Social media’s potential to effectively capture customers is huge. Advertising has never been so readily available to the small business owner and as such, restaurants have no reason not to utilize this amazing tool. Although social media is necessary in this day and age to attract and retain guests at your restaurant, it's important to pair this marketing with a quality guest experience. The best social media execution in the world combined with a poor guest experience would only speed up the demise of your restaurant.
With the variety of restaurant options available to our guests, it’s important to understand that guests want more from their eating experiences than a tasty meal. One of the best ways to ensure a quality guest experience is by implementing guest service training. The importance of service to our guests can be seen in the following statistics:
After understanding the importance that service plays in our guests decision making, we can than devise a guest service strategy. Once implemented the strategy will ensure first time guests become loyal repeat customers who advertise on your behalf through word of mouth. The best way to start formulating your strategy is through writing out (as detailed as possible) your guest experience before you even start construction on your property. This will help you create a concept which can be tailored to your guests experience from building design, to marketing, to team training. A guest experience should be considered from the first point of contact a guest has with your business. For some, this might consist of a guest calling your restaurant for a reservation, or walking by on the street. For many, the first point of contact will be through social media or company website. In all of these scenarios the restaurant owner should consider all paths a guest will likely experience before, during (checkin/host interaction, table greeting, music…), and after (guest satisfaction email, customer review, word of mouth referral…) an encounter with your restaurant. Not only will this process help you create a team training guide, it will also help you fine tune your concept and uncover/resolve potential issues you never thought of previously. The ultimate goal is to create a die hard, repeat customer who will spread the quality of their experience at your restaurant to everyone they meet. This word of mouth encounter will funnel more guests through your doors than social media could ever do. The combination of this outcome and a quality social media strategy is a sure way to increase your restaurants sales. |
AuthorSky's experience in the restaurant industry started when he was a kid growing up in his families restaurant. His journey took him to Bali, Indonesia where he now owns a restaurant and consults for others. Categories
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