Recently, I ate at a casual Italian restaurant. I was looking forward
to the experience as the owners excelled at their fine-dining Italian
establishment so I was interested in their take on casual. When I
arrived, I was greeted by a welcoming host. We were seated, given menus,
and told our server would be right with us. So far, so good. We waited.
And we waited. And, we waited. Finally, the server arrived and asked us
if we were ready to order. We asked about specials. There were none.
Any recommendations on a starter, we asked? "There's some bread on there that's supposed to be good", he said to us.
It was in fact, very good. All the food was outstanding, but the
service got progressively worse. When asked what his favorite pizza was,
he informed us that he tried not to eat it because it made him fat!
The
owners had obviously taken great care to ensure quality products were
used in their food, the décor was deliberate and specific to their
brand, and the overall ambiance was good, however the server was so
untrained and so incompetent that we won't be back.
Every person in your restaurant plays a role in your customer's
experience. With thoughtful attention to your process and in turn your
customer, you'll ensure consistency over all.
