It is always the guest experience that counts in any restaurant; regardless of the size of an establishment or the complexity of service during a given shift, the guest experience is still the bottom line. All of restaurant service is about the guest experience. Every aspect of restaurant service and every interaction between restaurant staff and guest, exists solely for one purpose, to provide a positive, pleasant, satisfying and memorable guest experience.
That is the difference between service and hospitality. Hospitality isn’t about food, it’s about handling, emotions, expectations and impressions, in real time.
Guests will not be aware of any individual act of service, but they are all aware of the resulting effect of service upon them. From the nature of how a guest is greeted to the quality and speed of service received, all of service affects the nature and tone of guest experience. There is no insignificant detail in hospitality.
Whether it is a delayed response to a guest request, or an oversight during service, or a lack of responsiveness to a guest need; any detail can adversely affect the guest’s perception of his or her service. But a small act of courtesy, attention or care during service will positively influence their perception of the overall experience and the guest impression of the overall service.
The guest’s initial impression during service is very important. During the first moments of dining, a guest forms expectations and judgments about service; therefore, a pleasant and effective greeting combined with the establishment of the tone and rhythm of service, creates the expectation of a pleasant service and the feeling of trust and comfort within the dining environment. A good initial impression will encourage guests to be more relaxed and patient when the service experience isn’t as perfect as anticipated; on the other hand, a poor initial impression is a major obstacle to overcoming problems encountered later in the course of the service.
This is why professional hospitality training emphasizes the importance of the first moments of guest service.
The nature and effectiveness of service in a restaurant is not only defined by the acts of service performed, it is also affected by when the acts of service are performed. A guest should neither be ignored nor intruded upon; rather a guest should feel that service is being delivered and provided when it is needed, yet also be allowed to enjoy the comfort of the dining environment when service is not being rendered. Professional restaurant service is based on knowing when to deliver a service; the act of service itself is a natural flow of the guest dining experience and not forced or intrusive.
The nature and quality of communication and interaction with the guest is vital during service. How we speak to guests, whether to inform guests of the contents of dishes on our menu, or simply during the course of service, creates the feeling of trust we establish between ourselves and the guest; the nature and quality of communication we establish and convey with guests is critical when the situation of service arises. Even in cases of negative service encounters with guests, good communication is a vital part of a pleasant resolution. Guests remember more how we deal with problems we’ve encountered with service than they remember the problems we have encountered themselves.
The consistency with which we provide guest experience and service is the key to success. While a positive experience may satisfy the guest, it is the repeated and consistent satisfaction of experience and service that creates loyal and return customers. This means training, training, and even more training.
The guest experience is the essence of restaurant service. The effectiveness and nature of guest service is based on communication, timing, attention to detail and the consistency with which we provide service experience. When we provide a pleasant service experience, guests will leave satisfied; when we provide memorable experience, guests will leave with positive impressions; and that is what hospitality is all about.