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Hotel Industry News |
Sunday July 5th, 2009 |
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Are Customer Farewells Sabotaging Your Business? - By Ken Burgin |
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Compare two different restaurant farewells. |
At the first, there was a grim smile and a wave from the barman as we opened the door and left. The food had been excellent but the service minimal.
The next night at another establishment, the food was light on flavour but the service warm and attentive. As we left, the nearest staff member automatically moved to the door to say goodbye and shake our hands, followed by the owner who also warmly farewelled us. We returned some days later and it was just as friendly - the first time was not just luck.
Your good work can be undone in the last minute of the visitor's experience: these crucial 60 seconds need careful planning and design to ensure their visit ends on a high note, not a dull thud.
Some examples you may have experienced:
• The nearest person to the departing guests bids them a warm farewell (as above).
• When you call large organisations (eg a bank) for information, you are often asked at the end of the conversation 'is there anything else we can help you with?'. This is easy to implement even with standard callers who just want the address or menu information.
• When you send an inquiry email to a business, the smart ones follow-up with an email that comes straight back (an 'auto-responder'), telling you the message was received and they will be in touch.
• The account payment is handled quickly and accurately when a customer is ready to leave. Customers have a strange time system: sloooooow during the meal, then a rush for the account when they want to go. Organise around it.
• A complimentary liqueur or chocolate is brought when you are obviously not ordering any more. Or your water glass is topped up one more time.
• The last taste is one of the best: delicious dessert, fresh herbal tea, an aperitive or a great coffee.
• And the experience you may not see: nothing alarming in the street as they leave, and their car is still where it was parked!
Most of these factors are under your control, and no matter how many customers you serve in an hour, the final smile and farewell goes a long way towards creating a return visitor. A quick mystery customer survey will show if there's work to be done.
Ken Burgin
Profitable Hospitality offers management and cost-control systems (Manuals & CD-ROMs) for restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars and clubs. The systems are based on the extensive consulting and operating experience of CEO Ken Burgin, and enable busy owners and managers to set up complete operating and cost-control systems in minutes, not months. Profitable Hospitality also runs regular management training workshops in the areas of kitchen profit & efficiency, restaurant marketing and functions management. A free monthly e-newsletter keeps you up to date on the latest industry management issues. www.profitablehospitality.com.
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Contact Information:
178 Denison St - Queens Park NSW 2022 - Australia
phone 1800-001353 and international +61-2-9340 1089 - fax +61-2-9369 2668
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Profitable Hospitality offers management and cost-control systems (Manuals & CD-ROMs) for restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars and clubs.
The systems are based on the extensive consulting and operating experience of CEO Ken Burgin, and enable busy owners and managers to set up complete operating and cost-control systems in minutes, not months. |
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