5 Restaurant Customer Service Tips to Keep Them Coming Back

5 Restaurant Customer Service Tips to Keep Them Coming Back

Restaurants have been hit with a hard time because of COVID, and not all of them have survived. In fact, about 17% of US restaurants have closed permanently because of the pandemic.

During these times, restaurants need any edge that they can get. Providing good customer service in a restaurant can be that edge that keeps people coming back.

But, how do you do that? These are five restaurant customer service tips.

1. Loyalty Programs

Give people a reason to think about you, and reward those that stay by you. The best restaurant loyalty programs will get people to come back, because people may feel that it is geared towards their personality.

An example of this can be a restaurant that specializes in Happy Hour promotions if they are near a big factory or corporate business that draws in a lot of 9-5 workers. Another can be if you have a younger crowd, perhaps offer them a $2 beer night for those that come often enough.

Regardless of what you choose, add a loyalty program to reward your most loyal customers and let them know that they are appreciated.

2. Talk to Regulars

Another tip to excellent customer service in a restaurant is to not ignore your regulars. If you are in the service industry, you should start to remember names and faces well.

If a customer comes in multiple times a week, get to know them better. Ask them questions like how their day is going, what they do for work, hobbies, family life, etc.

Customers that feel at home in a restaurant will remember that feeling and reward your business by coming back again and again.

3. Check In

Nobody likes to feel like they are being ignored, so do not let your customers feel that way in your restaurant. Make sure servers check in with customers on multiple occasions, including while they are eating.

This can be done simply by coming back to the table a few minutes after you have given customers their meals, and ask them how the food came out, and if they need anything else. If this is done properly, customers will feel like they are being taken care of and that you are on top of things.

4. Think Ahead

This is trying to get inside the mind of your customers, and imagining what they might need in their position. Good examples of this are offering to clear the table, knowing when to ask for drink and food orders, and offering to close the table out in advance.

5. Friendly Attitude

In the service industry, you want to keep an open and friendly attitude to your customers. There are times when this is admittedly difficult but more often than not your attitude and your vibe are going to set the mood.

If you come off as friendly and calm, customers are likely to loosen up, relax, and have a good time. If you come off as judgmental and aggressive, customers may feel tense and uncomfortable, and just may give you that aggressive attitude back.

Customers will mirror your attitude if nothing else interferes, so stay friendly towards them.

Find More Restaurant Customer Service Tips

These are five of the best tips to improve your restaurant customer service. Do you feel like you use these tips already? Do you have other ideas?

For more relevant information, read our other business articles.

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