Best Practices

The MOST Important Part of Your Guest Experience

At the heart of every restaurant's potential for profit and success is the quality and consistency of their guest experience.

A reliable, high-quality guest experience translates into loyal, returning guests and the best advertising of all, superior reviews and positive word-of-mouth.

Have you ever thought about what is the MOST important part of your restaurant's guest experience? In other words, if you could be the over-the-top, best restaurant in one area, what would it be? Food quality? Speed or timing of the service? Atmosphere? Sparkling restrooms? Friendly? Or something else?

When we talk about different aspects of the guest experience, they tend to fall into one of two categories, the tangible (technical or physical) or the human (emotional) elements of the experience.

The tangible parts of the guest experience include food and beverage, atmosphere, cleanliness and timing. To be exceptional here requires excellence based on possessing the skills and competence to do quality work.

Instead of using technology to automate processes, think about using technology to enhance human interaction.
– Tony Zambito

The human or emotional part has to do with the personal interactions between the staff and guests. It includes things like the sincerity of the greeting, smiles, eye contact and projecting a warm, friendly demeanor. This requires a high degree of people or social skills which we commonly refer to as simply, hospitality. Delivering genuine restaurant hospitality requires a team who genuinely cares about people and has a strong desire to make every guest feel welcome, appreciated and well-served.

So, what’s more important, excellence or hospitality? This might make for an interesting discussion, but obviously it takes both. The skills and competent execution to deliver excellence in the tangible parts of the experience AND hospitality, to positively connect with guests on an emotional or human level too.

While technical skills and competence ensure high-quality food, cleanliness, and efficiency, it's the warmth, sincerity, and human connection that leaves the most profound lasting impression. Guests may appreciate a well-executed meal, but what truly makes them loyal is how well they are treated and how they feel when they walk through your doors.

That’s why it’s important to train and improve the skills and awareness of your team on both the tangible and hospitality aspects of the guest experience. It takes consistent execution in both areas to create loyal guests who keep coming back and sharing their positive experiences with others.

Save these useful resources from RestaurantOwner.com to continue to elevate the guest experience at your restaurant.

The "Gift of Hospitality” - Explore the importance of genuine interactions and teaching staff how to make guests feel valued and welcome. It covers key behaviors like eye contact, sincere greetings, and attentive service.

"Service Versus Hospitality" - Distinguish between efficient service and heartfelt hospitality. While service involves the technical aspects of dining, hospitality focuses on creating emotional connections with guests.

Have a profitable week!

The RestaurantOwner.com Team