1.
Serving Your Guests

2. Definition of Service and Hospitality
Working in a service industry means serving people directly. This is the single most important aspect of the job.
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Chapter 10 | Serving Your Guests

3. First Impressions
First impressions are often the strongest impression we have of a person, place, or event.
A positive first impression goes a long way in setting the tone of a guest’s experience.
The initial customer interaction is one of the best ways in which to make a strong first impression.
The facility’s cleanliness and appearance are also very important to first impressions.
The appearance of all restaurant and foodservice employees also affects a guest’s first impression.
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Chapter 10 | Serving Your Guests

4. Identifying Customers’ Needs
It is up to all employees to ensure prompt, friendly, and professional service. They should start by identifying the customer’s needs.
Older customers may need additional help.
Families with young children also may have special needs.
Customers may have special dietary needs, so knowledge of the menu is critical.
First-time guests might be unfamiliar with the menu or any special touches of an operation.
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Chapter 10 | Serving Your Guests

5. Identifying Customers’ Needs
Special occasions usually mean that the customer has specific needs.
Foreign-language differences present challenges to efficient and responsive service.
Employees need to accommodate people with disabilities in every way possible.
People dining alone may have work to do or may simply be trying to get away from it all.

6. Reservations and Requests
It is very important to have an accurate system to record reservations and special requests and implement them at the right time.
Reservations and requests should be saved in one place and include standard information, including when and who recorded the information.
Confirming all reservations and special requests is good customer service.
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Chapter 10 | Serving Your Guests

7. Taking Orders
As each guest at the table selects their meal, the server notes guest orders on pre-printed guest checks or small note pads.
Some guests may ask the server whether certain ingredients can be removed from dishes due to food allergies or other special needs. Servers need to note correctly any special requirements and ensure that the chef understands the request.
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Chapter 10 | Serving Your Guests

8. Suggestive Selling
Suggestive selling involves recommending additional or different items to a guest. It is known as “up selling” when you suggest an item that is more costly than the guest’s original selection.
Suggestive selling maximizes guest satisfaction and increases the average check, resulting in more profits.
By increasing the guest’s check, suggestive selling also increases the server’s tip.
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Chapter 10 | Serving Your Guests

9. Processing Payment
Most establishments accept cash or credit.
Processing payment is as vital a function
For credit card payments, bring the credit card and receipt to the table together.
Always remember to thank customers for their patronage.
The procedure for processing payment as part of table service is very similar to processing at a register:
Present the check at the table.
Collect payment from the customers.
Process payment.
Return the change or credit card receipt and credit card.
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10. Getting Feedback on Customer Satisfaction
To determine how well the restaurant or foodservice operation meets guests’ expectations, it is useful to measure their satisfaction.
Routinely ask whether the food, drink, service, and accommodations are satisfactory during a guest’s visit.
Comment cards
Surveys
Mystery shoppers
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Chapter 10 | Serving Your Guests

11. Resolving Customer Complaints
An unhappy customer is bad for business, so every operation needs an organized system for handling and resolving all guest complaints.
Management must train every staff member on how to handle customer complaints.
It is important to recognize when a guest is upset so that the problem can quickly be resolved.
Never ignore or avoid a dissatisfied guest.
Proactively addressing such concerns with customers can turn a dissatisfied customer into a repeat guest.
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Chapter 10 | Serving Your Guests

12. Practice!