‘It’s All About The Experience…’

This may not be a groundbreaking revelation for those in hospitality. As diners, we want great food, but it has to come with all the trimmings. Food tastes better when paired with a great atmosphere, smiling staff, and discreet, yet attentive service. Achieving the perfect restaurant experience will not only keep your customers happy, but they’re likely to pay more and keep coming back.

Despite stating what may seem obvious, only 1% of customers feel that companies consistently meet their customer service expectations. Why is this? Well, customer expectation is not a constant. What might have been seen as exceptional service in the past, may now be considered standard.

This could explain the surge in restaurants trying to deliver a novel, niche concept to freshen things up—anything from open-plan kitchens to green botanical interiors, quirky typography, and even on-brand bathroom soaps.

Here’s the problem: by its very nature, novelty doesn’t last. These visual perks enhance the atmosphere but do little to strengthen the core deliverables of great food and quality table service that keep people coming back. Restaurants need to give customers as little reason to find fault as possible. Unless your operation is military, ‘waiting’ is a potential weak point at almost every stage of the dining experience.

How to Create a Seamless Dining Experience

A study by Deloitte entitled ‘Through guests’ eyes’ claims there are five basic requirements that restaurants need to deliver to get customers to set foot in their restaurant: quality, value, cleanliness, location, and staff. Here are some methods that help restaurants achieve superior service to ensure customers not only visit but return.

Technology

There are many factors that contribute to excellent customer experience, and technology is one of the key elements. Technology that improves team communication is the highest priority in hospitality. Here are a few examples:

• VoCoVo’s wireless headset system for restaurants makes team communication more efficient and easier. Teams who can communicate clearly are happier, more accessible, and able to offer proactive service to customers as a result.
• VoCoVo KeyPads empower diners to curate elements of the experience themselves. With a range of fully customisable buttons, keypads sit at the diner’s side, enabling them to request menus, drinks, desserts, the bill, and so on. Each button press is translated to voice messages routed to allocated staff headsets or handsets. Staff can respond quickly, ensuring customers enjoy a smoother experience, free from long waits and the finger-snapping that often leaves a bad aftertaste.

Word of Mouth and Customer Reviews

Hospitality is the most review-dependent industry. People may forget what you say, but they’ll remember how you make them feel. Leave your customers feeling let down, and they’ll feel compelled to discourage others. However, make them happy by responding quickly and being attentive, and they’ll remember and tell their friends.

Resolve Queries Quickly and Reduce Waiting times

Waiting to be seated, waiting for drinks, waiting for orders to be taken, and waiting for the bill—waiting doesn’t feel good. Quick and attentive service is paramount when it comes to exceptional customer service. One of the simplest ways to delight customers is to make sure there are no long waits and that their queries are resolved quickly.

If you want to facilitate a team that serves customers exceptionally, ensures repeat visits, and spreads this great experience with their friends, you need to try out VoCoVo.

Contact us today for a free demo, or check out some of our case studies.