Industry Insights
Service is what you do. Hospitality is how you make people feel.
It is the easiest thing to get right because it is fully within our control yet so many people and businesses get it wrong!
Guests come out to restaurants to have a good time and we play a big role in that.
Little things like a genuine smile, warm energy, or making people laugh go a long way toward creating a great experience that people want to come back for.
“Hospitality is not something you do; it is something you buy into.”
Make It Personal
Find Common Ground
Remember Your Regulars
Be Yourself
Be Honest
Guide Their Experience
Celebrate Special Occasions
Capture The Moment
Be Unexpected
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What To Avoid
There are some days when you would rather be anywhere other than serving and there are some customers that will use up all of your patience and more. Your emotional state is not the customer’s problem. Guests should always feel welcomed, not tolerated.
The formality or informality in which you interact with your guests should match that of the restaurant. Service at a fine dining restaurant is going to look very different than service at a sports bar. Make sure you are always at least hitting the minimum standards of your restaurant.
Checking in when people need something or when you are hitting your steps of service is a good thing. However, constantly checking in when there is no reason interrupts the guests’ experience and stifles hospitality.
We NEVER want to lie to our guests and make up answers to something we don’t know. This is the fastest way to lose their trust which can be very tough to regain. It is okay not to know the answer to something. When that happens, say you’ll be happy to find out, get the answer, and come back with it.
Cautionary Tales
The Situation
Drinks-only first date — our waitress checked in every ten minutes for two and a half hours, even though we kept saying we were good.
The Takeaway
Guests want an experience, not just sustenance. Identify what they want and deliver it.
The Full Story
The Situation
Months before my trip, I offered to pay a fee to move my return flight. They refused — then a manager yelled at me on the phone.
The Takeaway
Every customer has a choice. Hospitality can be the difference between loyalty and losing them for good.
The Full Story
The Situation
They cut hours twice but kept my fee. When I tried to cancel, they said I was trapped in a contract I never signed.
The Takeaway
Hospitality is not about winning an argument. It is about taking care of the people who spend money with you.
The Full Story
When It Clicked
This is the fun part of the job, doing something special for guests unexpectedly. Hopefully you are at a place that encourages you to create special moments for your guests. Oftentimes this comes in the form of a small, thoughtful gift. If the place you work does not allow or encourage it, I encourage you to suggest it. I have done this successfully at one of the restaurants I was a part of opening. I picked it up from a previous restaurant that had made gifting items to customers mandatory.
I saw how useful of a tool it was in creating memorable experiences for my guests. At the new restaurant I brought it up early on. My GM at the time was hospitality focused, loved the idea, and allowed it within reasonable parameters. It quickly became SOP and I watched as it spread throughout the culture and restaurant.
It is a beautiful way to connect with guests and it creates a more fun and engaging environment for the staff members. Here are some of my favorite examples.
The Situation
His friends ordered cocktail flights; he was sober and looked disappointed. So we surprised him with something special of his own.
The Takeaway
His face lit up — a small gesture that showed we care beyond just what he ordered.
The Full Story
The Situation
The solo guest wished she could try the burrata but felt it was too big for her to eat by herself.
The Takeaway
A few dollars of product and a couple of minutes of effort is all it took to create a special moment for someone.
The Full Story
The Situation
Their first time dining with us — a father and daughter trying as many dishes as they could and loving all of it.
The Takeaway
By paying attention to what was important to them we were able to surprise them in just the right way.
The Full Story