<< Previous :: Next >> By Date :: Top Recent :: Top 30 days :: Top 365 days :: Back

Food & Beverage -What Customers Fear: Turning Anxiety into Sales - By Ken Burgin

2010-06-16

Send

Text Size:

Profitable Hospitality How you handle their spoken or unspoken questions will either strengthen the relationship or undermine it. There's plenty to worry about in the economy, and more than enough anxiety for everyone! Your warmth and honesty will be very welome.

A confused or anxious customer usually says 'No' - it's safer.

How you handle their spoken or unspoken questions will either strengthen the relationship or undermine it. There's plenty to worry about in the economy, and more than enough anxiety for everyone! Your warmth and honesty will be very welome.

The more you answer questions upfront, the more you build trust. It's also a useful check on the strength of your service and systems.

Use party bookings as an example - common customer concerns include:

How much will this event really cost?
Have I forgotten to ask for something that will cost more later?
Will they do it the way I want, or the way they want?
Have we allowed enough time for this party?
What will happen if we arrive early or late?
Will there be enough food?
Will there be food that everyone will want to eat?
What about people on a diet - will they be happy?
Will the food be as good as promised?
How clean is the kitchen?
How will they deal with children who get fidgety?
What will the staff be like on the day?
Will I be embarrassed by anything during the event?
How do they handle people who drink too much?
What else could go wrong that I don't know about?

You know most of the questions people will ask. A great way to answer them and show your attention to detail is to prepare a Frequently Asked Questions list (FAQ). Have it available on your website and as leaflet, and use it with staff training. These are easy to write - you've heard them all 100 times!

Next, make sure your staff can handle these inquiries with a smile, not a sigh - their confidence and positive attitude will make all the difference.

Make sure the answers are presented in a positive 'sales mode' eg:

Q: Are seat covers included in the banquet price?  A: No [wrong answer] A: We have a great range available at a small extra charge of $5 per chair [better answer]

Q: What time do we need to vacate the room? A: Rooms must be vacated by 1am [wrong answer] A: The room can be used beyond 1am for an additional charge, or your guests can move to the Star Lounge which is open until 3am [better answer]

Profitable Hospitality offers management and cost-control systems (Manuals & CD-ROMs) for restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars and clubs. The systems are based on the extensive consulting and operating experience of CEO Ken Burgin, and enable busy owners and managers to set up complete operating and cost-control systems in minutes, not months. Profitable Hospitality also runs regular management training workshops in the areas of kitchen profit & efficiency, restaurant marketing and functions management. A free monthly e-newsletter keeps you up to date on the latest industry management issues. www.profitablehospitality.com.

Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.