasoned employee’s verses employees that are not on the same level as the seasoned employee. When creating a schedule think about your top peak shifts. Schedule your top performers and match them up with either new hires or employees that are not top performers.
In this scenario, top performers if necessary can help out the other employees in their assigned position. The top performers need to be proficient in their position and also should be crossed trained.
Restaurant Training
Employee training will affect restaurant customer service. What kind of training are your employees receiving? Are the owners or district managers monitoring the managers? Managers should oversee, monitor and correct all phases of training in the restaurant. Does your restaurant have an awesome training program? Does your restaurant have a way to track each employees training performance?
For more information on training visit: http://www.workplacewizards.com
Professionally designed and detailed restaurant forms, checklists, spreadsheets and training manuals visit: http://www.workplacewizards.com/restaurant-form-2/