Blogs
In honour of National Random Acts of Kindness Day, we asked the team at HGEM to share their most memorable experiences in which a restaurant has gone above and beyond for them.
While we think guests should receive an amazing guest experience every day, there are moments where team members go that extra mile and help create a memory that guests will remember forever. Here are just a few examples from the team at HGEM.
Special Occasions
Going above and beyond for birthdays and anniversaries is an opportunity for operators to really show guests how much they appreciate them. HGEM's Lauren says a free drink or cake for the birthday guest makes them feel special, she experienced this where the restaurant also decorated the table themselves, made conversation with her about her birthday plans, discounted her meal and wished her a Happy Birthday on departure. Everyone at the meal was wowed by the treatment they received which is really important to consider as this encourages repeat custom not only from the birthday guest but their friends too.
HGEM’s Jason had an incident in which his partner had booked a surprise birthday meal for him at a popular chain restaurant and had pulled out all the stops having decorated the table and organised a cake. “On entering the restaurant, we were greeted with an unpleasant smell which was too much to stomach and decided to leave. We managed to find a table at another restaurant and my partner told the team about the disappointment we had encountered that evening. To my surprise, at the end of the meal, staff appeared with gluten free cake, candles and balloons along with the all-important singing… birthday saved!”
Putting the customer first
Sometimes a customer can order the wrong food, forget to state a preference or forget what they ordered. Entirely the customers fault but when the restaurants number one priority is simply that the guest has an amazing time, picking up the slack from customers is paramount. A great example of this comes from HGEM’s Becca. “Two of us ordered similar dishes at a popular chain restaurant. We were mid-conversation when the first dish arrived and my friend claimed it, promptly drowned it in chilli oil and began eating. When the next dish came, it was clear our dishes had got mixed up and I couldn’t eat my friends’ dish because it had meat in it. The staff member instantly realised what had happened, and bought me an entirely new dish, for free. It was completely our fault, but she preemptively offered us a solution without us having to ask and went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed our meals.”
Taster dishes
When a guest just can't decide between two dishes, how great would it be if they got to try both dishes before committing? You often see this in ice-cream parlours so why not a restaurant? Lauren explains: "I wanted to try a curry but was worried it wouldn’t be as good as my favourite dish. The restaurant offered to heat a small taster for me to try to help make my decision."
Check back
The guest experience doesn’t always go smoothly, staff can make mistakes and external factors can affect it such as bad traffic making guests late and stressed or a loud group ruining a romantic evening. Such an instance occurred recently for Becca in which there was a drunk man harassing her and her friends. Despite how busy the bar was, a staff member noticed, asked him to leave, apologised and bought them all a drink. Throughout the evening, the staff member kept checking back to put them at ease and offered to call them a taxi on departure. “She didn’t need to go to that much effort, but it was kind of her to go out of her way, and I’d definitely recommend there again to anyone, because of how kind that staff member was.”
Allergies
Allergy friendly options are certainly on the increase and savoury dishes can often be adapted, but for diners with dietary requirements they may have to forgo a dessert. One of our diners told us about her experience when her and her partner had ordered a sharing dessert knowing their daughter wouldn’t be able to join in. Their waiter presented their daughter with a bowl of dairy free ice-cream which wasn’t on the menu. They really appreciated the fact they had considered their daughters needs and came up with a solution. A wonderful surprise.
Rewarding regulars
Easier for independents but a great way to recognise your loyal customers is to reward them. Something simple such as a free soft drink or a complimentary antipasti tray for the table shows you really appreciate them and will of course encourage repeat custom.
One for hotels
Hotels have an abundance of local knowledge and by getting to know their guests and plans during their stay, hotels can use this to their advantage. By providing them with recommendations of things to do, tailored to them, hotels can provide guests with a personalised thoughtful service. Going the extra mile in this way can turn a good experience into a great one.
So how can you encourage your team to go out of their way on National random Acts of Kindness Day? Being kind is sure to pay off for operators and we hope we have inspired you. If you want to find out what your guests think about your service and to improve the experience your guests receive, get in touch with the team today on 01225 470999 or email enquiries@hgem.com.
