Answering the age-old question: What is good service in restaurants?
There is a saying in the restaurant business that goes something like this: "Exceptional food will never overcome poor service, but great service will always overcome unexceptional food."
As you may have read previously, I'm on the road a lot, and this means I dine out a lot. I have my favorite restaurants, and it may surprise you to learn that I don't always go to the restaurants with the best food, but I always go to the ones with the best service.
Where does good service begin?
For me, good service begins before I even walk in the door. I put a lot of stock into how clean the front area is. If I see trash or lights that are burned out, right away I am feeling like the restaurant does not think much of its guests.
The second thing, and perhaps the most important for a restaurant with a host stand, is that I would like to be greeted immediately upon entering. If I am made to wait and other staff walks by without acknowledging me, I'm questioning whether I should even have come to the restaurant, and I have not been seated yet.
The server's greeting
Many restaurants train their staff to greet a table within one minute. I think this is a great policy that is not always practical.
When the restaurant is busy, the servers may be tied up getting an order that is taking longer than expected. Now they don't have time to get to your table and do the formal welcome.
As the guest, this standard welcome is not what is most important to me. What is important is being acknowledged. I spend a great deal of time training servers, and I instruct them to break away from a table for just 30 seconds to go to a new table and let them know that you will be right with them.
As a guest, once I have been acknowledged and made comfortable, the sooner I start looking at the food and cocktail menu. In other words, I'm ready to start spending money.
Great service is all about communication
Can I still have great service if my order is taking a looooong time?
Absolutely.
This is one of those make-or-break situations for a server, their manager and the restaurant. Where we as customers get angry is when we are waiting and waiting and no one comes to our table to let us know what is happening.
I'll tell you a secret: In many restaurants when this happens, the server is afraid to come to the table and even the manager (a bad one anyway) avoids your table because they know you are angry.
However, well-trained staff can turn this situation around through simple communication. Once they see the kitchen is backed up and orders are taking longer, rather than avoid your table they immediately let you know what's happening. The manager will stop by so you know they're on it. They may offer to buy you a cocktail or a dessert, but the most important thing is that they have explained the situation and made you feel appreciated.
More than anything else, feeling valued as a guest brings me back to my favorite restaurants. What brings you back?
• Izzy Kharasch, www.HospitalityWorks.com, is a well known restaurant consultant in the Chicago area. He has worked with 700-plus restaurants around the country. He would be happy to offer readers a free phone consultation. Contact him at Izzy@HospitalityWorks.com.