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Added for You - 10 Ways to Stay Ahead of Your Restaurant Competition - Part 2
Are you inadvertently driving your customers crazy with your company policies? Not sure?Well, imagine that a customer who's been with your company for a while with no complaints finally has a reason to contact customer service because of what appears to be a billing error. She assumes the error will be corrected quickly and she'll go on her way.Instead, your customer service rep recites a convoluted procedure she'll need to go through to rectify the issue, much to the customer's astonishment. The representative explains by saying, "I'm sorry, but that's our policy and we have to follow it."That procedure might be driven by an arcane control issue in your company -- or perhaps by a legitimate business requirement. But the customer doesn't understand the rationale behind it. In this imaginary scenario, she tries to offer suggestions, but is rebuffed by the equally frustrated employee who seems unreceptive to her proposals.
9. Keep record cards
I like to keep small record cards about customer’s details and preferences. They record information about a customer’s likes and dislikes. It has birthdays, anniversary dates and any other information that is deemed important to help make them feel special. Reward your servers
It would be nice to think that the companies on the leading edge of work/life balance programs are simply being good citizens and doing the right thing! But, the fact is that these programs make good business sense.In addition to increased productivity and employee satisfaction, companies can retain valuable employees in a competitive environment, and attract new employees with these programs.Every generation in the workforce today reports that work and life balance is one of the top issues for them and that they want to work in a company that supports their desire to have more balance in their life.Whatever the reason for the movement, we should be glad it is upon us.Who are the companies with programs, what do the programs look like and what results have they achieved?You might be surprised to know that these companies cut across all industries in the private and the public sector. Here are some examples of
6. Be aware of your customer’s preferences and usual favourites.
Customers love to feel special. Most diners go to a restaurant for an experience, not just a meal. You know how it is if you go somewhere regularly and they can never remember you, or they do, but they can’t remember your name. How special do you feel then? If a customer orders the same drink all the time, not only do they think it is nice if you remember, they will soon start to wonder why you can’t if you don’t. Customers always are impressed when a server remembers their preferences or favourites from visit to visit.
7. Don’t get too chatty with guests
It’s great to have a chat with customers, and it should be encouraged, but it should not be overdone. A server may even spend extra time with a customer before the food arrives, however they should be basically left alone after that, other than checking for additional needs.
8. Think of customers as family and close friends
Think of your family members and your friends for a moment. You know that Harry likes seafood but does not like oysters. Warren only drinks single malt scotch and Jenny loves Chardonnay. Bob likes ice cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and hates garlic. Get to know your customers the same way and it will pay off.
9. Keep record cards
I like to keep small record cards about customer’s details and preferences. They record information about a customer’s likes and dislikes. It has birthdays, anniversary dates and any other information that is deemed important to help make them feel special. Reward your servers e
Thinking about how Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing work well together despite being distinct, independent and complete tools? The combined principles gel so well that they compliment each other and progress parallels to each other on a well-defined path. The paths are defined by the 5 Laws of Lean Six Sigma as we know today.5 Laws of Lean Six SigmaThe 5 laws have been formulated in order that efforts on improving quality and business process aimed at improving customer satisfaction and ROI as primary concerns. The 5 laws have evolved over time and are a collection of key ideas derived both from Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma.1. The Zeroth Law: The first law is called so because all other principles are built upon this fundamental one. It States that the Law of the Market - Customer Critical to Quality defines quality and is the highest priority for improvement, followed by ROI (Return on Investment) and Net Present value.
7. Don’t get too chatty with guests
It’s great to have a chat with customers, and it should be encouraged, but it should not be overdone. A server may even spend extra time with a customer before the food arrives, however they should be basically left alone after that, other than checking for additional needs.
8. Think of customers as family and close friends
Think of your family members and your friends for a moment. You know that Harry likes seafood but does not like oysters. Warren only drinks single malt scotch and Jenny loves Chardonnay. Bob likes ice cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and hates garlic. Get to know your customers the same way and it will pay off.
9. Keep record cards
I like to keep small record cards about customer’s details and preferences. They record information about a customer’s likes and dislikes. It has birthdays, anniversary dates and any other information that is deemed important to help make them feel special. Reward your servers
R?sum?s are standard business tools, and without them, most job applicants will never get a toe, much less a foot, in the door. Just as you can't gain entrance to a movie theater without a ticket, the business world has evolved such that without a r?sum?, you can't apply for most jobs. It has become, in many ways, the currency of human resource departments. With it you have a chance. Without a r?sum?, you can't even get acknowledged.So r?sum?s are required, just as a particular dress code is required to gain entrance to a nice restaurant or club. But are they merely perfunctory mandates, or do they have a real value as a tool to get the job you want and deserve? Some would argue that a r?sum? is just a formality, and those who accept that point of view don't worry too much about designing their r?sum?s for each particular job application. But others - including most human resource professionals - understand that a r?sum? is more than just
7. Don’t get too chatty with guests
It’s great to have a chat with customers, and it should be encouraged, but it should not be overdone. A server may even spend extra time with a customer before the food arrives, however they should be basically left alone after that, other than checking for additional needs.
8. Think of customers as family and close friends
Think of your family members and your friends for a moment. You know that Harry likes seafood but does not like oysters. Warren only drinks single malt scotch and Jenny loves Chardonnay. Bob likes ice cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and hates garlic. Get to know your customers the same way and it will pay off.
9. Keep record cards
I like to keep small record cards about customer’s details and preferences. They record information about a customer’s likes and dislikes. It has birthdays, anniversary dates and any other information that is deemed important to help make them feel special. Reward your servers
In my previous life as a carpet cleaner, the winter months of January, February, and March, were faced with fear and trepidation. Not just myself, but everyone in our industry, feared these months.Why?It was always the slowest time of year for this industry. If you think about it for a second, this seasonal slump occurred simply due to the weather. Few homeowners wanted to have their carpets cleaned in the winter months. Sub-zero temperatures, slushy, messy, Spring thaw conditions and post holiday season credit cards bills all conspired to keep the phone from ringing.That put the carpet cleaner, flush with the prosperity of the previous months before the holidays, in a really tough situation if they did not prepare for the slow times. Kinda like the ant and the grasshopper fable.The winter of 2000 proved to be a very good one for me. The marketing push I put on in November and December was carrying me through these le
8. Think of customers as family and close friends
Think of your family members and your friends for a moment. You know that Harry likes seafood but does not like oysters. Warren only drinks single malt scotch and Jenny loves Chardonnay. Bob likes ice cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and hates garlic. Get to know your customers the same way and it will pay off.
9. Keep record cards
I like to keep small record cards about customer’s details and preferences. They record information about a customer’s likes and dislikes. It has birthdays, anniversary dates and any other information that is deemed important to help make them feel special. Reward your servers
Most of us small business owners don’t have the luxury of having a secretary or office manager to screen our calls for us. It can become overwhelming when answering sales call after sales call from telemarketers prevent us from doing what makes us money. To top it off, we can sometimes be talked into spending our hard earned money on products or services that are often overpriced and/or not needed in the first place.Each time we add a new business telephone number or change the business location of the ones we currently have, our telephone numbers are placed on a telemarketing list as a “new business.” Our business phone lines are then overrun by harassing telemarketers that want to be the first to sell a new business what they don’t need. You see a “new business owner” generally hasn’t fine tuned their decision making skills to the point that they can just say no and hang up. These skills come with time and experience. Telemarketers know
9. Keep record cards
I like to keep small record cards about customer’s details and preferences. They record information about a customer’s likes and dislikes. It has birthdays, anniversary dates and any other information that is deemed important to help make them feel special. Reward your servers every time they add something to a card. Don’t get too nosy, but generally people love to share information with people they trust.
10. Treat complaints as an opportunity to fix something and develop a closer relationship
OK…it happens! It does not matter how efficient you are, you will always have to deal with complaints.
Bill Gates has always said that one of Microsoft’s greatest sources for learning is from complaints. He sees them as an opportunity and turns them into a positive. Similarly, in a restaurant, if you handle the situation well you can have those same customers as your “Raving Fans”. Here are some tips on how to do it:
Deal with complaints promptly. This shows that you are serious about what they have to say and are responsible as a business owner. It does not matter how the complaint is made, in writing, by telephone, email or in person, do not delay. The longer you wait the angrier the person is going to become, and an angry customer is a talkative one.
Provide refunds before guests request them. If a customer complains about a meal or any part of it, do not wait for them to request a credit, offer it to them first, or offer to make an immediate substitution. When you take this initiative you are showing them that you value their satisfaction more than anything. If they share the story with friends, you can only come out of it in a favourable light.
Always look at the big picture. Don’t get lost in the small stuff!!
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