4 Steps to Deliver Hospitality at Every Interaction 

"Hug the Guests!"

- Stephen Hanson, founder of BR GUEST Restaurants.

When it comes to hospitality, there is nothing more effective than a warm hug. We have broken down the concept of hugging the guest here. We are not talking about a physical hug, unless our guests have become so close to us that is appropriate, but a way of interacting with guests that will bring forth the same warm and comforting feeling as a genuine squeeze from a loved one.

When visiting a restaurant, a hotel, or any other service-driven establishment, guests experience interactions with team members. Each interaction prompts feelings within guests.  These feelings may range from warm to very cold.  A restaurant experience is composed of dozens of interactions. Think about how many interactions one guest may have with team members - making a reservation, handing a car to the valet, checking-in with the host, leaving items with the coat check, being seated, receiving menus, selecting a water choice, ordering a drink, receiving the drink, hearing the food presentation, ordering food, receiving bread, receiving an appetizer, refilling water, clearing the appetizer, ordering a second drink, receiving a second drink, receiving the main course, clearing the main course, ordering desserts, ordering a warm beverage, receiving dessert, receiving a hot beverage, clearing dessert, asking for the check, receiving the check, paying the check, asking for directions to the bathroom, leaving the table, collecting items in coat check, leaving the restaurant, retrieving a car from the valet, driving away. The key is that during each of these interactions, the guests feel like they have been hugged.    

Each position in an establishment supports the bigger purpose of providing hospitality. Just as it takes place on a sports team, all members contribute to the win. When recruiting new team members who will interact directly with patrons, we select candidates who demonstrate a natural ability toward providing hospitality. These individuals usually thrive on human interaction and look forward to making the interaction memorable.

Raw hospitality potential alone will not guarantee that guests will be “hugged" during every single interaction. Hospitality habits must be built like muscle memory, otherwise during a very busy service while the staff experiences significant stress, the perfectly hospitable team member might behave in a way that will deliver cold showers to our guests. It is about repetition, training, follow-through, and reward. 

1. OFFER A WARM WELCOME

Make eye contact and smile!   

It is that simple. Whatever the task, we train our team to look guests in the eye, and smile at every interaction.

Serving water: Make eye contact and smile.

Clearing the table: Make eye contact and smile. 

Serving a dish: Make eye contact and smile. 

...Any interaction with a guest: Make eye contact and smile.

Some interactions, such as the issuing of formal greetings, will include pleasantries and additional steps that will enhance the warm welcome. 

During service, we follow through and pay particular attention to server assistants and food runners whose main communication will be through the use of body language. We remind them to make eye contact and smile by extending that same genuine warm welcome to the guests.  

2. USE THE GUEST NAME WHENEVER POSSIBLE AND APPROPRIATE

It is gratifying to be welcomed and recognized by name. Whenever possible, team members should address the guests by name. This personal touch will go a long way in making guests feel appreciated. Use last names unless directed otherwise by the guests. Using the name should sound natural. Here are some of the times when using the guest name should flow naturally:

-       When taking a reservation

-       When an initial greeting is being given by a team member

-       When thanking guests as they pay for their meal

-       As a fond farewell is extended  

While using guests’ names, we keep the following in mind:

-       Pronunciation:  If we are unsure, we must ask the guests if we are pronouncing their names correctly.  

-       Repetition:  We do not overuse the name. In order to be effective, the use of names needs to flow naturally and be effortless.  

Using the guest’s name every time we pour water at the table, would be “over the top” and seem intrusive.

How do we make the process natural? We prepare and focus upon the task. Below are some examples of ways to facilitate using guests’ names.

-  During pre-shift, the list of reservations should be reviewed and shared with the team. Giving everyone the opportunity to familiarize with names and recognize repeat guests is a must.   

 -   The lead host should use downtime to memorize and practice saying the names of all guests coming in the following 15 minutes. By the time a regular guest arrives, we might then greet that guest naturally by name, making the person’s arrival memorable to him or her.

  -   Reservation slips that contain specific information are passed on to servers so that guests’ names are readily available.

3. HANDLE AND ANTICIPATE GUEST REQUESTS

This part requires preparation and attention to detail.

Stock the front door or coat check with reading glasses, shawls, cell phone chargers, care kits, sewing kits, and other useful items.

-   After each guest visit, we add permanent notes to his or her folio, so that we are able to memorialize preferences. 

 -   When taking a reservation, we ask questions that will allow us to make visits memorable. Questions about special occasions, table preference, and other details will help us anticipate guests’ needs during their visits.  Examples include:

 -  A couple coming for an anniversary will most likely appreciate a booth.

  -  Someone coming in a wheel chair will require appropriate seating.

  - A business dinner would probably be most appropriate at a table with chairs.

We teach team members to be observant.  Examples include:

  - If a lady is holding her arms in an uncomfortable way, we may offer a shawl.

  - If someone is not touching his or her dish, we will approach and inquire about the meal.

During every interaction we have the ability to anticipate and handle guests’ requests. Following through is key. Do not end the interaction and offer a fond farewell until the job is done, and the guest is satisfied.

4. EXTEND A FOND FAREWELL

Each interaction requires proper closure. The fond farewell does not only take place when guests are departing. It involves the act of completing an interaction between guests and team members. Make eye contact and smile.

The step of issuing the hug, is to make sure that we have satisfied the guest requests and executed the tasks completely.

Pour water, check the table for maintenance, make eye contact and smile, and then move on to the next task. If something is needed at the table, the server assistant will be able to detect it.  

Too many times guests will look up after receiving their meal to find that the food runner is already halfway across the room, and the only thing they see is the runner’s back side. When food runners deliver food, we teach them to wait just a few seconds in silence while observing the guests. Then they may offer a kind pleasantry announcing their departure from the able. This will ensure that the food was delivered to the right table, in front of the correct patron, that special requests were executed, and that guests have all the condiments needed. We may also be given another order of wine.  

When an interaction doesn’t end with a fond farewell, it feels as if the door is slammed in the face of the guest.

Making eye contact and a smiling for a couple of seconds before ending an interaction is all it takes. We may add a pleasantry when appropriate.

When guests leave our establishment, we thank them for their visit and invite them back. We plant the seed that they should come back. 

Here is an effective way to wish a guest a fond farewell:

“Mrs. Jones, thank you for your visit. It was a pleasure looking after you this evening.  My name is Peter.  Please do not hesitate to ask for me during your next visit or when recommending us to your friends.” 

Then Peter should hand over his business card.

General Recommendation: These steps should be used for training all team members on how to treat internal and external guests. Building a cohesive team on the principles of “hugging” each team member is effective. If one doesn’t interact directly with guests, one supports others who do. All tasks in a restaurant lead to delivering hospitality. The first step of extending a warm welcome is presenting an immaculate establishment. We use this concept to train the support team to participate in delivering hospitality excellence.