If you truly want repeat customers, then you should definitely educate your staff on restaurant etiquette. Start by training them on proper customer etiquettes like how to speak politely with the customers. Ideally, they should be well-mannered and greet the incoming and outgoing guests with a warm smile. No one likes to eat around grumpy waiters.

Identifying particular members of the staff that require extra training can prove helpful. Consider using an online server management system to keep track of which server each table is assigned to. If majority of the negative reviews seem to be coming from a particular server's table, provide them with a few extra hours of training to help them perform better. 

Make sure that every customer-facing member of your staff is as friendly and inviting (and well-dressed!) as possible. It's also important to ensure that each member of the staff is well aware of the restaurant's core values and represents them when interacting with guests.

2. Go the extra mile

Check out the local competition to discover what they are neglecting in their customer experience, and then offer it in your restaurant. Something as simple as offering a free bottle of water to each customer could win you extra brownie points.

Another thing you could do is try to stand out with your restaurant signs. For example, a sign with a sentence saying “wait to be seated” can be reworded to “please give us a few minutes as our awesome staff prepares your table.” Or something more enticing.

3. Throw in a surprise or two

After the guests sit at their tables, try to delight them by informing them about any special dishes for the day, or ongoing discounts and deals. This can make them feel like they did the right thing by choosing to dine at your restaurant.

A popular way to entice customers is to offer a “plat du jour.” For those who aren’t familiar, plat du jour is a meal that is offered by a restaurant on a specific day of the week. It includes a main course, a beverage, and an appetizer or dessert all in one price, which enhances the customer experience because of the potential savings.

If they are a repeat customer and often order the same dishes, consider providing them with that dish on the house to show them that you pay attention and care about their every visit.

4. Offer seasonal experiences

One of the easiest ways to improve your customer service is to adapt your business strategy to complement different seasons. For example, you can add a Thanksgiving or Christmas special to your menu during the festive season.

Another idea is to offer alfresco dining during the summer months and enhance customer experience by serving fresh produce. Because long wait times are a leading cause of customer frustration, offering outdoor table service can positively reflect on your bottom line.

5. Consider new payment technologies

Investing in different technologies can significantly enhance the appeal of your restaurant. One option is to get a modern POS solution that acts as a cash register/PC hybrid, with the capability to print receipts, process credit card transactions, function as a server station and showcase data on a user-friendly 

Another is to allow customers to pay via mobile using contactless payments like Apple Pay. For advance bookings, you can leverage payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal.

Also consider the impact digital reservation systems can have on your staff's ability to provide better customer service. Effective customer service is made much easier if your staff have access to customer information before they meet the guest. This means anything from caller ID, diner histories and previous spending patterns at your restaurant. Being prepared is often half the battle and reservation systems can help make the difference.

6. Learn to deal with customer complaints & criticism

No matter how thoroughly you train your staff or how hard you work to provide exceptional customer service, mistakes and complaints are bound to happen. Having proper protocols for dealing with customer complaints and feedback, and training your staff accordingly is necessary to ensure that the customer does not leave your restaurant unsatisfied.

A good tip is to listen to customer feedback & criticism and offer to compensate the customer with a complimentary dish or voucher as an apologetic gesture. This will make the customer feel heard and important and increase their chance of returning to your restaurant in spite of a negative experience. 

It's also important to gather as much feedback as possible and response adequately. Consider setting up an automated post-dining survey to gather feedback from as many diner as possible, analyze the data on a daily basis and take actionable decisions accordingly. 

7. Be attentive and efficient

One of the biggest negative aspects of a restaurant that holds back customers from visiting again is slow service and lack of attention by the staff. If customers have to wait around for their food, or have to wave their hands and shout out 2-3 time to get the waiter's attention, then your customer satisfaction levels are definitely in trouble.

Providing a seamless experience to customers from beginning to end is very important to ensure that your customers leave with a smile from your restaurant, this includes paying proper attention to each person that walks in.

Always pre-plan your shift, have a look at the number of upcoming reservations and look at your restaurant data to identify the busiest periods and make staffing decisions accordingly. You can also set-up your table layout in advance to make sure your staff does not have to waste time moving tables after the customers have arrived. 

Train your staff to maximize their productivity and have a designated server for each customer and try not to overcrowd servers to ensure that each individual customer gets enough attention - starting from the welcome greetings to bringing in the cheque. The customer should never have to make extra efforts to reach their server.

8. Appreciate & reward loyal customers

For the customers who keep coming back, an added personal touch can make all the difference. Addressing them by their name, remembering their regular order, table preferences and communicating with them when they stop by will really make your regular customers feel important and keep them coming back.

A reservation CRM system can helps make sure your staff have this info on hand when regular customers come back.

Other gestures like a complimentary dessert or a personal greeting by the restaurant owner or manager can also increase customer satisfaction levels and build long-term relationships at barely any cost. Offering loyalty programs to repeat customers is also another great way of maintaining a good relationship and high levels of customer satisfaction.

9. Manage walk-ins better with waitlists

One of the biggest reasons people don't come back to restaurants is long waiting times. If your restaurant receives a lot of walk-ins, it's crucial to setup a waitlist management system that can help you handle crowds efficiently and ensure no one leaves with a negative experience.

Invest in a waitlist management tool that can help you maximize your floor setting and seat as many diners as possible, provide accurate wait-time estimates, and keep guests updates about their table with constant messaging. This way, people are much more likely to wait to dine at your restaurant. 

Source: https://restaurant.eatapp.co/blog/restaurant-customer-service retrieved January 19, 2021