It takes eight seconds for your customers to decide if they\u2019re enjoying themselves in your operation, and whether they\u2019ll be coming back.<\/p>\n
A 2014 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found the average American attention span has dropped from 12 seconds to eight seconds since 2000. Researchers say to blame our \u201cdigital lifestyle\u201d\u2014our inability to put down our smartphones and other portable devices.<\/p>\n
The best way to deal with our collective attention deficit disorder is to raise the bar on customer service. Customers should be able to feel your commitment to their great time from the moment they walk in your door.<\/p>\n
This is the most misunderstood term in our industry. Many operators view \u201cgood enough\u201d as acceptable quality. It isn\u2019t. You have to strive for exceptional quality in every way. Ask each team member to define \u201cexceptional quality.\u201d Post the answers on the wall. Then ask how each job classification, from buser to cook, can demonstrate exceptional quality. Make that standard part of their job description.<\/p>\n
Hosts are front and center in those first eight seconds\u2014they have to be consistently engaging and keep guests aware of wait-time status for tables. A server\u2019s first words when greeting seated guests should be a variant of \u201cThanks for coming in.\u201d Make sure guests feel the love.<\/p>\n
Your entire team needs to keep its eyes up and open, scanning the environment for guest signals\u2014chairs pushed back, heads up, eyes looking for an employee. It is everyone\u2019s job to respond to these signals. \u201cNot my table\u201d is unacceptable. What that phrase says to a customer is, \u201cYou don\u2019t care about me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responsiveness has three parts\u2014ask, act, report. Ask questions of each guest and write down what you hear them say. If a guest tells you something needs attention, act right away, whether it\u2019s a compliment for an employee or a complaint about a dish. Report back to the table what you did, and remind your guests how much you appreciate feedback.<\/p>\n
What the customer wants is paramount. You can have rules about how often a server should visit a table, but the truth is, every customer is different. Teach your waitstaff\u2014and any other customer-facing employees\u2014to draw out what a customer needs and expects. Does the customer want a visit every 10 minutes? Is the customer in a hurry to get the check? Do the guests want to linger with a cup of coffee after paying?<\/p>\n
Gaining repeat business is never about just one thing. But losing repeat business is always about one thing\u2014the inability to continuously work all five of the aforementioned qualities into a package. The constant interplay of these attributes is \u201cservice.\u201d Organizations that are constantly firing on all these cylinders are able to make a positive impression in just eight seconds.<\/p>\n
All this requires an ongoing investment in team development. It\u2019s not an occasional luxury. Remind your team members every day that they need to give customers a reason to come back. Challenge staffers: \u201cWhen you go out and find someone who treats you in a way you like, treat your customers that way. When you go out and find someone who does not make you feel valued, remember that feeling and don\u2019t treat your customers that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anyone not contributing to your success is detracting from it. Remember, a business is only as good as its worst employee. In a world of ever-shortening attention spans, you don\u2019t have the time to waste. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It takes eight seconds for your customers to decide if they\u2019re enjoying themselves in your operation, and whether they\u2019ll be coming back. A 2014 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found the average American attention span has dropped from 12 seconds to eight seconds since 2000. Researchers say to blame our \u201cdigital lifestyle\u201d\u2014our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4271,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n