What matters to restaurant customers the most when it comes to a dining experience — price, atmosphere, menu, special promotions, speed, cleanliness or the emotional connection? While all of those factors contribute to the overall guest experience, this article, from PizzaMarketplace.com, points to the importance of having emotional connections with the restaurant guests which is considered the most crucial factor in creating a superior customer experience. If this finding surprises you, read on.
The article further reveals the biggest mistakes restaurants can make that prevent their customers from forming an emotional connection with them which range from having rude, unhelpful and impatient servers to using a canned script in dealing with issues. The bad news doesn’t stop there – 40% of the respondents admit to posting a negative review online followed by 50% of the respondents saying they would try out a competitor as a result of a poor customer experience.
What makes a restaurant experience memorable is how you make your customers feel. Go that extra mile to provide your guests with personalized customer service – call your guests by their names, start the usual chat with them when they walk through the door and take effort to remember their favourite items on the menu. Everyone likes to be treated like a VIP and it’s these personalized touches that make their dining experience with you memorable.
Customer Journey Mapping helps you walk in the shoes of your customers and observe things that you would never be able to see from a management point of view – what is the customers experiencing with their eyes, nose, touch and ears? What emotive senses become involved at each functional stage of the visit, be they pleasure, expectation or impatience? With this knowledge in hand, you will be able to raise the game above simple friendliness, convenience and value that are important to customers and finally create a dining experience so magical that guarantee their returns.