Guest Expectations at Restaurants

Every F&B Associate must have a service mind, quality and attitude to meet the guest expectations

(a) EXPERTISE
Ability and professional skills

(b) FLAIR
Ability to serve an order with appropriate flourish

(c) SMOOTHNESS
In the service of an order

(d) DEXTERITY
Serving without spilling or rattling; without disturbing the guest

(e) GRACIOUSNESS
By bidding a guest welcome or farewell; the holding of a chair; the noble presentation of a menu

(f) SPEED
Good judgments of actions both in mind and body. A server who is swift and efficient is admired

(g) COOPERATION AND INDUSTRIOUS
Get along with and help your fellow workers

Your attitude should never be as the following below

(a) PRETENTIOUS
Given to outward show, presumptuous and arrogant

(b) CARELESS
Thoughtless; regardless

(c) INSIDIOUS
Advancing imperceptibly

(d) CLUMSY
Awkward; ungainly

(e) DOMINEERING
To be overbearing or act in an arbitrary manner

(f) INTRUSIVE
To enter uninvited into a conservation of room

(g) PREOCCUPIED
Absorbed in thought or meditation

Guest Categories & Guest Expectations

Regular Guests

Regular guest like to be greeted by name. It is very important that you remember the preferences of your regular guests – their favorite drinks and special foods they prefer. And it is important that regular guests feel they are receiving personal preferential treatment.

Occasional Guests

Occasional guests, of course, can not be treated like regular guests because you do not know them personally. You do not know their names or preferences, and you can not really ask them much without seeming intrusive. The only way to show these guests how much you appreciate their patronage is by providing attentive and friendly service. They should never have the impression that you are doing less for them or that they must wait longer than regular guests. Only with first – class service can you hope to make a regular out of an occasional guest. You will not always be successful, but you can always try. When suggesting menu items to them, always recommend the house specialties, so that, they receive the best impression of our kitchen. Good sources to find out information about occasional guest are your colleges from Front Office. They might have spoken to the guest before you and know more about them.

Tourists & Guest Expectations

Put yourself in the place of a tourist, and you can imagine how important it is to find friendly co- operation when dining away from home. Help with the menu is in most cases greatly appreciated.
Assist with the selection of food and beverages and explain them as well as you can, especially when there is a language barrier. Recommend local delicacies and the proper beverages to enhance them. When dealing with tourists, always keep in mind that the quality of your service affects the reputation your region enjoys in other parts of the country – and aboard.

Handicapped Guests

When dealing with physically or mentally handicapped guests, you must sensitively offer as much help as is needed without being patronizing or showing pity.
Do not forget that a temporarily handicapped guest needs your help as well. A guest with an arm or a leg in a cast may be very grateful if you cater to his needs. For assistance, offer a chair so he can put his leg up; if his arm is in a cast, ask if he needs assistance in cutting his food.
Guests in wheelchairs should be seated so that they can easily reach the exit without to maneuver between the furniture.

Blind guests without escorts should be asked if they might be led to a table. When the guest wishes to order, ask if she would like menu suggestions. Always mention the house specialties. Also ask if she needs any special dishes or utensils or if she would like the food prepared in particular, way, such as precut.
Mentally handicapped guests are usually escorted. If you feel they need special attention, ask the escort how you can be of assistance. The best help for handicapped guests is to treat them as “normal” as possible.

Older guest

Older guests are always grateful when you help them with their coats or things. They appreciated being seated at a quiet table. Older guests should never be seated near the air condition or in a draft. When making menu suggestions, recommend dishes and avoid spicy foods.

Small children

Provide small children with high chairs, booster seats, or pillows if they cannot reach the table. Give them the smallest flatware possible. Do not give knives to children under four. Glasses should be sturdy; replace stemware with tumblers. Children appreciate if they can draw and color paper, Kids books or paper for drawing with crayons should always be provided upon arrival of the guests. When taking order, call the parents’ attentions to the children’s menu. The parents have the final authority over what the children order, and their wishes overrule those of children. Impatient children often become noisy and fidget, who makes their parents nervous and disturbs guests at others tables. To avoid this problem, serve the children as quickly as possible. Never forget that children are our customers of the future.

The Basic rule is: if you satisfy the children, you will satisfy the parents, as well as all the other guests. The extra effort pays off.

Creating first Impression for Guest Expectations

Our guests’ first impression of your establishment affects how much they order and, ultimately, if they return (because the first impression lasts the longest). Two factors determine whether a guest will judge your restaurant positively or negatively after a quick glance:
• The overall impression the facilities make
• The impression the service associate makes

The Facilities

Guest immediately judge:

Cleanliness : Are floors, furniture, curtains, rest rooms, and phone booths immaculate?
Lighting: Is the light to harsh? Too dim? Or is to cozy?
Decoration : Do flowers, pictures, and the like complement the rest of the décor?
Noise level: Is the room noisy or quiet?
Smell: Is the odor in the restaurant appetizing, or is there an unpleasant smell?
Food: Is the food presented in showcases and on display carts appetizing or not?
Information material: Are the menus clean and up to date, or are they worn and are they worn and out dated?

Creating last impression for Guest Expectations

Creating good impressions is not over until the guest has left the restaurant after paying a lot of money for a meal, our guests expects to be escorted to the door and thanks for coming. Receiving a last smile from every associate will make them feel home and chances of returning are very high.
Another chance to impress people at this print is by doing the following:
• Escort them to the car
• Tell them your name again and let them know that you would be happy to serve them again
• Call the Restaurant Manager to farewell the guest