The cost of living is currently higher than it’s ever been before and the restaurant industry is an extremely competitive one. When working in hospitality, you are one member of a team that is striving to make your customer’s experience the best it possibly can be. With so many restaurants around, your guest has the choice of where they’d like to spend their hard-earned money. Even if the food you serve is spectacular, the customer experience is all about their interaction with staff from the moment they step foot in the door until the moment they leave. Here are a few bad habits to avoid to ensure your customers keep coming back for more.

Not Greeting Customers

The customer experience starts from the second they swing open the doors to your establishment, and first impressions count. Say hello! Smile at everyone who comes into your workplace and greet them as if you’re greeting a friend. Make them feel welcomed and comfortable immediately. One great rule of thumb is to act like you’re hosting a party, and these are the guests you’ve invited. Show them how delighted you are that they chose to spend their money at the place you work.

Poor Communication

With good teamwork comes great communication. If a guest has a special request, relay that information to whoever needs to know. Ask them what they’re celebrating; if it’s a birthday or an anniversary, let their server know. Often restaurants will give a complementary appetizer or dessert to show thanks for celebrating their event at your space. Dining in at a restaurant is an event and a reason to celebrate!

Front-of-house and back-of-house are often busy working in their own areas and this can make for a hard time communicating. With so many allergies and food sensitivities, sharing this information is crucial. Let the kitchen know right away if anyone has an allergy at your table. If you have a question about food substitutions, shared plates, or any other special requests, ask the kitchen before ringing it in. If the kitchen or the bar runs out of any product, let everyone know right away. This will make for a smoother night for everyone.

Weak Product Knowledge

This brings us to our next point: product knowledge. As a server or a manager, it is absolutely paramount to have strong product knowledge. Is there bacon in the soup of the day? Then it won’t work for customers who don’t eat pork. Where do you get your steaks from? You need to know if they’re locally or internationally sourced. What kind of bread is served on your sandwiches? What kind of fish is used in the fish and chips? Without a doubt, you will be asked these questions time and time again. Having this product knowledge will not only save you time (by not having to leave the table to ask another staff member), but it will help you look more confident as a server and help to put your customers at ease. They trust you to ensure they have a delicious meal and a wonderful time, so take a few extra minutes before your shift to double-check you have all the details correct.

Refusing to Upsell

This is a common mistake we see repeated over and over. People come to a restaurant to eat, drink, and be merry. So don’t be afraid to do a bit of suggestive selling! Perhaps they want an appetizer to start with but they’ve forgotten because they’re hungry and focused on their main dish. If you like an appetizer, chances are your customer does, too. If they order a glass of wine, give them the choice of a 6oz glass or a 9oz glass. Leave a dessert menu on the table “just in case” and always offer coffee or tea. These small add-ons can make a huge difference into not only the customer experience, but also in their bill. And a bigger bill means a bigger tip, which means more money in your pocket. Everyone wins!

Not Acknowledging Mistakes

Finally, you have to learn to take responsibility for your mistakes. We’re all human beings and we’re bound to make mistakes from time to time. Your customers know this, and more often than not they just want whatever happened to be acknowledged and fixed as soon as possible. Was their steak cooked incorrectly? Replace it ASAP. Did you forget they wanted salad instead of fries? Make that your top priority. When the customer leaves, they will remember how well you treated them, how delicious their food was, and what a great time they had. Those tiny errors will be quickly forgotten if you apologize and move forward in creating an excellent dining experience for them.

Follow these five tips and you’re guaranteed to create an unforgettable dining experience for your guests. This will keep them coming back for more, putting more money in your pocket with each return. Don’t forget to say goodbye, thank them for joining you for dinner, and invite them back.

See you soon!