The Coveted Repeat Guest
A Guide to Creating an On-going Customer Relationship
Written by Marie Steadman, Junior Consultant
The restaurant industry has never experienced so much competition, how do you keep guests engaged and increase repeat business? You offer a great product that is unique, delicious and of course, Instagramable. Your décor is designer-approved and matches your brand, signage is easily visible to prospective guests, and the location is easily accessible. So, what’s the problem??
Guests may be joining you for that critical first visit, but they may not be returning. One could only extrapolate that there is one key factor that you may be missing in your operations, which could be the reason preventing consumers from selecting you over the competition.
Service.
And not JUST service – GREAT service.
It all starts with hiring the right person for the job. Resist hiring someone simply because you need a body to fill shifts. Employing the wrong person could leave a long-lasting and seriously detrimental effect on your business. Hire for personality; someone who has “hospitality” written all over them (i.e. The H-gene) and train for skills instead. Keep interviewing candidates until you meet the right one, if it takes some time, then so be it. Be persistent - you will find them.
Engaging with guests and capturing regular repeat business involves more than just unique food offerings in a beautifully designed space. Service expectations are evolving, and consumers are investing in the experience, impacting their overall perceived value proposition. Operators today know that service needs to go beyond the classic, “are you ready to order?” or “what can I get you today?” However, they don’t necessarily know how to get there. Despite the difficulty of finding great people to work for you, there is an even more significant challenge ahead. Many restaurant operators fall short during the training of their new hires once they’ve found them.
Excellent service involves the addition of a personalized touch or something fun and unexpected for the guest. These value-added service offerings can appear anywhere from the kitchen to the dining room; there are plenty of opportunities to tap into.
One method is to simply teach your staff new ways of approaching guests by asking the right questions and holding conversations that allow them to adapt their service and begin to build a customized experience. Examples include, “Are we celebrating a special occasion this evening?” or “Are you joining us for drinks or staying for a meal?” Staff members who already have the right attitude and personality will recognize what their guests’ needs are based on the answers.
Teaching body language cues is another excellent way to encourage staff to learn how to anticipate what someone wants or the type of mood they are in, allowing them to expand on their existing guest relations skills. Be creative and have fun with your team by creating role-play scenarios where they can change up their roles between being guests and staff members.
Even large corporate restaurant groups are looking for new ways to make their chain restaurants more appealing by improving their service model to adapt to the needs of their guests while moving away from their typical scripts. Fine dining and hotel restaurants are also moving towards a more approachable feel. Servers are being given more freedom than ever to express their personality and to be more accommodating for guests by removing the rigid service structure typically found in these traditional restaurant models.
If you’re looking for ways to get those coveted repeat visits, look no further than within your own business and the team you’ve put together. Give your staff the tools they need and the freedom to use them, and they will surely make increase authentic guest connections that will last for years to come.