The icing on the service cake - the guest directory
As every service employee knows: guests are not easy. Making them happy is sometimes a challenge.
The ultimate in guest happiness, i.e. a tip for real professionals in this field, is the guest register. We'll show you how to set it up and what it can do:
How?
Either you have an electronic reservation program with an integrated option to create a card index. Or you can simply open an Excel list in which you record guest data. If this is all too electronic or not clear enough for you, you can always fall back on classic handwritten cards, which are arranged alphabetically in a card index.
What?
The guest register collects guest data - not only from existing regular guests, but also from those who are to become regular guests.
For example, if a guest orders a certain wine and mentions that they particularly like it, this information goes straight into the card index. Or if you, as a waiter, find out the guest's date of birth, this is also recorded straight away. On the next visit, you can then offer the guest the wine they like so much or perhaps even wish them a happy birthday.
If a guest has allergies (peanuts, seafood, etc.), this is of course one of the most important pieces of information and should also be written down straight away.
Why?
Customer loyalty is the keyword. When you know such small details about the guest, it shows that you care. Most guests like to see this, they like to feel that they are valued and respected. The customer file can therefore help to turn walk-in customers into regular customers.
It is important to remain discreet despite all the data collection. As a waiter, you may overhear some data, but you should still not write it down. So always weigh up which data is important for guest satisfaction and which is too private and therefore taboo.
Fancy some service?
If you would like to work in service and put the idea of the guest register into practice, then take a look at HOGASTJOB.
