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In the world of hospitality, there's no such thing as a special occasion. If guests don't leave your restaurant feeling special, your business won't be the one they call to book a truly special occasion - when they're likely to eat more, drink more, and spend more.
From holidays like Christmas and Valentine's Day to personal celebrations like birthdays, graduations and anniversaries, going for a meal or drink is a popular way to celebrate for a lot of people. But despite the fact that there are plenty of times when guests will want to visit a restaurant, pub or hotel in order to celebrate, your team shouldn't think of one guest's meal being more important than any other.
Why? Firstly, a meal celebrating a special occasion might not immediately stand out as such to staff. Unless your staff have built a rapport with them, an event significant to the guests can easily be overlooked by team members. If lacklustre service inadvertently ruins a guest's special occasion, it also ruins the chance of any repeat business for your company.
In addition, a recent survey of ours found that of the top 10 dining grievances, all except one were well within the control of a well-trained and consistent front-of-house team. Grievances such as having to ask for service and being ignored on arrival all come back to the same core issue - they don't make guests feel special. And if your guests don't typically feel special during an everyday visit, they won't be inclined to think of you as a potential host for more important occasions.
If you and your staff are separating special occasions from typical guest visits, you're acknowledging that on a normal, everyday basis, your guests aren't receiving the best service they possibly could. The "standard" guest experience needs to be raised to the level of the "special", and no guest should ever be receiving less than your best. Providing extra special service on a daily basis is the difference between a mediocre hospitality business and an exceptional one.
Ultimately, you can ensure that every guest receives an experience that goes above and beyond the one they expected. Little touches such as a complimentary treat for a returning guest; addressing any complaints to the best of your ability and with the utmost respect; or even just demonstrating that you remember their preferences from a previous visit will make your guest experience worthy of a special occasion every time.
