PLAY NICE! CUSTOMER SERVICE & YOUR STAFF

While your staff can be trained to recite restaurant specials, enlighten customers on the exact region a seafood item has been caught from, and pour wine correctly, trying to teach them to be nice to customers can be a lot tougher.

Good manners are generally instilled in a person at home. And, unfortunately, exuding a pleasant demeanour is not the type of thing someone can just learn at TAFE. Hence, while some employees may appear technically proficient, they may lack the ability to charm a table of guests with their personality.

Even so, there are some things you can do to ensure your staff “play nice” and to help educate them…. And, it begins with management. Good treatment of staff and customers can help set the tone for the entire floor, modelling proper service behaviour.

Plus, a good manager will often be seen in the dining room – in the thick of things – noting what’s going on, not continually getting caught up out the back.

Of course, you can always nip any problems in the bud at the very start – when hiring staff. The job interview process is a good way to determine if a candidate’s personality suits the hospitality trade.

A question that could be posed to a candidate in the interview stage is: “How do you think your behaviour contributes to a guest’s experience or memory of a venue?”  A good response from a candidate might speak of their passion for the industry and guest satisfaction, as well as them being a “people” person and a self-starter.

As well, be aware of a candidate’s reactions and responses at the interview. These sorts of things can tell you everything you need to know about a person, including whether they look you in the eye, smile and appear gracious. This is how that person performs under pressure. Do they “shine”? Are they personable? Trust your gut instinct about it before hiring!

As well, customer service doesn’t follow a rule book – it’s instinctual. Staff need to show an ability to customise a dining experience to individual needs, including being able to “read” a table and anticipate what is required next.

Remember: quality and customer service is a continual process – not something a venue can just tick off for good. Staff members constantly need to be trained and developed to their next level.

But, it’s certainly worth taking the time to do it. After all, customer service is an integral part of a venue’s reputation – and profitability.

customer service in your restaurant

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