5 Ways to Improve Your Restaurant's Customer Service

In today’s hyper-competitive restaurant industry, customer service has never been more important to a business’s success. Gone are the days when customer service was only about providing a nice dine-in experience. Now, good restaurateurs must anticipate the needs – and wants – of their customers. Having a strong digital presence is key to being at the top of customers' minds. Good customer service isn’t just about solving problems. It’s about ensuring you can support your diners from the moment they place an order to the second they receive their meal. 

Over the past few years, online delivery orders have skyrocketed, making strong customer service essential even beyond your restaurant’s doors. Don’t forget: You’re a customer, too! Think of what you value when you visit or order from other businesses (especially restaurants!). What makes you feel comfortable? What makes you feel pushed away? How can a brand earn your loyalty? The answers to these questions will help guide your own methods of turning potential customers into dedicated fans.

In this article, we’ve gathered five tips that you can start applying today to thoughtfully improve customer service at your restaurant. Ready to make your guests happy? Let’s do this!  

1. Personalize your customer’s experience

Every customer wants to feel special – they want to feel like their choices, presence, and patronage matters. As a restauranteur, you have the power to satisfy that craving through exceptional service, delicious food, and an eagerness to please. Doing so makes every customer interaction personal, and builds unique relationships that benefit both parties equally. 

Consider your current points-of-contact with customers. Where can you make things personal? By understanding customers’ individual behaviors, tastes, and preferences, you’ll be able to optimize your business’s dishes, promotions, and activities for a diverse range of diners.  

A great example of creating a memorable point-of-contact experience is with customized packaging. Try writing a brief thank-you message on a delivery bag or container, or include small pieces of promotional material to clearly display your gratitude.

Customers appreciate little touches like these, and will look forward to receiving them when they reorder. 

2. Be a clear, kind, confident communicator

Communication is everything in the service industry, and if customers don’t feel welcomed by your restaurant, they won’t have any problem forgetting about it. Speaking (or typing) in a clear, friendly tone can be difficult when you’re under pressure, but doing so greatly impacts customer perception. This is particularly true in the digital age, where an unprofessional tone can seriously harm a business’s reputation – and reviews.

When communicating with customers, be sure to understand their goals and align them with your own. Issues with food or service may seem difficult to resolve at first, but utilizing a customer-centric perspective will give you the knowledge and abilities needed to set the situation right.

Stand proudly behind your restaurant and offer solutions, but don’t be afraid to accept criticism, either – doing so lets customers know that you’re listening, which will motivate them to engage with you again.

3. Understand your restaurant

A major element of customer service is being able to respond to questions with ease. As a restaurateur, you should have a complete understanding of your restaurant’s menu, ingredients, and processes, and should be able to describe them to your customers well. Suppose you can’t respond to a customer question with a satisfactory answer. In that case, you’ll likely harm the integrity of your restaurant, your staff, and yourself, driving patrons away to more well-managed establishments.

Knowing your restaurant’s ins and outs is only half the job. By having access to accurate information about your business, you can keep staff – and customers – informed. Employees are most confident when they have the knowledge they need, so keep your team up to speed with regular training and communication.

Being able to tell the story of your restaurant effectively is a great way of strengthening credibility and helps customers do the same when recommending it to others.

4. Leverage reviews – good and bad

Today’s restaurant owners are very familiar with customer reviews, and many see them as obstacles to their businesses success. Don’t forget, though: Reviews are a customer’s way of expressing their opinion about their experience at your restaurant. Without customer reviews, you wouldn’t be able to understand where you’re succeeding or failing – and you wouldn’t be able to improve.

Instead of treating reviews like a challenge, see them as the learning opportunities they are. Think of them as opportunities to identify and correct mistakes! Restaurant reviews are another way customers express their individuality and a way for you to connect with them as well.

Fostering a culture where reviews are openly welcomed, means giving diners an easy incentive to promote your business online.

5. Be patient, but persistent

Good things come to those who wait, and effective customer service takes time. Remember that reordering is just one way a customer demonstrates their loyalty – excellent reviews, five-star ratings, and heartfelt recommendations are often just as valuable, even if they’re only given once.

In summary, to win customer loyalty, your restaurant should:

• Create unique, personalized experiences. 
• Employ clear, friendly, confident communication. 
• Be well-understood and well-represented. 
• Encourage and learn from reviews.
• Realize that excellent customer service pays off in the long run.

Looking for help expanding your customer base, managing your delivery efforts, and increasing your restaurant’s sales? With top-class restaurant finance, promotion, and organization features, Otter is ready to help your business succeed. Get started with Otter today, and put a smile on your customers’ faces!