Restaurant operations white paper: focus on excellent service to get ahead

Nation's Restaurant News, Jan 31, 2005

As the restaurant business grows increasingly crowded, the pressure is on for operators to stay one step ahead of their competition, providing exemplary service that rewards their establishments with strong sales, repeat customers and positive word-of-mouth.

Exceptional restaurant service is no longer just friendly greeters, easy parking and clean bathrooms, according to a recent study conducted by Nation's Restaurant News. While these elements put a dining establishment "at par" with industry standards, exceptional service is that which goes above and beyond these directives, customers say.

The study, sponsored by American Express, queried 600 restaurant operators and 1,000 customers about recent dining experiences. The key finding: operators and their customers have different perceptions about the importance of service and the factors that make up a quality service experience. Understanding and acting upon this finding is critical for restaurant operators because diners are not Likely to frequent restaurants where they are not satisfied with the quality of service.

"Our commitment to serving and aiding our restaurant partners has prompted American Express to support this ground-breaking study," says Elizabeth Cohen, American Express' vice president of restaurant and entertainment industries. "This should be an instrumental tool in helping to move the industry forward."

In this white paper, the study's key research findings on service excellence are presented with specific how to's and best practices to help operators raise the bar from par service to excellent service at their establishments. While this paper focuses on overall restaurant service, the next installment of this series will focus specifically on service at the table.

OVERVIEW

Customers and operators both want a quality dining experience, but the two groups have different ideas about what defines excellent service. Consumers place a higher value on personal service than do operators, and the two groups differ in what they find most important during service interactions.

"The challenge for operators is that while customers believe service is generally good, they now take the basics of service for granted," says John Dranow, president and chief executive of SmartRevenue, which conducted research for the study. "In order to differentiate from competition, operators need to exceed basic expectations," he says. "Operators have the opportunity to raise the bar and set new standards in service."

Fortunately there are multiple opportunities for improvement, as outlined below, that operators can use to differentiate their operations from those of Less savvy operators.

KEY VIEWPOINTS

1. Efficient service is the price of entry.

Efficiency is one of the main service elements that drive operational excellence. Efficient service includes such facets as the prompt greeting of guests, timely bussing of tables and appropriate pacing of food-to-table delivery. Like its companion elements--serving food at the right temperature, providing a clean environment and getting a customer's order right the first time efficient service is expected by customers as part of a par service interaction.

"Efficiency is as important as friendliness," says Jim Sullivan, chief executive of Sullivision.com, a hospitality consultancy that counts Watt Disney Co., Applebee's, and McDonald's among its clients. "If the order is wrong, all the smiles in the world won't help make it better."

Part of having an efficient, effective organization is setting a system of standards that are clear, simple, achievable and measurable, according to Mario Ponce, president of Partners in Hospitality Inc. and author of "Waiting on America: A Food Server's Guide to Greater Income."

"Make sure your expectations are dear and concise, and ensure that your employees understand the benefit of doing things right--and the consequences of doing things wrong," Ponce said. He suggests developing a system of positive reinforcement, where managers "catch" staff members doing things the right way, and then publicly recognize those staff members for their model actions.

2. Personalized service is key.

People come to restaurants primarily for the service, says Phil Wexler, the author of a best-selling book on table waiting, The Art of Professional Serving. To ensure that customers are receiving the service they expect, set standards for wait staff-customer interactions. "Never interrupt the guest; when they talk, you listen," Wexler says. "Know the menu, the restaurant and any specials. Remember there is no such thing as, 'This isn't my table.'"

Make eye contact, Wexler says. This not only shows the customer that what they have to say is important, it also allows for personal contact and shows confidence on the part of the waiter.

"Anticipate a guest's need before they have to ask," Sullivan adds. "Great service means never having to ask for anything." Customers should never have to get up out of their chair to do some part of the wait staff's job.