Restaurant Training – Waiter and Waitress Training Tips for Customer Service – Hospitality Education

Did you know that approximately 14 percent of your customers will not return to your business due to food quality and 68 percent due to service quality? So doesn’t it make sense to train your waiters and waitresses to provide superior service to win back your customers every time?

To gain a competitive advantage today, you have to do a lot more to get your restaurant on the “favorites” list. One way is through the personalization of the service for each type of client that comes to your business. For example, the sales and service techniques employed for a family with children are different from those that would be delivered to older customers. The same is true for business customers versus tourists. It’s never safe to think that your restaurant service staff will inherently understand these differences. Unless they are trained, they are more likely to offer a one-size-fits-all service.

Teach your waiters and waitresses to be observant and follow the tips below to help assess the needs of your customers:

•Limitation of time (paused or restricted in time)
• Mood (festive, romantic, stressed)
•Age group (children, adolescents, baby boomers, seniors, geriatrics)
• Purpose of your visit (social, private/intimate or business)
•Gender Male Female)

Since approximately 80 percent of communication is conveyed through facial gestures and verbal and non-verbal body language, as opposed to actual words, teach your service team to focus on the following areas:

•Verbal language (tone of voice, speed, inflection, speech, pronunciation and grammar)
•Body language (eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and movement)

Look for telltale signs of a customer who is in a hurry, such as looking at their watch, looking around or making a rubber band gesture, speaking rapidly, crossing their arms or drumming their fingers. Also, take a close look at your clients’ image (eg clothing, accessories, hair, makeup, etc.). This can also provide you with many clues about your dining needs.

Here is an exercise to share with your service team. It lists various types of customers and ways to customize service for each category of customer. During a pre-shift meeting or company training session, review this exercise with your restaurant service staff.

Types of clients and service suggestions:

1. Celebrating
-Since celebrating customers often have bigger budgets, suggest higher priced items along with festive food/drinks and a cake to acknowledge the occasion.
-Congratulate the celebrating client and focus on your main event
– Be social unless serving a couple who want privacy.

2. Elders
-Since many older customers have limited incomes, guide them towards value-oriented foods and recommend light, bland and less spicy foods.
-Be patient and speak slowly, project your voice and listen carefully
-Refrain from acts that could be construed as condescending or treat them like children

3. Family (with children)
-Offer high chairs and booster seats
-Get ready to make kid-favorite suggestions and easy-to-eat snacks
-Offer something to occupy the child’s attention (playbooks, pencils, cookies)
-Be patient while the family orders and give the children a chance to place their order themselves
-Sincerely congratulate the client for their children.
-Ask the child kid-friendly questions
-Place drinks where they are least likely to spill and remove obstacles (eg vases and centerpieces)
-Quickly clean up spills and keep the area tidy
-Hand out extra napkins

4. Romantic partner
– Guide the couple to a booth or secluded area for privacy when you seat them.
-Suggest higher-priced items along with exotic wines, champagnes, and desserts, as romantic couples and people on first dates often have larger budgets.
-Deliver a highly organized and efficient service.
-Minimize their conversation and allow them privacy, without hovering over them

5.Business
-Suggest higher priced items as many business people have business accounts and allocate allowances
-Suggest quick-to-prepare items and let them know if their selected order requires lengthy prep, if they’re at a business lunch.
-Provide a highly organized and efficient service and ensure your order is delivered promptly
-Minimize your conversation and allow them privacy without hovering over them

Please note: When serving alcohol, train your staff to watch for signs of intoxication and avoid overselling alcohol. Teach your staff to refuse the sale of alcohol to minors.

Other types of customers include solo dining customers (the solo customer), disabled customers, teen like customers, customers in a hurry, first-time customers, and customers dining in large groups/gatherings. Once again, each different type of customer has “specific” service needs. In addition to recognizing the category to which customers belong, the above service tips are recommendations and are not set in stone. Always be sure to fully assess each dining room patron by closely observing verbal and body language to determine how to positively interact with them. Mike Owens, General Manager of Brick Oven LLC, located in Topeka, Kansas, says, “Using the above examples in role-play scenarios is a very effective method of properly training your service teams…it helps them fully understand the importance of tailoring your service rather than offering the same canned service to everyone.

“Service” is not just about bringing food and drinks to the table, it is about giving the customer much more than what they expect. Implementing a strong training program that focuses on service personalization will set you apart from your competitors. Exceeding the needs of each client with personalized service takes a little extra time. However, it is worth the effort. When the customer wins, everyone wins and it’s a triple game: more money for you, more tips for your service staff, and satisfied customers who become loyal customers and refer their friends to your business.