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Phone etiquette: how does your restaurant stack up?

Sep 30, 2012

As restaurant operators, you understand how important presentation is; from your restaurant decor to your food and how your staff presents themselves. Friendly and warm is how you direct your hosts and waiters to act in front of all guests and a smile sure goes a long way. As we already wrote previously, a restaurant operator must always keep customer service at the most optimal level– and we mean in every facet.

There are a countless number of restaurants where a large percentage of business is composed of take-out orders. How does your restaurant handle all the guests who call-in their orders? What about if someone wants to make a reservation? Just as your restaurant has rules in place for how to handle dine-in customers, you must have guidelines for phone etiquette! Poor customer service, whether it is in person or over the phone, can really put a damper on your restaurant’s reputation (calling all Yelpers!), so why take any chances? Customer is king!

Proper restaurant phone etiquette tips

  • A proper introduction when an employee first answers the phone will consist of a enthusiastic voice saying  similar to “Thanks for choosing Tony’s Pizzeria, I’m Julia, how can I help you today?” for example. Simply answer the phone with, “Tony’s Pizzeria” is unacceptable.
  • Make sure your employees know the menu and pricing inside and out in the even that a customer needs some assistance in choosing the right items for their meal.
  • Sometimes, customers ask for some customization; ensure your staff understands how to properly respond when a request cannot be accommodated to their specifications.
  • You never want to place a customer on hold for too long! Consider installing multiple phones and lines to handle high volume calls.
  • Always end a call with an approximate time the food will be ready and of course a THANK YOU!
  • If your restaurant is utilizing a POS system to enter orders, make sure all staff are fully trained on the system to minimize the amount of incorrect orders placed from phone orders.
  •  Before any employee picks up the phone, they must be properly trained! You only have one chance to make a first impression.
It’s an old saying but it always rings true: “The customer is always right.”  If you feel your restaurant is in need of professional assistance in the FOH and BOH, contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants at 888-861-9212.