Dealing With Customer Problems and Complaints

Dealing With Customer Problems and Complaints

In a perfect world, there would be no problems whatsoever. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world and therefore have to deal with situations in which the people we interact are not satisfied or encounter difficulties. This is certainly true with food and beverage management. Ensuring that customers are fully satisfied and their problems resolved is a major component of having a successful food and beverage establishment.

It is vital that food and beverage personnel be fully trained and effective in dealing with customer problems and complaints. A restaurant manager should institute continual training procedures to ensure that personnel maintain a high level of awareness and proficiency in this area. The old adage that “the customer is always right” is an integral component to the success of food and beverage operations. Here are some highlights on dealing with customer complaints that can be found in our restaurant SOP.

When personnel become aware of a problem, they should take responsibility for it. It doesn’t matter if this staff person was directly involved in the problem itself or not. Their job once it has come to their attention is to resolve it. Staff should then hear the customer out, being attentive and concerned about the situation. Ask questions if there is a need for clarity. When appropriate, staff should apologize for any perceived or actual error. Finally, ensure the customer that you are going to assist with the problem and proceed to do so or seek the necessary assistance to do so. Also, the restaurant manager should be informed of the problem regardless if staff is able to resolve the issue or not.

In the event that a customer’s problem is not resolvable by immediate staff, the problem should be directed to the manager or immediate supervisor. In this instance, staff is responsible with providing managers with all the details so that an informed decision and course of action can be determined. The one thing you do not want to have happen is to frustrate the customer further by having them repeatedly explain the problem.

Nevertheless, managers should be completely aware of all problems and complaints that occur in the restaurant. In this way, a restaurant manager can ensure that customers receive a level of satisfactory resolution. Managers should follow up any customer complaint with an apology from management. In addition, the problem should be noted or logged so that it will not be repeated by other personnel.

In fact, it is a really good idea for a restaurant manager to maintain customer service logs that track problems and resolutions. This is also a good way to make sure that when a customer who experiences a problem returns, that the establishment pays a little special attention to them. This is also a good way to show customers special recognition as well.

A restaurant manager, if they remain active on the floor and visible, will be able to provide staff and guests with additional customer service support. In fact, by being attentive, managers can often head off a problem before it occurs. A detailed restaurant SOP will go a long way to ensure that customer service concerns are efficiently and effectively addresses.


{{Find the best tools and resources designed to help you plan effective strategies to manage a successful restaurant at: http://www.restaurant-data.com/
" This article is contributed by Ehab Rashwan }}

Assisting Guests With Special Needs

Assisting Guests With Special Needs

For food and beverage establishments, customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance. Satisfied customers are the key to return business and a source of word-of-mouth advertisement. In both instances, the operation realizes increased revenues as a result of satisfied customers. In this endeavor, there are customers that will visit a food and beverage establishment that have special needs. These customers, like any other, should not only be treated with respect and courtesy, but their special needs should be accommodated.

Special needs accommodations should be spelled out in the restaurant SOP. Our restaurant operation manual is a good source for a restaurant manager to be able to develop their own special needs guidelines for customers. There are a number of areas that should be clearly outlined and addressed, with staff being fully aware and trained on these procedures.

Special needs for a food and beverage establishment would be any customer that needs attention from staff that exceeds normal parameters. This includes elderly customers, small/young children, and customers with disabilities. Some restaurants will also include customers with specific dietary needs or special requests in this category as well. Each type of special needs customer has procedures that are best suited to their care.

For example, with elderly customers, you will want to sit them in areas that have ample lighting and preferably quiet. If you have comfortable seating available, you will want to provide this as well. On the other hand, dealing with children requires a different approach. With children, it is courteous to actually speak to the child directly, but to confirm with the parents (preferably non-verbally or indirectly) on any orders that a child may place. With small children, it is also a good idea to make table snacks (crackers, bread, etc.) available as soon as possible as well.

What is apparent is that it is paramount that staff be aware of the differences that each category of special needs customer requires. Not only, as we have already mentioned, should these procedures be outlined in the restaurant SOP; but training procedures should be in place to make sure that staff are able to identify and provide needed services when required to do so. A restaurant manager is responsible to ensure that personnel are properly aware and trained in providing special needs customer service.

A restaurant manager should understand that the special needs of customers must be taken care of. The restaurant manager should convey this understanding to other staff members. Remember, these customers are as important as any other. Accommodating the needs of special needs customers will only serve to enhance the reputation of the quality service that a food and beverage establishment offers. Additionally, food and beverage operations will realize an increase in return business as a result of a practice that doesn’t require any additionally expense to provide. With proper planning and training, any food and beverage establishment institute these effective guidelines.
For further information regarding training or SOP guidelines for providing quality services to special needs customers, please review our ebooks on those subjects. Our restaurant training guide and restaurant operations manual are excellent resources for any restaurant manager.

{{Find the best tools and resources designed to help you plan effective strategies to manage a successful restaurant at: http://www.restaurant-data.com/
This article is contributed by Ehab Rashwan }}