Jun 28

Jun 28 Improve Your Restaurant Business: Keep Employees Happy

How many times have you gone to a restaurant, greeted and seated then asked the waiter what are the specials of the day? The waiter/waitress says with a smile “let me go check with the chef”. Your first thought as a customer is, "he must be new at his job".

There is no second chance for a first impression.

Your staff are your calling card, the face of your business. There is no excuse for not knowing very basic information about the establishment you work in.

It really comes down to management, how your staff is trained and instructed to represent the business in the best way possible. It’s management’s responsibility to provide staff with all the information they need to be able to answer simple questions pertaining to their work.

A good customer experience can make or break your business’s reputation. And that is something you can’t afford to lose.

Leaders and business owners have to, no, NEED to be able to trust their employees.

I know there are pros and cons. One of the major risks is that your staff will become so good at their job and they will leave you and go to work for your competitors. There are many ways you can still teach and develop your staff and keep them working for you.

If you are a business owner you need to look at the reasons why your staff leave you. What are the ways you can keep them as loyal employees? Are you empowering them? are you treating them with dignity and the respect they deserve?

A normal restaurant needs to establish loyal customers and referral guests. Your sales and marketing people are not the only ones who promote your restaurant. A negative or positive review on Facebook can have a lasting result.

Prepare your staff so they can give the best customer service.

Here are a few tips on how you can develop and train your waiters and waitresses to give your customers a reason to post positive comments on social media:

Make sure your staff get to work 15 or 20 minutes early to prepare for their work day
Involve all departments in a preparation meeting: kitchen, bar staff, front line staff and management
Make a list of questions customers might ask
Give your staff the answers so they're prepared with anything customers might ask

People attend a restaurant for a brief escapism from their daily routine. They want to be entertained, taken on an emotional journey, transported into a different place then their normal lives. Even if it’s for a short time.

Create that emotional escape for them and their friends – Alcohol consumption may help, however there is nothing more satisfying then a good meal, surrounded by a relaxing ambiance and fun people around you. In essence to have a GOOD TIME.

Learn2Sell.com can come into your restaurant and examine your clientele, your staff, and what happens in a normal service day, by means of Mystery Shopping. Once we have critically analyzed your business from the eyes of your customers, we can make recommendations to improve your service and your business.

Tell us, what is your favorite dining experience in Cabo?

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Vivian Iriarte

Spending her whole life in travel and tourism, Vivian thought what better place to share all her know-how than Cabo San Lucas. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Vivian arrived with a new sense of propose to join her grown up daughter who is part of the local music scene. Her career started at age 19 while travelling around south America, she landed her first job as a tour guide and since then knew that working in the travel industry was going to be her thing.

Fast forward many years and with many qualifications under her belt, including a Master's degree in Travel and Hospitality from the Southern Cross University of Australia, Vivian is now dedicating herself to teaching others about customer service and how to view the tourist customer as a holistic entity to grow and be successful in any service orientated business.