Understanding your customers wants and needs
Giving your customers the experience they want starts with truly understanding their needs.
Every customer is different and this means their wants and needs will differ also. To deliver an excellent customer experience, this should be kept in mind. When you greet your customers at the door with your warm welcome, ask them what brings them in to your establishment... It could be a date, a birthday celebration, or just a quick bite before heading to the cinema - but knowledge is power, and knowing this information will help in delivering a high quality experience that ensures repeat business.
Now you know the occasion, you can treat your guests accordingly. If they are on a date you can give them a quiet table in the corner, if they are in a hurry to get to the cinema, let the chef know and inform the customer of the wait time. Small adjustments like this can make a huge impact on their evening.
This blog will walk you through a few key things you can do to ensure your standards remain high whilst simultaneously keeping those excellent reviews rolling in.
Adequate training for your staff members
If you want to deliver expectational service to your customers, your staff members need to know how to give it.
When you hire new employees, ensure that delivering great service is a part of their training. It is also important to keep this training up to date. Hold regular team meetings and training sessions so that everyone is familiar with the current processes and best practices to ensure consistency across your team.
With your staff adequately trained, it’s just as important that you keep hold of them. In this article you can read all about Improving your Staff Retention.
Create a warm and comforting environment
Your customers care deeply about the environment they are eating in. The customer experience includes what the customer can see, hear and feel as well as the service.
Your customers want somewhere that they feel comfortable. Think about the space around you, does the lighting set the right mood? does the music create an atmosphere that matches the energy of your brand? are all those wonky tables fixed and wobble free?
Implement a feedback system
An internal feedback system is fundamental to your hospitality business. It’s a chance for you to learn from your customers feedback and adapt to ensure their experience is always improving.
Learn the importance of Reputation Management within this article.
Enhance communication within your team
A happy team that communicates effectively and pulls together will lead blissfully into an environment that cultivates an excellent customer experience.
The importance of team communication shouldn't be underestimated, read all about how to improve your team's communication here.
Conclusion, keep evaluating and improving the customer experience
The process of improving your customers experience should be constantly evolving over time. A truly flawless customer experience can help your business in many ways, and learning to move with the flow of your customers wants and needs will make you stand out from the crowd.
