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10 tips to deliver an excellent customer service

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Customer service is very important for the success of a restaurant. Customers go to restaurants not only to eat delicious food, but also to enjoy the whole experience. A minor mistake in service may cause a great deal of customer resentment. As a restaurant owner/manager, you do not want it happen at all. Rather, you would perhaps like to win the hearts and minds of your customers to such an extent that they are very happy with your restaurant which is reflected by their repeat purchase and referrals. This mini article outlines top ten tips for great customer service.

1. The customers must receive a very warm welcome from the moment they step in the restaurant. Waiters and waitresses must greet the customers with a genuine smile (no fake smile!). With fake smile, I mean simply twisting the face! Addressing customers with appropriate titles work very well.

2. You must not delay in anything you do. Certainly, speed of service is important in everything from taking orders to delivering food. If customers take more than the usual time to order food, do not rush them up! You do not want your customers to feel that they are pressured.

3. No flirting with customers. It would question your professionalism. It may also lead to some uncomfortable events. So, stay away from flirting!

4. Do not eat in from of the customers. Waiters, waitresses and anybody involved in the customer service must have their snacks and lunch/dinner in the staff room.

5. Listen to customers’ concern with full concentration. Do not get into argument with customers. There is no point of winning an argument while losing the customer! Remember, a customer has a life time value. If you lose a customer today, perhaps you are losing him/her forever. Just assume the customer spends £25 a week at your restaurant. How much are you going to lose from the customer in a year?

6. Cleanliness is the king! The cutleries, food, chairs, tables, aprons, restrooms, and so on need to be perfectly clean. Nobody would like to eat on a plate that contains dirt and food marks perhaps from the previous use.

7. Do not discriminate! Never judge a book by its cover. All customers deserve your attention regardless of their age, appearance, race, religion, and gender.

8. Ask for feedback. Many customers would love to give you valuable feedback which you can use to improve your service later. Asking feedback also shows that as a restaurant you would like to listen to your customers.

9. Make great customer service a restaurant wide philosophy. Everyone involved must own it.

10. All guests should be thanked and invited to return. You must ensure that all customers are completely satisfied before they leave the restaurant. Open the door for them and say ‘goodbye’ with a smiling face.

The article publication date: 06 September 2016

Further reading/references

Timm, P., (2014) Customer service: career success through customer loyalty, 6th edition, Pearson.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Author: M Rahman

M Rahman writes extensively online and offline with an emphasis on business management, marketing, and tourism. He is a lecturer in Management and Marketing. He holds an MSc in Tourism & Hospitality from the University of Sunderland. Also, graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a BA in Business & Management Studies and completed a DTLLS (Diploma in Teaching in the Life-Long Learning Sector) from London South Bank University.

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