Effective Restaurant Marketing Idea #4

"WOW" #4- Customer Complaints - Prevention is really the answer to Customer Complaints but is it possible to prevent every Customer Complaint? All businesses need to continually evaluate how well they communicate the "standards of operation" for the business, to the Employees and to the Customers. When a problem does occur, you need to have a "damage control" procedure that we call "Defect Correction". These are the three areas of planning concerning Customer Complaints: Prevention, Evaluation and Defect Correction.

The restaurant marketing "Standards of Operation" create the expectations for the Employee and the Guest and becomes the tool to Prevent Guest Complaints. You prevent complaints when your Employees are well trained and understand the Mission and Vision of the Restaurant.

You need to have a means of continuously communicating the Mission/Vision of your Restaurant to Employees at all levels, especially in the beginning. Selecting the correct Employee; one who can deliver on "your promise" to the Guest is very important. When you select the correct Employee, it makes it much easier to train the Employee to reach your goals. An Employee must have the right aptitude for the job which is the "natural ability" to do the job. Training is an essential part of effective restaurant marketing.

An Open Entry/Open Exit Training Program with results-orientated compensation creates a climate of continuous improvement within your company and helps to shape and form the attitude of your Employee. The Employee really needs to want to do the job.

If the Employee has the right aptitude, and the right attitude it will be much easier to provide them the knowledge they need to perform their jobs. The Employee would receive the knowledge through reading your Training Manuals for each specific position as they follow the career path for your Restaurant. The Employee needs to have a thorough understanding of the Mission/Vision and how to ensure that it is carried out to perfection. When the Employee has the necessary knowledge on how to perform the job, they need to develop the work skills that will prevent problems from occurring.

Your Employee Selection Program must be able to help you select Employees with the right aptitude and attitude about performing their job with a high degree of proficiency. Your training program must be able to provide the knowledge and the development of work skills than ensure the proper execution of your Mission/Vision and provide a high level of Guest Satisfaction. If you are going to "Exceed the Expectations" of the Guest, all of your Employees must develop the proper work habits, so that when you are experiencing full-house business, your "promise" to the Guest is carried out with a high level of precision.

The "Guest Dining Cycle" is the major area of focus for training purposes. The "Guest Dining Cycle" begins at the time the Guest pulls into the parking lot until they drive away. It is the responsibility of Management to thoroughly document and establish procedures on what they want to have happen during this time. It is during the "Guest Dining Cycle" that Management plans and trains their Employees to perform "Magic Moments" where the guest experiences Exceptional Service and realizes that your Restaurant is superior to your competition. In addition to the "Magic Moments" which are planned to make your Guests realize that you are superior to your competition, you must plan for the occurrence of "WOW", which is random and unexpected. "WOW" is the ultimate in a dining experience. "WOW" results in positive, compelling Word-of-Mouth Advertising.

When your Guests receive this level of service, you have eliminated any possibility of complaints. Therefore, training is the key to provide "WOW, Exceptional Service!" Continuous evaluation of how well that your Restaurant is delivering on the promise to your guests is absolutely essential to maintain a high level of performance. This evaluation can be accomplished through Mystery Shoppers, Guest evaluations and personal observation of the Management Team. It is also suggested that you have a Toll-free Customer Care Line. Whatever you measure and reward you will get. Take a pro-active approach to do your Restaurant Marketing with proper employee selection and training.

Defect Correction - When you do not achieve your goal of 100% Guest Satisfaction, you need to have an alternative plan ... A plan to try to prevent losing a Guest. A Guest with a complaint has one basic thought: "Get this situation resolved and then I'll decide if you'll have another chance at my business." When you do not deliver on your promise to the Guest it is a test, so what are you going to do about it? Guest complaints are a test of the integrity of your business and of your desire to make things right.

When you have a breach of trust with the Guest, real or imagined, the way you handle the Guest must convince the Guest that you are truly sorry and that the problem was completely unintentional and that you are willing to do "whatever is needed" to correct the problem ... and then do something that will create "WOW" in the minds of the Guest. Go overboard. Do not leave any questions in the mind of the Guest or in the minds of any of your Employees that you want to "Exceed the Expectations" of the Guest during difficult times too.

"Whatever it takes ... "