A Dining Experience
Dining out is a very common practice in our society.
Eating in certain dining environments doesn’t really qualify it to be a “restaurant experience”. Eating at a food court or a fast food establishment is a different style of dining, based around the principles of cost, convenience, and consistency.
Consistency especially applies when it comes to places like McDonalds. Their success is based around a formula. No matter where you are in the world, you know exactly what to expect.
This is always the risk when it comes to a restaurant.
There is nothing in theory to guarantee an experience in a restaurant.
A restaurant provides, for arguments sake, the following:
* A la carte service – that is, someone takes your order
* Food prepared fresh – well, as fresh as the quality controls that exist in a kitchen
* The presentation of a menu, as well as a beverage list
Generally, there is one indisputable fact that defines a restaurant good.
That is, a diner pays for ease and convenience, and to receive an experience that differentiates between eating at home and dining out.
Having said that, a paying customer would expect a certain degree of expectations. Here are some good examples.
When you come into a restaurant, you are greeted in some shape or form. So understated, it should be one of the key aspects of any service environment.
Basics are pointed out to you. Often this could be specials. Sometimes, to break the server/customer relationship ice, you could point out where the facilities are. But essentially, management should work out what might be confusing to a potential guest and explain it to make them comfortable.
A guest does not have to signal for attention. Ever. This is what makes great service. No matter what, there is just the right balance of service that you to be able to get what you want.
Nothing infringes on your experience. For me, one of my pet hates is finishing your meal, and having your dirty plate sit in front of you for more than a couple of minutes.
But most importantly,
If something does go wrong (such as human error) that the restaurant DOES NOT ignore the problem, apologizes, and in some shape or form, fixes the problem.
Also, little pieces of detail help.
You want to hear music that isn’t intruding. As I like to say to team, loud enough to notice, loud enough to muffle the next tables noise, but not so loud as to prevent conversation between a tables conversant.
A clean bathroom. Have team check on this regularly. Nothing is quite as off putting as to going to a toilet with appropriate paper, soap, or the like.
Overall cleanliness. But do it properly. For example, its good to clean tables (in the absence of linen), but advise team not to aim the spray like a gun and shoot the table so the cleaning fluid rebounds and hits other tables – and guests.
But above all, the experience is best when you are looked after.
When you are treated “nice”.
The industry is not called hospitality for nothing….
