Local eateries, cafes and canteens insist on sabotaging themselves with these simple mistakes
I've spent the last year as a professional patron, and I've seen my fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly. What I've noticed is that there are a handful of blunders most restaurants make that put a bitter taste in diners' mouth, so to speak.
If you're a restaurant owner, it's worth reconsidering a few of the pointers I mention below because you might not think double-ply toilet paper matters to your customers, for example, but we definitely do notice.
Keeping the WiFi (and password) a secret
The nature of dining has changed incredibly in the last 10 years. We no longer head to our nearest coffee shops for a cup of mud before heading to the office - the coffee shop has become an office for many people.
Having to nag the waitstaff for the WiFi name and password when it could easily be printed on the menu or chalked onto the special's board is annoying for everyone. A lot of diners look for eateries that have free/unlimited WiFi so if you would just offer that information up from the beginning, it adds to the customer service experience,
Incorrect orders
Not too long ago, wait staff used to carry stationery to record customer's orders. I very rarely received a medium-to-rare steak having asked for bleu when waitrons wrote orders down. Now I have to return plates to the kitchen because extra capers are added to my pizza when I've asked, specifically, to have them taken off.
I can appreciate that managers and restaurant owners want their staff to impress customers with a sharp memory, but when you're tending to 5+ tables of 4 diners a piece, getting confused is a great possibility.
Bring back the pen and paper dammit!
Dirty crockery
If your staff can't keep glasses clean or don't wash the bottom of plates properly, it brings the integrity of every other aspect of your restaurant into question. You need to be meticulous with cleanliness.
While you're at it, exposed salad bars or harvest tables with no food covers are buffet tables for flies and other unappetizing pest - a breading ground for germs.
Food is a great way to nourish and strengthen the body, but bad food practices are a sure way to make people sick.
Waiting on cutlery
For whatever reason, some restaurants will bring cutlery and condiments to you while you wait for your order, as opposed to setting them on the table initially - I assume as a delaying tactic. But if that's a choice you have made, then remember to bring the cutlery.
I for one don't like to salivate over my plate as it goes cold, because I'm waiting for a fork and knife.
Being ignored yet expecting a tip
A few months ago, I went out for drinks with a few of my girlfriends. We were seated in the back of the restaurant, behind a pillar that made us all but invisible to our negligent waiter. When it came time to paying the bill, we tipped in accordance to the effort we felt we were given as patrons; nothing.
The waiter decided to keep us hostage until we tipped him. We didn't. But we did explain to the manager of the bar in question that we didn't appreciate being bullied to give 10% gratuity on service we didn't receive.
I've been a waitress before, and sometimes I had to work a shift when I didn't feel like it. Customers could always tell and it always affected my tips. So I learned that I don't have to always deliver service with a smile, but that meant my patrons didn't have to indulge my attitude by tipping me either.
I can't imagine running an eatery can be easy. The wise manager of Swan Café, Luke, aptly observed that restaurants are people-centered businesses serving food, as opposed to food-focused businesses serving people. You need to remember that your patrons will only return if they enjoy the experience you create for them.
So, what kind of experience have you been giving your customers lately?
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My job requires that I often have my face planted into a plate of food, but periodically I come up for air. When I do, I write think pieces about how therapeutic travelling can be, why eating better will make you feel better, and the benefits of sourcing your fresh produce locally.
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