Developing A Great Service Culture Will Benefit Both the Customers and the Brand

Creating a great guest experience will improve the morale of the staff and result in recurring sales

SPONSOREDUpdated 9:09AM • 05/26/16

Creating an unparalleled guest experience is the ultimate goal for just about any business.

But creating a perfected guest experience is easier said than done. The process starts at the core of a company, which is done by making the workplace a conducive environment. Robert Maynard, CEO and Founder of Famous Toastery, said one way to get the whole team working together is to eliminate waiter and waitress sections of a restaurant. By having it as one big restaurant, the staff will be working as a cohesive unit, making sure that the guests are the number one priority. Maynard calls this the “every server is your server” model.

“By not having sections or tables relegated to specific servers, the wait staff will be able to concentrate more on the customer experience,” Maynard said. “It creates an environment of everyone working together for one goal. Everyone can pick up the slack if someone needs help, make sure food gets out on time and make the whole experience better as a whole. We try to tell our wait staff that they are here for the guests and they should be serving them first.”

Maynard went on to say that creating comradery within a company will push the employees to perform better for the customers. With a central goal in mind, the wait staff will be able to gel cohesively.

Brands will come into contact with different patrons during the day and may need to fine tune the type of service they provide for these situations. Philip Schram, chief development officer for Buffalo Wings & Rings, said that creating different types of guest services for different times of the day will show consumers that they are catering to their specific needs. For example, he said lunch customers during the week may be in a rush because they have to get back to work. He said the brand trains its wait staff to provide speed, value and professionalism during this time. On the other hand, the dinner crowd may have more families and guests who want a more intimate experience as they enjoy their meals after a long day.

“By personalizing each guest experience, you will create an atmosphere people feel welcome at and one they can rely on,” Schram said. “By making the customers happy, they will come back for more.

At the end of the day, a great guest experience will stem form creating a cohesive work environment and adhering to consumers’ needs. Maynard said providing this experience will result in customers coming back frequently, and that will rub off on the staff.

“Patrons want to feel like the staff is working for them. Because if the staff seems like they don’t want to be there, the guests won’t want to either,” Maynard said. “Customers who enjoyed themselves will want to come back and having regulars is always a perk for our staff. It definitely boosts morale for stores and it feels more like a family and customers appreciate that.”