5. How to deliver quality in your restaurant

Exceptional Quality When customers come through your doors they expect quality in every aspect of the restaurant. Guests are looking for a value in the things they see, taste, and touch, so providing them with exceptional quality will certainly leave a good taste in their mouths. Food Quality Food and beverages are the biggest indicator of quality that a customer notices. Food quality is not only important to the customer’s impressions of the overall restaurant experience, but it is important for the their health as well. Guests’ health should never be compromised. Although not all restaurants can boast the best quality food in town, they can still take measures to ensure that food is stored and prepared safely.. Quality Atmosphere When guests enter your restaurant, they should feel as though they are in a special, comfortable place. Try these suggestions to create a great ambiance in your restaurant:

• Make deliberate choices with lighting

• Choose music carefully. 

• Decorate appropriately.

• Keep the restaurant spotless.  Maintain the temperature. 

How to Speak with Customers In any restaurant or food service environment, speaking to customers should always involve the utmost respect and courtesy. This goes for all workers, from drive-thru attendants to servers at fine dining establishments. This is a bit idealistic, but restaurant workers should strive to follow these general guidelines when speaking with customers:

• Use respectful titles, such as “sir” and “ma’am.”

• Be upbeat and speak with a smile.

• Never interrupt or talk over guests’ conversations if you can help it.

• Know your menu so you can speak intelligently to educate guests.

• Listen with respect and care to what the customer has to say.

• Be sure to ask questions to clarify a customer’s order if there is any confusion.

• Be honest and straight-forward with customers at all times, especially if there is a problem.

How to Serve and Clear Food Serving etiquette varies depending on the restaurant type. The restaurant types where this matters the most are upscale or fine dining restaurants. Managers should train their servers in proper table etiquette if they are unsure of how to proceed in a serving or clearing situation. The following tips describe the basics:

• Serve in the appropriate order. 

• Serve and clear food from the left.  Serve and pour beverages from the right. S

• Serve the correct order to each guest. .

• Never rush a party to finish. 

• Clear all plates at the same time. 

Speed of Service Speed of service is an important phrase in most quick-service and fast-casual restaurants. These restaurants capitalize on convenience and speed. They often have a speed of service goal built into their policies.

Speed of service is integral to a positive dining experience no matter the restaurant service type. A guest will likely form expectations as to how long they should wait for the food, depending on the restaurant. The guest will be annoyed if his two-dollar cheeseburger took ten minutes to serve, but in a fine dining restaurant, that guest will probably not get upset until he has waited half an hour or more for his entrée. Make it your goal to accommodate all guests with the same quality food within the same time frame at all hours of the work day.

Caring for Upset Customers Now and again there are bound to be problems. A customer may be dissatisfied with his meal or may find the quality of service to be below his standards. Sometimes guests will find the need to vent anger or annoyance before the problem can be resolved. Be sure to train servers the proper ways to handle customer complaints. Retaining upset customers can be a challenge. When you put in the effort and respect to recover distressed customers, you may be able to convince them to return to your establishment in the future

When guests come to your restaurant, you should treat them as if they are friends visiting your home. Treating your guests with care and providing an exceptional place for them to enjoy a meal is part of the reason they will come back to your restaurant again.