Anyone Can Take an Order

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Anyone Can Take an Order

H

by Keith Levick

ere is a fairly simple question: Would you hire a person with poor communication skills, who flies off the handle when under pressure, and who is unaware of how his or her attitude affects others? Of course not! However, these people litter

workplaces across America, including restaurants. While they may be good at “taking the customer’s order,” some servers may lack the skills required to truly connect with the customers. Unfortunately, this disconnected attitude leads to poor customer and employee satisfaction and ultimately affects the restaurant’s bottom line — negatively. If you are truly trying to separate yourself from the pack, you

and neuroscience. Conceptually, EI is a broad term that focuses

on the menu and other food specialties unique to your restaurant.

the traditional areas of a person’s IQ and technical or business

have to commit to training your entire staff. You educate them Are they trained, however, in the interpersonal skills required

to exceed your customers’ expectations? Your hosts/hostesses,

servers and other employees are the ones with whom your customers will engage and interact. These front-line employees (and

managers) are critically important to the overall success of your business.

maintain positive relationships via managing emotions, trusting “gut” feelings, being aware of and attending to nonverbal communication, and by empathetically connecting with people.

Clearly, a server’s traditional intelligence is able to provide

him or her with an accurate answer if the food is not prepared

connect with their overall dining experience that affects the

rect response when an angry customer is casting aspersions or a

success of a business. Additionally, the importance of the server’s awareness of his or her own emotional state cannot be

overestimated. How can a server manage a disgruntled customer when he or she is unable to deal with his or her own negative

attitude? Feelings are contagious; but if one is emotionally tone deaf, the consequences could be widespread throughout

properly. A person’s IQ , however, often fails to provide the corco-worker accuses another of stealing his or her tips. Research

suggests that a person’s EI can explain a variance in job performance, all else being equal to another person. Research shows:

• There is a strong correlation between employees’ satisfaction and customers’ satisfaction

the restaurant.

• The hosts/hostesses and servers are the first and primary

employees) are ones who possess both traditional intelligence

• The hosts/hostesses, servers and buss-people’s observable

The most effective employees (leaders are also considered

Fall 2010

skills. A working definition of EI is the ability to build and

It is the ability to anticipate customers’ needs, be aware

of their emotional state, demonstrate empathy and truly

(IQ ) and “people skills” — emotional intelligence (EI). EI is

the hard science of people skills built on the split brain theory

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on one’s interpersonal competence and skills that fall outside

contact points for the customer

behavior drives the customers’ perceptions of the service quality of the restaurant

Customer Care News


Although the above bullet points are relevant to a restaurant’s

profit, the last bullet point is extremely significant. Here is why:

• One hundred satisfied customers generate 25 new •

customers A

five

percent

increase

in

overall

customer

retention equates to a 25 to 55 percent increase in profitability

• Negative word-of-mouth results in an 8.5 percent decrease in revenues

• When a customer is dissatisfied:

• Four percent tell management • Ninety-six percent go away

• Ninety-one percent never return When employees in the restaurant industry dem-

onstrate a lack of EI, it reduces customer and employee satisfaction, bottom

line.

and

directly

Building

affects

and

the

restaurant’s

maintaining

positive

relationships with customers and other employees is a

critical aspect of all job positions in a restaurant. emotional

intelligence,

therefore,

can

be

Fall 2010

Developing

both financially and professionally beneficial to restaurant employees. CCN

www.customercarenews.com

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