Pay Attention to your Guests and their EVERY need
Pay Attention to your Guests and their EVERY need.
This is simple and yet very powerful. Get to know your guests whoever they are. Suggest menu items; tell them what’s good on the menu. BE HONEST! They will respect you when you answer truthfully.
It’s important to establish an honest rapport with the people you wait on; especially when they are regulars and you have waited on them more than once. This may sound corny but have a little notebook; jot down your guests’ names and what they like to drink and eat.
Learn their names; it doesn’t mean you have to use it in conversation but when you see their name on the restaurant reservation sheet you will know ahead of time they are eating here, again; which means they are regulars. This is a great way to establish rapport with every guest: even if they don’t sit in your section. Don’t take it the wrong way if they sit elsewhere.
Stop by and say hello. They will appreciate this.
Your enthusiasm and effort to get to know the guests that frequent the place YOU work will help not only YOU, but the restaurant! Guests love to be welcomed, and especially “WELCOMED BACK”. Even a quick “Nice to see you” as you walk by and smile at them goes a long way in showing you care about them and their experience. Making guests feel like they are cherished and acknowledged helps the restaurant’s numbers grow too.
When you become a part of the restaurant you work at, and work towards bringing back customers (guests) YOU and the restaurant will reap the rewards of growing guest counts and making money. It takes a team of caring individuals who have the opportunity to make a guest feel welcomed and cherished. Small places that have built their foundations on taking care of their guests have built strong foundations that withhold terrible financial turns in the economy or pandemic circumstances.
Restaurants do have an ebb and flow to them which makes it important to “ride out the storm” or handle the huge “Tidal Wave”. We all love busy nights but how do you secure the guests on slower nights when not much is happening in the restaurant or around town. YOU CHAT! YOU ASK QUESTIONS! YOU CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT CHOSE TO COME TO THE RESTAURANT AND SPEND THEIR MONEY! Make it worthwhile for them.
Stay off your phone, and NEVER talk to your fellow workers about negative aspects of working on a slow night. Leave your attitude at the door. Guests listen and can tell when you are complaining which is a turn-off no matter what the circumstances are.
Make a conscious effort to show you care. For example, clean an area you have not been TOLD TO CLEAN! Taking an unsolicited approach to take care of cleanliness and be a part of a team is priceless and NOTICED not only by the clientele but by your managers and team. Do something worthwhile for the restaurant because you are LUCKY to work here.
ALWAYS Be nice to the people who come in and choose to eat here. IT’S simple right? It seems simple, but sometimes it can be a challenge. BE a beacon of light and leave any negative attitude at the door. Paying attention to your guests, your surroundings, and the circumstances is important to your success and how you navigate your shift.
Remind yourself how lucky you are to have a job that you “GET TO MINGLE” with others. It’s a gift! Embrace it. Teach your guests the opportunities they have to have to order great food and drink and be taken care of, by you or others. Don’t take this LIGHTLY!! It will make a world of difference in how your shift goes and how much money you make!