A few weeks ago my mom and I went to dinner at the Cracker Barrel in Kerrville, TX. I asked if we could be seated in Stephen’s section. We had had Stephen before and he was phenomenal. He even has four stars on his apron to show it!
Stephen wasn’t there and we were seated in Ndiaye’s section. Ndiaye had only one star on her apron which I thought was not a good sign and she may be new and this isn’t going to be as good an experience as it was with Stephen.
Boy, was I wrong!
We will return to Cracker Barrel because Ndiaye did everything to provide us with a great guest service experience. I think we could all learn something from her. This week I want to share some tips on what your team can do to give great guest service.
1. Patience
On a busy Saturday, this can be difficult sometimes. You have someone walk in, they don’t know what they want, and the line is getting longer and longer. It’s easy to get frustrated and start telling them about everything you have, confusing them more. You can be patient and expedite the process if you qualify them to help narrow down their choices and help guide the decision. Your patience will go a long way and help them create a better guest experience from the get-go.
2. Connection
One of the first things Ndiaye did was to connect with us. It may not be a big deal to most people, but she noticed my mom and I are both left-handed. It’s one thing we left-handers always notice, so when she brought it up, the conversation ensued. Ndiaye made us feel special in an authentic way since we all had that one thing in common.
The connection can be as simple as asking how their day is or finding something in common with them. We want our guests to feel like they have a relationship with a real person, not a robot. When we connect with our guests, we create relationships that build trust with our people and our business.
3. VIP Red Carpet Treatment
Have you ever seen how people act when a limo pulls up to the front door? Everyone kind of scrambles around to see who the limo is picking up and then do everything they can to put their best foot forward. If they are in a limo, they must be important, right? If we can teach our team that every guest is a VIP who just stepped out of a limo, they will come back more often and share their wonderful guest experience with others.
4. Go the Extra Mile
Ndiaye did a great job. She was far from the rising one-star on her apron. She was attentive with our order, the touches at our table, and always had a smile. Mom always wants to take an extra blackberry jelly or two home with her and Ndiaye made it happen with a smile.
Before we left, I let her know I was going to brag about her to the manager and that she needed four stars on her apron. She had only been working there for a few weeks but was a natural pro. I judged this book by the cover and was sorry in the end. I now have several servers I can count on at this location.
Does your team have all the tools they need to provide great guest service? If you’re not sure, schedule a business check-up with us today. We would love to help.
