How many times have you heard that saying, “The customer is always right.” Or how about, service does more than just serve guests, it is the building blocks that keep customers coming back. This being said if you want more customers you better train your food service professionals and you better make sure that your managers stay focus on the quality of service being executed on a day to day basis.
The fear of giving subpar service should truly make you worry, it is a growing concern industrywide and the weakness of giving poor service can lead even the nations top brands into the ground. It has become vital to hold your managers accountable on focusing on service standards that will lead to better sales and customer retention.
Restaurants reporting high turnover rates typically are sadly the ones that give poor service. The reason for this is that staff members are typically not in the establishment long enough to create strong client relationships. On the contrary the top-performing brands are less likely to receive negative service scores on all social media platforms. There are fewer complaints pertaining service, food and/management.
Too many times as owners we will blame poor service on the market being over saturated with new restaurants, the lack of adequate service professionals or even the tremendous lack of customers on the recession. It is fact that the hospitality industry has been week for years since 2008 and even though the industry has generated positive sales through higher prices, traffic has declined. Customers demand only the highest level of service, rightfully so, the nations average check has climbed 13.5% in the past four years and guests not only demand but, deserve the best!
It is a key performance indicator that top-performing brands are more likely to have top online review scores. Top brands make service their top priority and consistently train both managers and hourly employees alike. Owners know that it is important not to turn over their managers and keep them happy, well trained and prioritize listening to them if and when something in the restaurant needs reevaluation. Remember your management is your defense line between you and customers, they are the people you should trust and invest in the most!
To the last point, as owners, you should always be looking into new service techniques, new programs to enhance your service professionals knowledge base and continuously look for the top notch hospital professionals in your area.
