When A Guest Dines Alone
With 78% of customers, trusting online peer recommendations, that means guests have the power to persuade others. I can't stress this point strongly enough. When a customer receives outstanding customer service, they promote the restaurant, which directly impacts bottom line.
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Many guests who dine alone complain of being treated badly by restaurant seating staff and servers. They lament in being greeted with, "Will you be eating alone?", or "Just one?", if they are dining by themselves. Anyone, seating a guest should refrain from using these phrases. Protocol demands that ALL guests be treated and seated, as if they are V.I.P's (very important people). That is the unwritten seating code!
Maitre’d’s, hosts or hostesses are notorious for seating a lone guests at the worst table: near noisy serving station, next to the bathrooms, drafty entrance ways, tight isles, or squeezed into a dark corner. This happens for the convenience of the house, and not the guest. It isn’t supposed to work that way.
Waiting fifteen minutes or longer for a server to call on their table, because they assume a lone guest is waiting for someone else just doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t you offer any seated guest a beverage? I don’t understand this unnecessary dilemma. If there is only one place setting on the table – isn’t it obvious? These are all glaring-bold-red-flag-signals to staff, that only one person is eating. Servers must pay closer attention to reading the guests unspoken body language. Keeping in mind that no one wants to begin their dining experience with aggravation as their starter.
When I am instructing staff on, “Seating the Guest”, and welcoming has been initiated, all guests (lone or otherwise) should be greeted with a warm sincere and genuine smile.
If a guest enters the establishment alone, it can be safely assumed they are eating alone. Ask if they wish to sit at the bar or prefer a table. The host may begin escorting a lone guest to a table, accommodating ladies by pulling out their chair and begin by removing extra place settings. At this point a guest will most always offer information as to whether they are waiting on others.
An experienced and savvy seating host makes sure that "visual assumptions" have already been satisfied FIRST, if guests require special seating:
Visual Assumption Clues:
- Handicapped or service dog. The table needs to be easily accessible.
- If they require a quiet corner to work on their laptop or spreadsheets, they may need an electrical outlet and possibly more table room. Clue: They will be carrying their laptop and set it on the table.
- Brighter lighting for reading. Clue: They are carrying reading material, books, magazines or newspapers.
- Guests with carry-on luggage. Clue: Guests always want to be within close proximity to their luggage (practicing the, "never leave your luggage unattended" security rule).
In the restaurant industry a seating host must deal with a cadre of different challenges: table rotations, reservations and availability, which is not always understood by guests (nor do they want to know) what those challenges are, all they want, is to eat and enjoy their meal.
The first and only obligation and duty of a seating host is simple, please the guest.
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