June is officially underway! This is an incredibly exciting time for business owners all across Canada. Needless to say, warm and sunny weather makes it a lot easier to open up the patio. People just love going out to eat during the summer. As a restaurant owner, what should you be doing to intrigue hungry people to select your eatery as the go-to spot for fun times?
Here are four ways to dazzle and delight your eatery’s patrons:
1. Ensure your staff members are knowledgeable about the menu.
One of the worst things a member of your wait staff can do is respond with “I don’t know” when asked about a menu item. Even if your staff members haven’t eaten your dishes (they can’t be expected to have tried everything), it’s extremely important they have descriptive answers to such questions as “How’s the salmon?” They don’t have to lie either. An appropriate response would be “I hear it’s delicious. Our customers keep telling me how much they love it!”
“Well trained, friendly, efficient — these are all necessary qualities, but basic training for restaurant staff should also stress the importance of knowing the menu inside and out,” insists RewardsNetwork.com, “Asking a server if there’s something they recommend is a common query — and a blank stare rather than a confident answer is not only off-putting, but a clear sign that even the staff aren’t proud or invested in your establishment.”
2. Create an inviting atmosphere.
Always remember that hungry customers don’t just visit your restaurant for the food. They want a fun and inviting environment where they can enjoy a good time with their friends and families. It’s important to make your establishment one that people feel comfortable visiting. The UK’s Caroll Design encourages you to pay close attention to your colour choices.
“There’s a reason why fast food restaurants lean on red as an integral colour in their design, while high end restaurants favour darker colours and modern restaurants combine pure white backdrops with pops of orange and yellow,” says their website, “Red is a colour which stimulates hunger, while dark shades and blacks signify an intimate setting, and orange and yellow are feel-good colours which make people feel good.”
3. Focus on customer service.
Of course, your food should be delicious. It’s also important to have a fun and exciting atmosphere. However, it’s vital that everyone who visits your restaurant is greeted with a smile. That smile, of course, should be followed up with excellent service. Simply put, treating your customers with warmth and respect is arguably the top way to improve customer satisfaction.
“Happy customers will spend more, come back again and again, and tell all their friends that the care and respect shown by the staff was just as good as the delicious food on their plates,” contends RewardsNetwork.com, “And that’s why constantly and honestly monitoring, analysing, and improving customer service should be an absolute priority for every cafe, restaurant, and food establishment.”
4. Offer a variety of payment options.
At Unity Payments, we proudly offer Canadian merchants a variety of high-quality payment terminals to enable them to accept credit cards and debit cards. They include the Poynt Newland 910, the Ingenico Desk/5000, the Ingenico Move/5000 and the Poynt C Smart Terminal. To learn all about your options, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761. You may also email us at info@unitypayments.ca.
